It is not Happy people who are Thankful. It is Thankful people who are Happy.

It is a spiritual practice of many religions and a hallmark of Christianity: gratitude, giving thanks, showing appreciation for all that we have and the wonderful world God gave us. Gratitude journals and lists are all the rage in popular culture, but how often do we plan thankfulness as an activity of the church?

UMCom offers some ideas for bringing people together to creatively express joyful gratitude in various ways. And you can probably think of others using a host of available media. Try Facebook posts, Twitter tweets, post-it notes, thank-you cards, bulletin-board displays, Sunday school art projects, church Websites and newsletters, even fun or inspirational videos.

Being grateful is really about being more mindful of the abundance in our lives and how we can share it with others. So all this month, and maybe next month too, why not engage your congregation in showing the glow of gratitude? Who knows? After 30 days, it just might become habit-forming. Thanks be to God! Learn more…