A flower is a sign of thanks for and recognition of a mother's hard work.

Giving a flower on Mother's Day is a longtime church tradition at Mars United Presbyterian Church, said Rev. Jim Steiner, interim pastor. It is a tradition adopted by many churches around Butler County that will recognize Mother's Day at Sunday services.

“God loves us like a mother also,” Steiner said.

Mars United Presbyterian, 232 Crowe Ave., will present flowers to the women of the church during Sunday's 8:30 and 11 a.m. worship services.

The church does not view Mother's Day as a religious holiday. Presbyterians do not have the same affinity or feeling about Mary, the mother of Jesus, as other churches, Steiner said.

Instead, Steiner uses multiple passages in scripture that evoke God's love for people and different images.

When Jesus laments over Jerusalem, he says “as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,” which is feminine imagery, he said. “He is not a woman or man, but loves us as a mother. That's another aspect of infinite God.”

Steiner suggests that a person whose mother has died can take a moment and recall stories and memories.

Other churches that have something special planned at their services are St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church in Herman, St. Joseph Catholic Church in Cabot, and St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Fenelton.

At each of these Roman Catholic churches, a carnation and special blessing will be given to mothers at Saturday evening and Sunday morning services, said the Rev. James Kurtz. Each priest decides if they want to include a message on motherhood in their sermon or homily, he said.

The Blessed Virgin Mary has an important roll for Catholics, he said.

“Mary is the mother of Jesus, of God,” Kurtz said. “She's also mother of the church and our mother too. We look at her as being the example of all motherhood — the model.”

One prayer, Hail Mary, can be recited as a prayer for all mothers.

Christ Community United Methodist Church members' Mother's Day tradition is giving to a charitable cause.

Donations are collected for Church World Service, which provides blankets to people in disasters, in honor and remembrance of the women in members' lives, said Karen Egan, administrative assistant at the church.

People who donate can have their names placed in a bulletin insert beside the name of the woman they are honoring, she said.

Usually, the church donates more than 100 blankets, Egan said.

Orchard Hill Butler County will have a Mother's Day service at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at the 107 Staley Ave. location, where members will give flowers to all mothers.

The day's service is one in a series on John 5 that discusses authority and the role the word of God has in people's lives, said Rev. Brady Randall, campus pastor.

The church's director of women's ministry will speak about her perspective as a mother and the role God had in raising her own children. On Sunday, people will also have the opportunity to pray for their mothers.

The gesture is a small way to honor mothers, Randall said.

A mother's role in our culture is undervalued, he said.

Christianity is the largest religion that upholds women, Randall said, despite controversy about a women's roles and leadership in the church.

“The first people (who) went to Jesus' tomb were women,” Randall said of the women who first witnessed the resurrection of Jesus.

Jesus upheld women as servant leaders as they offered their support to his ministry, he said. God's role for mothers is to raise, care for and instruct their children in the Lord.

Randall said it is also a time to support mothers who might need help.

“We want to thank moms,” he said. “One of the hardest jobs in the world is helping to raise children.”

According to the National Retail Federation:A total of 84 percent of adults in the United States are expected to celebrate their mothers and other women in their lives May 12.About 67 percent of people plan to purchase a flower on Mother’s Day.$2.6 billion is expected to be spent on flowers.