Nurses’ Appreciation Sabbath

A Resource Guide for Pastors and Congregations

Dear Pastors…

Grace and peace to you in Christ. On behalf of the Adventist Association of Faith Community Nurses (AAFCN), the professional nursing organization of the North American Division, we are writing to encourage your congregation’s participation in the annual Nurses Appreciation Sabbath.  It is traditionally observed during or near National Nurses Week (first week of May). We encourage an annual celebration on the first Sabbath in May or as convenient to the church’s calendar.

National Nurse’s Week was officially established by Congressional actions to honor the commitment, service, and healing ministry of nurses across the country. Within the Seventh-day Adventist Church, this recognition takes on special significance. The Nurses Appreciation Sabbath tradition emerged from the desire to affirm the essential role nurses play in advancing the church’s long-standing health ministry mission—touching lives, promoting healing, and supporting whole-person well-being in the spirit of Christ’s example.

A Nurses’ Appreciation Sabbath provides a meaningful opportunity to offer the following:

  • Acknowledge nurses, nursing students, and retired nurses within your congregation
  • Offer a special prayer of dedication and appreciation during the worship service
  • A blessing of the hand’s ceremony
  • Highlight the contributions of nurses to the ministry of healing
  • Encourage involvement in health education, community outreach, and wellness initiatives
  • Include a brief note in the bulletin or announcements celebrating National Nurses Week

Nurses are an invaluable resource to the local church. Their expertise in holistic health education, disease prevention, emotional and spiritual support, and community care strengthens the overall well-being of church members, the pastoral team, the pastor’s family, and church staff. When a congregation intentionally recognizes its nurses, it not only honors their service but also creates pathways for greater engagement, often inspiring more nurses to become active participants in church health ministries.

The AAFCN would be delighted to support your congregation in implementing an annual Nurses Sabbath. We can provide sample announcements, suggested service elements, recognitions, and other helpful resources.

Thank you for considering this opportunity to uplift and affirm the nurses in your congregation. May God richly bless your pastoral leadership as you continue guiding your members in whole-person ministry.

With warm regards and appreciation,

Adventist Association of Faith Community Nurses (AAFCN)
Health Ministries Department
North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists

Ideas to Celebrate

Celebrating nurses in honor of Nurse’s Week at church is a wonderful way to recognize their dedication and ministry. Here are 12 meaningful ways to celebrate them.

  • Have a dedicated moment to acknowledge nurses during the service.
  • Invite them to stand while the congregation prays a special blessing over them.

  • Ask the pastor, special guest or nurse to preach on healing as a ministry and the role of nurses in God’s work.
  • Include biblical examples of healing, such as the Good Samaritan or Jesus as the Great Physician.

  • Have the church leadership or members write personalized thank-you notes expressing gratitude.
  • Small tokens like devotional books, customized pens, or prayer journals make thoughtful gifts.

  • Invite a few nurses to share their experiences and how their faith guides their profession.
  • Highlight their impact in the church and community.

  • Hold a dedicated prayer session for nurses, asking for strength, wisdom, and spiritual renewal.
  • Offer anointing with oil for those who desire it, symbolizing God’s blessing on their work.

  • Host a special meal after service in their honor.
  • Decorate with a health theme and encourage nurses to share their experiences over a meal.

  • Share short bios, testimonies, or highlights of the nurses in your congregation.
  • Post “Thank You, Nurses!” messages on the church’s social media pages.

  • Offer a session on stress management, mental health, or self-care specifically for nurses.
  • Gift them with relaxation items like essential oils, herbal teas, or a small spa package.

  • Connect experienced nurses with younger or aspiring nurses in the church for mentorship.
  • Encourage faith-based health ministry involvement, such as health fairs or health counseling.

  • Host a faith and nursing workshop to discuss integrating faith into healthcare.
  • Provide books or resources on Christian nursing, faith-based caregiving, or servant leadership.

  • Encourage nurses to get involved with health ministries, such as:
  • Leading a health Sabbath program
  • Organizing free health screenings at church or in the community
  • Mentoring young nurses or nursing students in the congregation

  • Offer continuing education sessions on faith-based healthcare and how to balance spiritual care with professional responsibilities.
  • Distribute books on Christian nursing and medical ministry, such as:
  • Ministry of Healing by Ellen G. White
  • Faith Community Nursing: Connecting Faith and Health
  • Adventist Health Message Resources

These ideas celebrate, empower, and inspire nurses to return to their workplaces, homes, and churches reignited for impact—ready to continue the healing work alongside Jesus. By recognizing nurses in meaningful ways, you uplift their spirits, encourage their ministry, and strengthen their connection to the church.

