Take a Missionary to Lunch Day

Take a Missionary to Lunch Day History

Bringing the Missionary to Lunch Day is the anniversary of the birthday of Albert Schweitzer, a Nobel Prize-winning missionary to Africa.

Today, missionaries are found in several countries of the world. A missionary is a member of a spiritual group sent to perform literacy, education, economic development, and health care services. Albert Schweitzer is a famous evangelist who won the Noble Prize. He served as a missionary in Africa.

How to observe Take a Missionary to Lunch Day

Below are some suggestions to celebrate this holiday:

• Tell it in the most obvious way—take a missionary to lunch! Better yet, take the whole family out for lunch or dinner. Call your church or local Christian organizations to see if any missionaries are at home.
• Can't find a missionary to take to lunch? Put together a "lunch basket" to send to the missionaries abroad. Includes a variety of items that they may not have. Let your kids choose their favorite snacks to send to the mission kids.
• We often think of missionaries as those who only serve God in distant third world countries. Show children how they can be missionaries in their community.
• Ask your church or denomination for the addresses (or e-mail addresses) of missionaries whose children are close in age to yours. Start by sending them a letter to ask about some hobbies, daily schedule, and new experiences. Don’t forget to ask about how to pray for them.
• Read a book about the life of Albert Scheweitzer.
• Ask a missionary how your family can pray for them next year. If the missionary is in a third world country, can you help by sending school supplies to their children? Find ways to stay in touch with the missionary's family.
• Design "Get to know you" scrapbook. Give family members photos to fit in a photo album. Everyone designs some pages with images and descriptive captions. Include brochures from your hometown. Compile scrapbook and send it to a missionary family.
• Along with taking a missionary to lunch, give missionaries living in the United States gift certificates to restaurants. They will appreciate being able to take their family out to eat on a limited budget.