I've counted them. I've added them all by name. There are exactly 31.
31.
Among them are nursery workers, children's ministry coordinators, Sunday School and Wednesday night teachers, and small group leaders. Their talents are many. Their hours of service to my children are numerous. Their willingness to be poured out in sacrificial service for God each and every week...unmeasurable.
And for that, I am grateful.
Every year, our family gathers around the dining room table in assembly-line fashion to put together small gifts of thanks to all the children's ministry volunteers who invest in our family each week. This year, we put together small gift bags filled with all-natural Christmas potpourri that when simmered on the stove, make an entire house smell like warm, spiced cider. This potpourri is easy to assemble and makes for a welcome alternative to the traditional Christmas cookie or jar mix "thank you" gift.
Ingredients
1 orange, clementine, or 2-3 dehydrated orange slices
1-2 sticks of cinnamon
1/4 c. cranberries
1 T. whole cloves
1 tsp. whole allspice
To assemble
Fill one cellophane bag with the ingredients listed. Secure with a twist tie. Use raffia twine to attach a copy of the "instructions" to the bag.
Instructions as printed on the tag
- Quarter orange.
- Place all items in a saucepan and cover with water.
- Simmer on low heat.
The potpourri can be re-used several times as long as additional water is added to the saucepan each time.
Don't forget to download your copy of the
Stovetop Potpourri Gift tags.
Need more ideas for teacher gifts? Be sure to check out the following:
Edible Snowman Buttons
Christmas Thank You for Sunday School Teachers
I love this idea. Food gifts are great because you can produce them en masse and then distribute, but people get so many sweets at the holidays already and sometimes I feel like I'm just giving them more stuff they don't really need or may even end up throwing away! Potpourri is unique. Friday is our last school day before break and we were already planning to spend it making goodies and maybe finishing up some crafts. Now I'm thinking I may add this to our plans for the day! Thanks for sharing. :)
ReplyDeleteThose were exactly our thoughts...potpourri would be something different than sweets...which is something most people have way too much of this time of year. Plus it smells soooooo good on the stove!
DeleteEnjoy your break!
Nice Post!
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to thank you for this post! We have a lot of people to give Christmas gifts to at church (Sunday School teachers, choir director, AWANA leaders, etc) for our five kiddos. This was an awesome idea, since there are a lot of food allergies to avoid in giving gifts! I just made some to deliver to the kids' teachers at our Bible study tomorrow! Merry Christmas!!
ReplyDeleteYes, we have that same issue at our church...lots of food allergies. So, these were perfect.
Delete