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The Church Calendar

 

Seasons and Festivals, Special Days and Other Celebrations

Wood carving by Lie Yee Wan, 1969

As the church keeps time with Christ through the year, we observe several different kinds of occasions.

  • First, there are the seasons and festivals of the Christian year. These are organized around the life, death and resurrection of Christ (such as Easter), events in the story of salvation (such as Pentecost), or theological doctrines (such as Trinity Sunday) and tend to be recognized across denominations.
  • Second, there are programmatic emphases of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). These are related to the mission and ministry of this denomination and are promoted and resourced by various offices at the national level of the church. Examples include Celebrate the Gifts of Women, Mr. Rogers Day, and Special Offerings.
  • Third, there other events in public life that may be acknowledged in congregations. At the national level, examples include Labor Day, Mother’s Day, and Veterans Day. At the local level, churches might celebrate congregational anniversaries, community gatherings or homecoming events.

This page provides an index to such occasions, with links to resources on the website of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Questions or suggestions about particular resources should be directed to the office, ministry area or agency responsible for that observance.

Note: The Scriptures of the Revised Common Lectionary are related to the first category (Christian year). Those who develop resources for the second and third categories may or may not choose to coordinate with the ecumenical lectionary.


General Prayer and Worship Resources

Daily/Sunday Lectionary

Mission Yearbook

Presbyterian Peacemaking Devotional


Alphabetical Listing

(Go to Chronological Listing)

A

Advent & Christmas Devotional 2021, “Come to Bethlehem and Be Nourished”

Africa Day

Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day

B

Blue T-shirt Sunday

C

Camp and Retreat Sunday

Celebrate the Gifts of Women

Children’s Sabbath

Christian and Citizen; Election Day

Christian Formation Week 

Christmas Joy Offering

College and Young Adult Sunday 

D

Day of Prayer for the Peaceful Reunification of the Korean Peninsula

Disability Inclusion

Domestic Violence Awareness

E

Earth Day

Educate a Child, Transform the World

Election Day

Evangelism Sunday

F

Fair Trade Day

Father’s Day

First Sunday of Advent

Forgiveness  Sunday

Foster Care Month

G

Gifts of New Immigrants

Giving Tuesday

Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence

H

Health Awareness and Prayer for Healing

Higher Education/Collegiate Ministries

Hiroshima Day 

HIV/AIDS Awareness

Holocaust Remembrance Day

Holy Week

Honest Patriotism for Christian Citizens

Human Rights Day

Human Trafficking Awareness Day

Hunger and Homelessness

I

Immigration Sunday

Independence Day

Intercultural Church

International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade Abolition

International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples

International Day of Peace

International Day of Farmers’ Struggles

International Roma Day

International Women’s Day

J

Justice Advocacy Sunday

Juneteenth

L

Labor Day

Legacy Giving Sunday 

M

Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday

Matthew 25: Building Congregational Vitality Sunday

Matthew 25: Dismantle Structural Racism Sunday

Matthew 25: Eradicating Systemic Poverty Sunday

May Friendship Day

Memorial Day Observed

Mental Health Awareness Month

Mental Illness Awareness Week

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People

Mission Worker Sunday

Mothers’ Day

Mr. Rogers Day

Multicultural Church; Immigration

N

Nativity Fast

National Day of Prayer

National Gun Violence Awareness Day

National Suicide Prevention Month

Native American Day

New Year’s Day

O

Older Adult Week and Wills Emphasis Sunday

One Great Hour of Sharing 

One Thousand and One (1001) New Worshiping Communities

P

Palestinian Nakba Remembrance Day

PDA Blue T-shirt Sunday

Peace & Global Witness Offering

Pentecost Offering

Per Capita Sunday

Presbyterian Federal Chaplaincies

Presbyterian Heritage 

Presbyterian Media Sunday

Presbyterian Men

Presbyterians Affirm Black Lives Matter

Presidents Day

Public Education

R

Race Relations/Racial & Intercultural Justice

Reformation Sunday

Rural Life

S

Season of Peace begins

Self-Development of People Sunday

September 11 Anniversary

A Social Creed for the 21st Century

Souper Bowl of Caring

Stewardship Commitment

T

Thanksgiving Day

Theological Education/Seminary

Thursdays in Black

Transgender Day of Remembrance

U

United Nations Day

V

Veterans Day

W

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Wills Emphasis Sunday 

World AIDS Day; Presbyterian HIV/AIDS Awareness

World Communion

World Community Day

World Day of Prayer

World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation

World Food Day

World Refugee Day

Y

Young Adult Volunteer Commissioning Sunday

Young Adult Volunteers 

Youth and the World Sunday. Day of Prayer for the Peaceful Reunification of the Korean Peninsula

Youth in the Church and World


Chronological Listing

(Go to Alphabetical Listing)

 

January

New Year’s Day (Jan. 1, 2024)

Human Trafficking Awareness Day (Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024  Thursday)

Matthew 25: Dismantle Structural Racism Sunday (Jan. 14, 2024)

Racial & Intercultural Justice/Presbyterians Affirm Black Lives Matter (Jan. 14, 2024)

Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday (Jan. 15, 2024)

Ecumenical Week of Prayer for Christian Unity begins (Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024)

Per Capita Sunday (Jan. 21, 2024)

February

World Interfaith Harmony Week Begins (Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024)

Remember our Chaplains – Presbyterian Federal Chaplaincies (Feb. 4, 2024)

