Charity equips churches for Father’s Day

For some, however, it is not a day for celebration, for those who are estranged or have not had good experiences with their earthly fathers.

Four in 10 dads have not seen their children on Father’s Day, according to a ComRes survey of more than 1,000 fathers.

Some 37 per cent said they, or someone they know, have experienced not seeing their children on Father’s Day.

If this is indicative of the general population, some 2.3 million men will not see their children today.

Amid the thanksgiving traditionally associated with Father’s Day, there is a mix of feelings in church congregations.

There will be those who don’t have a good relationship with their father, or who had an absent father. There will be people who miss their dad, and fathers who aren’t able to care for or who share the care of children.

There will be men who aren’t yet dads but who have important and influential roles in the lives of children.

Christian charity, Home for Good, wants to equip churches to be great places for anyone to come on Father’s Day, whatever their experience of fatherhood.

They have produced resources, including films, sermon outlines and prayers, which sensitively embrace the stories in congregations using Biblical reflections and stories, whilst embracing the multiple fathering roles and varying needs for a parent figure in our communities.

Whether a time of…