What to Write in a Thank You Sympathy Card to Church Members

When writing a thank you card to a church body after holding a service in the church facility, be sure to address the entire membership and not just the pastor who assisted or the church clerk who set up all of the floral arrangements and program distribution. Members of a church are very in tune to what is happening with their members along with other members of the community. More than likely, you received sympathy cards or flowers from people you did not even know. This is because information about your situation was communicated to the church as a whole. So, when writing your thank you card, address the collective group. For example, use "Dear Members of XYZ Church" or "To My Second Family at ABC Church."

Within the body of your card, be sure to list specific items or things you appreciated. For instance, if you were allowed to use the sanctuary along with the fellowship hall for an after-service gathering, include how much it meant to you to see and visit with family and friends in the hall. You could also say how nice it was to have hymnals for each person so they all could follow along with the words or sing the songs that were part of the service. Though the members of the church will understand a general "thank you for letting me use your facility," being specific in your gratitude really shows how much being able to use various areas of items in their church meant to you and your family during a difficult time in your lives.

A great thank you note, regardless of the pretenses behind it, is short and sweet. Try to keep your thank you to no more than a paragraph or two. More than likely, your thank you note will be shared with the church community, and something brief will allow everyone to read it quickly and get the gist of your note without spending time rehashing all of the details of the service. Though they are sympathetic to your situation, a thank you note that is full of painful emotions is hard for anyone to read. Instead, try to keep it on the lighter side, ending it on a happy note instead of a sad one. For example, the last few sentences could read, "Again, we are so grateful you opened your doors to our family. We look forward to future smiles and friendships."