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Martin Luther King Jr.

Celebrating Martin Luther King Day in Your Church

Posted on January 1, 2024January 3, 2024 by ptsblog
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Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a civil holiday in the United States, celebrated on the third Monday of January each year (King’s birthdate was Jan. 15, 1929). However, many churches celebrate the legacy of the Rev. Dr. King in worship that weekend, with special attention to the way King’s Christian faith influenced his activism and the broader Civil Rights movement.

Wondering how you can celebrate MLK Day in your church? Here are 5 ideas:

5 Ways to Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Your Church

1. Incorporate liturgy that honors and celebrates Dr. King into your regular weekend worship services. Resources are available from:

  • The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
  • The United Methodist Church
  • Ministry Matters

2. Organize a community discussion on one of Dr. King’s speeches or writings

One suggestion is to use Letter from a Birmingham Jail, which was written specifically to moderate white Christian clergy as a call to action for all people of Christian faith. Click here for the full text.

3. Serve Your Community

Find out what others in your community are doing for MLK Weekend and ask church members to attend or participate. Many nonprofit organizations hold a Day of Service on the Saturday before or on the day of MLK Day.

4. Read a children’s book celebrating Black voices with the kids during children’s moments or Sunday School

Train and resource families in your church to talk about race at home by using a following guide developed by the Western Pennsylvania Conference of The United Methodist Church. Click here to access the guide.

5. Use the weekend to kick off a congregational/community study or focus on anti-racism

Many denominations and judicatories have anti-racism resources or diversity, equity, and inclusion offices to help. Click here for PC(USA) “Facing Racism” resources and recommendations.

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