Presbyterian Media Sunday (Feb. 4, 2024)

Thursdays in Black (Feb. 8, 2024)

Camp and Retreat Sunday (Feb. 11, 2024)

Souper Bowl of Caring (Feb. 11, 2024)

Presidents’ Day (Feb. 19, 2024)

Ash Wednesday (Feb. 14, 2024)

PDA Blue T-Shirt Sunday (Feb. 18, 2024)

March

World Day of Prayer (March 1, 2024)

International Women’s Day (March 8, 2024)

Celebrate the Gifts of Women (March 10, 2024)

Self-Development of People (March 10, 2024)

Fasting Season of Ramadan begins (Monday, March 11, 2024)

Justice Advocacy Sunday (March 17, 2024)

Matthew 25: Building Vital Congregations Sunday (March 17, 2024)

Forgiveness Sunday (March 17, 2024)

Mr. Rogers Day (Wednesday, March 20, 2024)

Palm/Passion Sunday-Holy Week begins (March 24, 2024)

Good Friday (March 29, 2024)

Great Vigil of Easter (March 24, 2024)

Resurrection of the Lord/Easter; One Great Hour of Sharing (March 31, 2024)

April

International Roma Day (April 8, 2024)

Black Maternal/Birthing Health Week begins (April 11-17, 2024)

International Day of Farmers’ Struggles (April 17, 2024)

Earth Day (April 22, 2024)

Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day (April 24, 2024)

May

Mental Health Awareness Month begins (Wednesday, May 1, 2024)

Foster Care Month begins (May 1, 2024)

National Day of Prayer (May 2, 2024)

May Friendship Day (May 3, 2024)

Older Adult Week begins (May 5, 2024)

Legacy Giving Sunday (May 5, 2024)

National Day of Awareness and Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People (May 5, 2024)

Holocaust Remembrance Day (May 6, 2024)

Fair Trade Day (May 11, 2024)

Mother’s Day (May 12, 2024)

Palestinian Nakba Remembrance Day (May 15, 2024)

1001 New Worshiping Communities (May 18, 2023) 

Day of Pentecost; Pentecost Offering (May 19, 2024)

Intercultural Church Sunday (May 19, 2024)

Mission Worker Sunday (May 19, 2024)

Presbyterian Heritage Sunday (May 19, 2024)

Africa Day (May 25, 2024)

 

June

National Gun Violence Awareness Day (June 7, 2024)

Immigration Sunday (June 7, 2024)

Father’s Day; Presbyterian Men (June 16, 2024)

Juneteenth (June 19, 2024)

World Refugee Day (June 20, 2024)

Season of Prayer and Reflection in the Korean Peninsula begins (June 25–Aug. 15, 2024)

July

Independence Day  (July 4, 2024)

Kenya Mission (July 20, 2024)

August

College and Young Adult Sunday (Aug. 4, 2024)

Hiroshima Day (Aug. 6, 2024)

International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (Aug. 9, 2024)

Youth and the World Sunday. Day of Prayer for the Peaceful Reunification of the Korean Peninsula (Aug. 11, 2024)

Young Adult Volunteer Commissioning Sunday (Aug. 18, 2024)

Public Education Day (Aug. 21, 2024)

International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade Abolition (Aug. 23, 2024)

September

World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation (Sept. 1, 2024)

National Suicide Prevention Month begins (Sept. 1, 2024)

Disaster Preparedness Month begins (Sept. 1, 2024)

Season of Peace begins (Sept. 1, 2024-Oct 6, 2024)

Labor Day and A Social Creed for the 21st Century (Sept. 2, 2024)

Presbyterian Higher Education (Sept. 8, 2024)

Christian Formation Week begins; Christian Formation Celebration (Sept. 8, 2024)

Disability Inclusion Sunday (Sept. 8, 2024)

September 11 Anniversary (Sept. 11, 2024)

Theological Education/Seminaries (Sept. 15, 2024)

Evangelism Sunday (Sept. 15, 2024)

International Day of Peace (Sept. 21, 2024)

Gifts of New Immigrants (Sept. 22, 2024)

Native American Day (Sept. 27, 2024)

October

World CommunionPeace & Global Witness Offering (Oct. 1, 2023)

Mental Illness Awareness Week begins (Oct. 2, 2023)

Indigenous Peoples Day (Oct. 10, 2023)

Children’s Sabbath; Educate a Child, Transform the World (Oct. 15, 2023)

World Food Day (Oct. 16, 2023)

Young Adult Volunteer Program (Oct. 23, 2023)

United Nations Day (Oct. 24, 2023)

Reformation Sunday (Oct. 29, 2023)

November

World Community Day (Nov. 3, 2023)

Election Day; Honest Patriotism for Christian Citizens (Nov. 7, 2023)

Veterans Day (Nov. 11, 2023)

Hunger and Homelessness (Nov. 12, 2023)

Transgender Day of Remembrance (Nov. 20, 2023)

Matthew 25: Eradicating Systemic Poverty Sunday (Nov. 26, 2023)

Thanksgiving Day; Nativity Fast (Nov. 23, 2023)

Giving Tuesday (Nov. 28, 2023)

December

World AIDS Day; Presbyterian HIV/AIDS Awareness  (Dec. 1, 2023)

Human Rights Day (Dec. 10, 2023)

Christmas Joy Offering (Dec. 24, 2023)