Churches are known for being a place of love and community, so it’s not surprising that gift-giving is also an important part of the church tradition.
Whether you’re looking to give a gift to someone who has just joined your church or has been there for years, gift giving can be tricky.
To help with this stressful task, we’ve compiled some gift ideas that will hopefully suit any type of church member!
How to choose gift for a Church member:
1. Consider their age group, gender, and family situation before choosing a gift
Their age group, gender, and family situation are essential basis for you to choose a gift for a church member.
The best gift ideas for church members depend on their specific needs and preferences – but these suggestions should help guide you in:For a female, gift for a church member may include something to help them decorate their home like candles or framed religious paintings of her favorite saint.
- If she has got married, think about what she need or want for herself and her family. Gifts should be practical and useful, like food items or household supplies to help her with daily life.
- If she has children, consider buying her some baby-related items as a gift.
For a male church member, if you have recognized any interests in him with hobbies, gift items related to it also make great gifts.
- For example, if he is into sports then consider purchasing tickets for games or equipment for this hobby
If an older church member is approaching retirement age , gift ideas should include retirement gifts like
- a membership to the local museum,
- retirement prayer shawls,
- items to help them find new hobbies like chess set or playing cards.
2. Think about their personality type
You’ll need to do some research on their personality type in order to find a gift for a church member that they will love.
Are they introverted or extroverted? Do they seem like the type to prefer practical or sentimental gifts? Consider gift ideas that will appeal to their personality in order to find the perfect gift.
- A practical gift could be a religious & spiritual custom calendar for an introverted person
- extroverts would appreciate a gift card to go out and spend time with people they enjoy spending time with such as religious museums, prayer journals or spiritual gift shops.
- Sentimental gift ideas could be a religious gift like a crucifix necklace, rosary bracelet, bible cover, religious painting, prayer beads, incense holder and an inspirational book of devotionals for their home library.
- A handmade gift also a creative choice to show your thoughtfulness and effort, for example you can bake them christian & religious themed cookies or chocolate.
If you have a close relationship with recipients, you can make the Gift for a Church Member feel more personal by adding personalized touches to your gift ideas such as having their name engraved on it.
- For example, a small Bible with the person’s name inscribed on it or a mug with photo of you two and inspirational quotes on it.
3. Make sure your gift is in line with Church guidelines
If you are not religious, you should find out whether your gifts are in line with their Church guidelines before buying anything. This will avoid any awkward interactions at a later date!
If you can’t be sure, you can find a church gift shop for gift-giving purposes. The gift shop will be able to help you find something that aligns with Church guidelines and is appropriate for the recipient’s denomination while also being useful to them.
There are some days in the catholic calendar that gift-giving is inappropriate. For example, on Ash Wednesday you cannot give gifts because it’s a day of fasting and repentance. So you should avoid gift giving on those days.
4. Find out if there are any special occasions coming up that you can celebrate with them (birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas)
If you know of any upcoming special occasions, Gift for a Church Member can be tailored to the occasion.
- For a easter gift, you can consider buying them chocolate eggs or even a gift basket filled with Easter themed goodies like chocolates eggs, Easter egg hunt tickets, an easter bunny plushie etc…
- For a Christmas gift, you can think about buying something to decorate their house like a wreath or gift tags. A gift card to buy Christmas decorations is also a good idea for a gift, so they can pick them out themselves!
- If they’re celebrating an anniversary or other special occasion, then consider buying them something that reflects the event like flowers and wine.
Be mindful that there are certain gifts that are inappropriate or unwelcome when given during religious holidays like Christmas, Easter and Lent? If so, why should this be avoided at all costs.
This question will also encourage people planning on attending these celebrations what types of gifts to avoid if they want their gesture to be appreciated by the recipient.
Conclusion
I hope this article has been helpful to you in figuring out how to choose the perfect gift for your church members. Whether they’re friends or family, it’s always a great idea to get them something that reflects who they are and what they enjoy doing.
If you have any questions about these tips or want more information on different types of gifts, feel free to contact me!