Suggested Church Service Outline

This service structure can be adapted depending on the specific traditions and size of your congregation, but it should focus on expressing gratitude, offering prayers of blessing, and reflecting on the sacred calling of nurses.

1. Opening Prelude (5-10 minutes)

  • Music: Instrumental or hymn that reflects healing and care, such as “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” or “Be Thou My Vision.”
  • Welcoming Remarks: Pastor or service leader opens with a warm greeting, setting the tone for honoring the nurses.

2. Opening Prayer (2-3 minutes)

  • Prayer for the nurses, thanking God for their service, dedication, and compassion in their work.
  • Ask for God’s continued guidance, strength, and wisdom for them as they provide care and healing.

Example prayer: “Lord, we come before You today with grateful hearts for the dedicated nurses in our community. Thank You for their selfless service, the way they care for others with compassion, skill, and grace. We ask that You continue to bless them, guide them, and strengthen them in their work. May they feel Your presence, Your peace, and Your love as they care for those in need. In Your holy name, we pray. Amen.”

3. Scripture Readings (5-7 minutes)

Choose scriptures that emphasize healing, compassion, and service:

  • Matthew 25:35-40: “For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in…” (Reflecting care for others)
  • James 5:14-15: “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord…”
  • Luke 10:33-34: Parable of the Good Samaritan (showing kindness and care for others in need).

4. Special Music or Hymn (5 minutes)

  • A hymn that honors healing, such as “Healer of Our Every Ill” or “Lord, I Want to Be a Christian.”
  • Alternatively, a special song or vocal solo could be performed, highlighting the theme of healing.

5. Message / Sermon (15-25 minutes)

  • Theme: “The Calling of Compassion: Nurses as Healers”
  • The sermon can focus on how nursing is not just a profession, but a calling from God to serve others.
  • Draw connections between biblical principles of healing, service, and the role nurses play in offering care to those in need.
  • Mention the qualities of nurses—compassion, skill, endurance, and the ability to bring comfort—and how these qualities reflect God’s love in the world.

Example sermon points:

  • God’s Healing Hands: Nurses participate in God’s work of healing through their care.
  • The Ministry of Service: Like the Good Samaritan, nurses are called to serve selflessly.
  • Perseverance and Strength: Acknowledge the challenges nurses face and the strength they demonstrate daily, trusting God in the midst of difficulty.

You can also use previous Health Sabbath and Nurses Sabbath sermon resources.

6. Recognition of Nurses (5-10 minutes)

  • Call up all nurses in the congregation to stand or come forward.
  • Offer a prayer or blessing for them, specifically asking for God’s strength and protection in their work.
  • Give them a small token of appreciation, like flowers, certificates, or a special gift.

Example prayer: “Lord, we lift up these nurses before You today. Thank You for their tireless service and their commitment to care for others. We ask that You continue to empower them, renew their strength, and surround them with Your peace. Bless their hands, their hearts, and their minds as they continue to serve others in Your name. Amen.”

7. Offering (3-5 minutes)

  • A reminder that offerings can be used to support healthcare ministries, mission work, or local hospitals/nursing homes.
  • Musical offering (if applicable).

8. Closing Hymn (5 minutes)

  • A hymn of hope and encouragement, such as “Amazing Grace” or “It Is Well with My Soul.”
  • Congregation sings together to close the service on a hopeful and uplifting note.

9. Benediction (2-3 minutes)

  • Offer a final blessing over the nurses and the congregation.

Example Benediction: “As you go from this place, may you be filled with peace, hope, and strength to continue the work of caring for others. May God’s grace and healing power be upon you as you serve. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.”

10. Closing Music (Optional)

  • Play a peaceful or uplifting hymn as the congregation exits, perhaps something like “How Great Thou Art” or “The Prayer.”

Additional Ideas

  • Testimonies: Invite one or two nurses to briefly share their experiences and what it means to them to serve in healthcare.
  • Healthcare Ministry Highlight: If your church has a healthcare ministry or outreach program, consider using this opportunity to highlight its work.

