Thanksgiving Teacher Appreciation

Family Traditions are special. One of my family’s traditions has been making “Turkey Cookies” each Thanksgiving season. Just for clarification, these cookies don’t contain actual turkey, but are decorated to look like turkeys.

Even as a young child, I remember sharing these cookies with classmates, teachers, and friends each year. When I started serving in ministry, I wanted to do something special for the church staff and ministry volunteers during the Thanksgiving season.

Many times we overlook this special season to show thankfulness to the Lord and to our teachers who serve the Lord faithfully through our ministries. It only felt logical to begin sharing the “Turkey Cookies” with the staff and teachers at my church. After the first couple of years, “Turkey Cookies” became a tradition for our ministry.  It was a simple way to communicate thankfulness for them. Everyone needs encouragement and affirmation.

This Thanksgiving season, consider making these cookies for your staff and teachers. When you share them, communicate specific reasons why you are thankful for them and their ministry. Reaffirm a teacher who contacts his class each week. Recognize a teacher who arrives early and is prepared when the first child arrives. Share with another ministry leader why you enjoy serving on staff with her.

Make a commitment this Thanksgiving to share genuine words of affirmation to your church staff and ministry leaders echoing Paul’s words in Philippians 1:3-5, “I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.”

Turkey Cookies:

• Oatmeal or Sugar cookies (can be store bought or homemade)
• Vanilla or white Icing (I have found store bought works easiest)
• Hershey kiss
• Candy Corn
• Red Miniature M&Ms (small pieces of twizzler candies or red hot candies can be substituted for M&Ms)

1. Place icing on one end of the cookie to anchor a Hershey kiss as the head.
2. On the other end of the cookie, use icing to attach 5 candy corn as feathers.  
3. Put a small amount of icing on top of the Hershey kiss to attach the red miniature M&M for the beak.

*Remember to be mindful of allergies and food sensitivities. Some ingredients may need to be substituted.

Delanee Williams serves as a Ministry Specialist with Lifeway Kids. She is a graduate of Baylor University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.  Delanee has served in kids ministry for over twenty years and is passionate about developing, equipping and encouraging leaders.