The Argument Against Valentine’s Day
The United States is expected to spend $18.2 billion on Valentine’s Day in 2018. That’s an average of $136.57 per person.
That’s ridiculous in the same way spending an average of $700 per person at Christmas is ridiculous. But there is something really great about this borderline mandatory celebration of love.
I know all the arguments against Valentine’s Day. It’s too commercial. Love should be every day. And I agree.
But, if nothing else, Valentine’s Day gives us the opportunity to pause and say: “I love you.” I actually really like Valentine’s Day, because even struggling married people will make a move in their spouse’s direction. I love that.
Making Valentine’s Day Special
What if the church leveraged what is already happening on Valentine’s Day? What if they helped married couples connect better than they can on their own?
What if the church made Valentine’s Day just a bit more meaningful? What if the church made Valentine’s Day last longer than a day? Your church can do just that. Here are a few options of how you can leverage the Sunday before Valentine’s Day at your church.
1. Go Old School
People go old school at Valentine’s Day. We spent $1 billion on greeting cards last year.
Go old school and give the married people of your church something they can hold in their hands, like a easy, fun book on marriage.
2. Romantic Sticky Notes
Give couples a unique take on the Valentine’s Day with romantic sticky notes. At MarriedPeople, the marriage division of Orange, we created packs of sticky notes that allow couples to fill in the blanks, like these:
- I love you more than _____________ .
- You’re the best at ______________ .
- You deserve the ______________ award.
- I love remembering the time we ________________ .
- I still love the way you ______________ .
3. Date Night
On Valentine’s Day, people buy flowers to the tune of $2 billion annually. What if you gave every married couple of your church a single rose attached to a date night?
Marriage is not about the big days—it’s about the everyday. But make no mistake about it, the special days matter. They serve to recalibrate, remember and reconnect married people. And that is worth celebrating!
Ted Lowe is a speaker and the director of MarriedPeople, the marriage division at Orange. Ted is the author of two books—one for marriage ministry leaders (Married People: How Your Church Can Build Marriages That Last) and one for married couples (Your Best US: Marriage Is Easier Than You Think). He served for almost 10 years as the director of MarriedLife at North Point Community Church. He lives near Atlanta, Georgia, with his four favorite people: his wife, Nancie, and their three children.
