Dr. Dontá McGilvery suggests that churches draw inspiration from Labor Day to create an annual season of rest and appreciation for faithful volunteers. Drawing on 1 Thessalonians 5, he argues that intentionally honoring those who labor in ministry strengthens congregational health, reduces burnout, and demonstrates biblical gratitude.
I am currently making my way through a novel that, like many novels, transports me to another time and place. One of the things I enjoy most about historical fiction is that it often introduces me to moments in history that I have never stopped to consider. In this particular novel, the British author mentioned the August Bank Holiday. Curious, I paused my reading long enough to learn more about it. What I discovered not only taught me something about British history but also made me think differently about our own Labor Day and, surprisingly, about the church.
That discovery led me to learn that the August Bank Holiday was established in the United Kingdom in 1871 as a response to the demanding working conditions many laborers faced after the Industrial Revolution. Occurring on the last Monday of August, it offers working people a rare opportunity for rest before another season of work begins. As I continued reading, I realized that the United States created Labor Day for remarkably similar reasons. Labor Day was established to recognize the contributions of American workers, honor the labor movement, and provide a protected day of rest for those whose daily work often went unnoticed.
The more I reflected on the purpose of both holidays, the more one question kept surfacing in my mind: What might Labor Day have to teach the church?
That question shifts the conversation from the workplace to the sanctuary. I am not suggesting that churches advocate for another national holiday or organize a parade celebrating faithful volunteers. Instead, I wonder whether Labor Day offers us an opportunity to examine how we care for those whose faithful service keeps our congregations’ ministries moving week after week. Many churches depend upon a relatively small number of people who consistently teach, sing, greet, visit, organize, cook, clean, mentor, pray, and lead. They often serve joyfully, yet many eventually step away because constant service without intentional renewal can become exhausting.
This concern is not new. In a previous Leading Ideas article, Doug Powe wisely challenged churches to consider 4 Strategies to Reverse the 80/20 Rule by engaging more people in ministry. His work addresses an important question: How do we invite more members into meaningful service? I would like to raise a complementary question. How do we intentionally care for the faithful servants who are already carrying much of the ministry? Churches should certainly encourage broader participation, but they should also develop intentional rhythms that honor those who have faithfully sustained the congregation year after year.
One practical way to begin is by creating an annual day, weekend, or even season dedicated to giving faithful volunteers time away from their regular ministry responsibilities. The specific shape of that season should not be determined by the pastor alone or through a broad congregational vote. Instead, it should emerge from conversations with those who faithfully labor in the church’s ministries. Those who consistently carry the work are best positioned to identify what would genuinely restore them. By inviting them into the planning process, churches communicate that their voices matter just as much as their service.
I recently heard of a pastor who unintentionally modeled this principle. Before taking a sabbatical in August, the pastor announced that there would be no ministry meetings, committee gatherings, or fellowship events during that time. Rather than allowing only the pastor to rest, the entire congregation entered a season of renewal together. Although the decision was not connected to Labor Day or the 80/20 conversation, it demonstrated a powerful truth. Rest became a gift extended to the volunteers whose faithful service often made the church’s ministry possible throughout the year. Imagine the impact if such a season became an annual expression of gratitude rather than an isolated event.
That vision finds strong support in Scripture. Paul writes, “We ask you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labor among you and have charge of you in the Lord.” The instruction goes beyond simply recognizing names or thanking volunteers once a year. Paul’s language carries the idea of knowing, appreciating, and esteeming those whose labor strengthens the community of faith. The following verse continues, “Esteem them very highly in love because of their work.”
Churches often fulfill this command through appreciation banquets or public recognition, both of which are valuable. Yet perhaps one of the highest forms of esteem is not simply celebrating people’s work but also protecting their well-being through intentional seasons of rest.
Some may object that faithful servants should not expect recognition because service itself is an act of worship. Certainly, Christian service is rooted in humility rather than personal recognition. Yet throughout the New Testament, Paul consistently names and honors faithful coworkers such as Phoebe, Priscilla, Aquila, Timothy, and Epaphroditus. Public gratitude did not diminish their humility. Instead, it reminded the church that faithful labor should never be taken for granted.
Others may wonder whether giving volunteers time away from ministry would weaken the church’s work. I would suggest the opposite may be true. Seasons of intentional rest create opportunities for newer members to discover gifts they have not yet exercised while allowing experienced leaders to return refreshed rather than depleted. Healthy churches understand that sustainability is not measured by how long people can endure exhaustion but by how faithfully they can serve over the course of many years.
Still others may say that their congregation is too small to pause ministries for an entire month. That concern is understandable, yet the principle matters more than the calendar. One church may designate a single Sunday, another a holiday weekend, and another two weeks at the end of summer. The goal is not to imitate another congregation’s schedule but to establish a culture in which faithful labor is intentionally acknowledged, celebrated, and renewed.
As Labor Day approaches, perhaps pastors might begin asking a different set of questions. What would it look like to invite faithful volunteers into conversations about what genuine renewal would mean for them? How might a year of thoughtful planning create a meaningful annual experience instead of another last-minute event? Could a season of rest also become an opportunity to invite members who have not yet found a place to serve into meaningful ministry for the first time? Might the congregation itself become healthier if rest and service were held together instead of being viewed as competing priorities?
Perhaps the greatest lesson Labor Day offers the church is that honoring work requires more than words. It requires creating space for those who labor to breathe, to worship without responsibility, to spend time with family, and to remember that before they are volunteers, ministry leaders, or committee chairs, they are beloved children of God.
Imagine a congregation where faithful servants know that the church intentionally sets aside time each year for their renewal because their labor is seen and valued. Such a practice would do more than reduce burnout. It would proclaim that the church truly knows those who labor among them, esteems them in love, and understands that caring for faithful servants is itself a faithful act of discipleship.
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Related Resources
- Self Care is an Act of Faith by Dontá McGilvery
- What to Do When Volunteers Quit by Deborah Ike
- 4 Strategies for Reversing the 80/20 Rule by Doug Powe
- Ten Hints for Leading Volunteers by Jill Fox
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