9th May, 2008

The National Day of Thanksgiving - officially held on 10th May - represents an opportunity for all Australians to give thanks - both to God and to their fellow citizens.

     Given it's followed by Mothers' Day this year, the day particularly celebrates the contribution of mothers and all those people throughout our respective communities who nurture, train, teach, mentor or care for babies, children and youth - workers and volunteers in babies and children's homes, foster carers, child care and pre-school staff , staff and volunteers working in youth shelters, school teachers and chaplains, youth workers, sporting team coaches and administrators.

      So, why not tell the world what you have to be thankful for? Simply scroll down and leave your comment..

Sight spoke to a couple of people who took part in last year's event:

Matthew Bolte, of Townsville in Queensland, says last year his church has preaaranged with the pastor of an indigenous church to provide a special surprise morning tea to the indigenous church congregation. "We quietly set up morning tea outside then walked into the service to surprise the congregation," he says. "It was wonderful, we
worshipped together then shared communion. Many were in tears. As the service finished all the members of our church went out first and form a guard of honour and clapped the other church out. As they walked outside
they saw the huge morning tea they were stunned. The kids couldn't believe it, running from one goody to the next. The two congregations sat together and ate and talked for hours. It was a wonderful day of saying thankyou to our indigenous brothers and sisters. Since then the other church has come to visit us on a Sunday and bless us with morning tea. What a great God we serve."

Fay H, of Sydney, says a group from her church last year visited the Manly Community Centre where they provided a morning tea for staff and volunteers and the Lifeline Centre at Balgowlah where they provided an afternoon tea for volunteers. "One of the ladies present had been working at Lifeline on a voluntry basis for nearly 30 years and there were many others who had been assisting for a number of years," she says. "Everyone seemed delighted that we had thanked them!"

For more information on the National Day of Thanksgiving, visit www.thanksgiving.org.au.