Gratitude Lab for Faith-Based Groups

The strength of a community is in how we take care of one another—and there might be no truer expression of gratitude than caring for others with generosity and, ultimately, love. We offer gratitude exercises for people of faith to share with their communities and congregations. We know how unique each collective can be, and how personal faith is for you, so we invite you to adapt the Gratitude Challenge below to fit the needs of your community.

DOWNLOAD DIY GRATITUDE PROJECTS
FOR YOUR COMMUNITY & CONGREGATION

We’ve prepared a few PDF downloads for you to use in your communities and congregations. Print, cut along the dotted line, and enjoy the chance to express more gratitude!

FUN GRATITUDE FACTS

We have partnered with UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center to provide you with these scientific facts. Click on an item below to expand and reveal more.

Studies has found that grateful people experience more optimism, joy, enthusiasm, and other positive emotions, and they have a deeper appreciation for life’s simple pleasures. In fact, gratitude can be a powerful antidote to the materialistic yearnings that can get in the way of happiness: Studies find that materialistic people are less happy because they feel less grateful for what they have, always striving for the next shiny object to bring them happiness. True happiness, however, lies in appreciating what you have.

Find out more about the science behind happiness.

Research suggests that people who go to church more frequently are more likely to feel grateful, and vice versa. Plus, evidence suggests that religious people’s higher levels of gratitude may explain why they are happier, and feeling grateful to God may contribute to people’s well-being in a unique way. All of these results indicate that feeling connected to your faith and your faith community go hand-in-hand with feeling more gratitude. Gratitude and faith both seem to be important ways to develop a strong sense of purpose in life.
When people receive a gift, studies suggest that feeling gratitude motivates them to “pay it forward” and extend a helping hand to others. In fact, this chain of generosity and gratitude may ripple through social networks, creating an upward spiral of goodness. Some evidence even suggests that their generosity may ripple through three degrees of separation—from one person to another to another to another—extending well beyond the initial kind act. Gratitude, then, may create far-reaching effects from a single act of generosity. Find out more about the science behind generosity.
Gratitude is good for our health: Studies link gratitude to a stronger immune system, lower blood pressure, better sleep quality, a reduced risk of heart disease, and better kidney function, among many other health benefits. It also seems to protect us from mental health problems like depression and stress. That may be because gratitude improves our relationshipsExpressing gratitude makes people feel closer to a friend or significant other, and strong social connections are a major factor in good health.