Your church or community may be planning to give special attention to celebrating Martin Luther King's birthday. Here are some suggestions:

1. Focus the whole service on the vision and call to justice and compassion proclaimed by Martin Luther King, Jr. Invite your church to action and start preparing to participate in a Compassion weekend.

2. Martin tapped into the universal dream that all men and women must be treated equally, fairly, with dignity, and with respect. His dream was your dream and my dream. Invite your church and the community to organize and participate in a "5K - Run for the Dream." People can participate wherever they live, and you can have a special service focusing on justice and compassion to end the day.

3. Don't take the day off. Yes, it's a federal holiday. But it's also an opportunity to do good. Make it a day to volunteer. Look for local opportunities to serve and mobilize your church to participate.

4. Share something on the church's social media honoring King. Ask people to share their dreams. Ask people how they can show compassion towards their community on that day. There are plenty of inspiring quotes to choose from and ways to connect the dots between King's life and the work of your church.