The “Blessing of the Hands”

The Value of Blessings

The Blessing of the Hands is a sacred practice in which the church prays over the hands of nurses, asking God to consecrate them for healing, compassion, wisdom, and service. It symbolizes dedicating their daily work—often unseen and demanding—to God’s purposes. Blessing of the Hands is a universal healthcare tradition, believed to have been started by Florence Nightingale in the 1800s. It is a gesture to remind nurses their hands should deliver compassionate care at all times. This blessing of the hands symbolizes the Biblical practice of anointing. It sets apart nurses for the Lord’s work so that through them, the Lord will touch people in need of His healing.

This practice acknowledges that:

  • Nurses are instruments of God’s healing
  • Caregiving is both a professional calling and a spiritual ministry
  • God works through skillful hands guided by loving hearts

Why This Practice Is Important for Nurses

  • Affirms vocation: Recognizes nursing as a sacred calling, not just a job
  • Encourages spiritual resilience: Nurses often carry emotional and physical burdens
  • Strengthens identity: Reinforces their role as partners with God in healing
  • Builds community support: The church publicly commits to praying for them

How the Blessing Is Performed

  • Nurses stand or come forward
  • Pastor, elder, or leader prays
  • Optionally, hands may be gently extended or anointed
  • The congregation may be invited to extend hands in prayer

Sample Prayer: Blessing of the Hands for Nurses

Gracious and Loving God,

We come before You today with hearts full of gratitude for our nurses
We thank You for the hands You have gifted them—
hands that comfort the hurting,
hands that serve with skill and compassion,
hands that bring relief, dignity, and hope.

Lord, we ask that You bless these hands.
May they be guided by Your wisdom,
strengthened by Your power,
and moved by Your love.

When their work is heavy and their strength feels low,
renew them.
When decisions are difficult, grant them clarity.
When they encounter suffering, fill them with compassion without exhaustion.

May their hands reflect the healing touch of Christ.
Protect them from harm, discouragement, and burnout.
Let every task they perform—seen or unseen—be an act of worship unto You.

Bless not only their hands, Lord,
but their hearts, their minds, and their spirits.
May they know they are never working alone,
for You go before them and walk beside them.

We dedicate their service to You,
and we thank You for the blessing they are to Your people and to the world.

In Jesus’ name we pray,
Amen.

Why Should I Support Nurses in Ministry?

Seventh-day Adventists emphasize a wholistic approach to health, which includes not only physical health but also mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Nurses play a crucial role in addressing all aspects of health, thereby fulfilling the mission of providing wholistic care to individuals and communities.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church places a strong emphasis on service to others, following the example of Jesus Christ. Nurses embody this spirit of service through their compassionate care for patients, often in challenging and vulnerable situations.

Nurses are instrumental in providing health education and promoting healthy lifestyle choices, which aligns with Seventh-day Adventist beliefs in maintaining health as a stewardship responsibility. Through their ministry, nurses can empower individuals to make positive changes in their health behaviors.

Seventh-day Adventists prioritize outreach and support for vulnerable populations, including the sick, the elderly, and the marginalized. Nurses are often on the front lines of caring for these groups, advocating for their needs and providing comfort and support during times of illness and distress.

For many Seventh-day Adventist nurses, their faith is an integral part of their identity and motivates their work in healthcare. Supporting the role of nurses in ministry allows for the integration of faith principles into healthcare practices, fostering a wholistic approach that addresses both the physical and spiritual needs of patients.

In line with the Seventh-day Adventist mission of spreading the gospel and serving humanity, nurses have unique opportunities to engage in missionary work through healthcare outreach programs, medical missions, and volunteer initiatives. Their ministry can make a significant impact on individuals and communities around the world.

Nurses often serve as bridges between healthcare institutions and local communities, facilitating outreach efforts and building relationships based on trust and compassion. By supporting the role of nurses in ministry, Seventh-day Adventists can strengthen community bonds and demonstrate God’s love through practical acts of service and care.

Ellen G. White, one of the co-founders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, emphasized the importance of health and wellness in her writings and teachings. She recognized the vital role of nurses in ministering to the sick and promoting health principles. Supporting nurses in ministry honors the legacy of Adventist pioneers and perpetuates Christ’s vision of wholistic health and compassionate care as integral aspects of Seventh-day Adventist beliefs and practices.

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