An encouragement card needs only a few concrete sentences: name what is hard right now, say something personal about the person and make an offer you can actually keep. Uplifting words for a card do not have to be long or clever; they only have to show that someone noticed. Below are 21 example messages for everyday situations that you can copy or adapt.
Many people would rather write nothing at all, for fear of saying the wrong thing. At Good-Natured we design postcards, and the most common hurdle is not the design but the first sentence. A text message takes ten seconds, a card takes ten minutes. That is exactly why it gets kept.
• Three building blocks: name the situation, say something personal, make a concrete offer.
• Concrete beats general: “I’ll bring rolls round on Saturday” instead of “Let me know if you need anything”.
• No occasion needed: cards sent for no reason are often the ones kept longest.
• Bible verse: fits when it promises closeness rather than explaining anything.
1. What do you write in an encouragement card?
Three sentences are enough: name what is going on, say something personal, make an offer. A short, concrete card is better than a long, general one. And then: stay around. If you write “I’ll be in touch again in a few weeks” and actually do it, you will be there exactly when everyone else has stopped.
How structure, length and greeting work is covered in our guide to writing cards; this article is about the messages themselves. Designs with plenty of room for your own lines can be found among our postcards. For baptism and confirmation there are separate wordings under writing blessings.
2. Encouragement in the weeks after a loss
Words for the condolence card itself are collected in our Christian sympathy messages. These messages are for later: for the weeks when the post thins out.
1. “The funeral was three weeks ago now, and I still think of you every day. I just wanted to tell you that.”
2. “I miss [name] too. Last week someone came in too early during the service, and I could immediately hear his laugh.”
3. “You don’t need to reply. I’ll bring some food round on Thursday and leave it at your door.”
A calm design on sturdy card that is easy to write on: the Fühl dich umarmt postcard for 2 €.
View the card ↗3. Uplifting words during illness
Don’t ask about diagnoses and prognoses; everyone else already does. Instead, write something that has nothing to do with the illness. For many people that is a real relief.
4. “This card doesn’t want to know anything. It only wants to say that I miss you.”
5. “The latest from the choir: the basses are still singing too loud. We’re keeping your seat free.”
6. “If you like, I’ll do your shopping next week. I’ll text you on Monday and you just say yes or no.”
4. After a difficult conversation
A card two days later has more impact than any message the same evening.
7. “I’m still thinking about what you told me on Sunday. Thank you for trusting me with it.”
8. “I don’t have a solution. But I listened, and I’m happy to keep listening.”
9. “I’ll call you on Thursday evening. If it doesn’t suit you, just don’t pick up.”
5. On the anniversary of something hard
Anniversaries of a death, a break-up, a diagnosis: dates most other people no longer think about.
10. “It’s been a year today. I’m thinking of you and of [name].”
11. “Many people may have forgotten the date. I haven’t.”
12. “I’m praying for you tonight. You don’t need to get in touch; I just wanted you to know.”
6. When someone makes a fresh start
New city, new job, first flat of their own: a card that arrives where nothing is hanging on the wall yet.
13. “So that there’s already something on your new wall: I’m proud of you for daring to do this.”
14. “New city, old friendship. I’ll come and visit you in the autumn, so start looking for the best café.”
15. “‘The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.’ (Psalm 121:8, KJV) I’m praying this verse over your fresh start, and that you quickly find people where you can feel at home.”
Message 14 goes well with the Coffee Date postcard (2 €), which delivers the invitation along with it.
7. Encouragement for no reason
The most effective kind of all, and the rarest.
16. “No birthday, no reason. I was just thinking of you.”
17. “I noticed the other day how calm you stay when everyone else gets flustered. That does more people good than you think.”
18. “I’ve never told you this, so I’m writing it now: your humour regularly saves my week.”
Advent is a lovely opportunity for a card without a reason: four cards, one for each Sunday of Advent, or a card as part of a Christian Advent calendar to fill yourself. How to put such a calendar together is described in our article filling a Christian Advent calendar.
8. As a thank-you to someone who doesn’t expect it
Encouragement doesn’t always need a crisis.
19. “Thank you for running the projector every Sunday. Without you we’d have been singing the wrong lyrics for months.”
20. “Thank you for that hour on the phone in March. You probably have no idea how much it helped me.”
21. “In the church office you rarely see who does the work. I see it. Thank you.”
9. Which sentences don’t belong in an encouragement card?
Some sentences are well meant and still make what someone is going through smaller. Better alternatives:
“God won’t give you more than you can handle.” Anyone experiencing the opposite right now feels left alone by it. Better: “You don’t have to carry this alone.”
“Chin up, it’ll be fine.” Skips over what is happening now. Better: “I’m here, even if it takes a while longer.”
“Others have it worse.” A comparison only creates a guilty conscience. Better: “It’s okay that this has knocked you over.”
“You’re so strong.” Often read as an expectation to stay strong. Better: “You’re allowed not to be strong for a while.”
Which Bible verses come too early in the first week is explained in our article Bible verses for comfort.
10. A Bible verse on an encouragement card
A verse fits when it promises closeness rather than explaining anything, and when there is a sentence beside it saying why you chose it. On its own it reads like a formula; with a reason it becomes a personal promise. For example, for someone who has been waiting a long time to get better:
“Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.” (Romans 12:12, KJV) “I’m taking care of the last part for you right now; take all the time you need with the first two.”
More passages can be found in our Bible verses for encouragement and our short Bible verses. Two classics on cards are Jeremiah 29:11 and Philippians 4:13; both work better when they are not read as a promise that everything will go to plan.
11. Keep a few cards in stock
If you have five cards in the drawer, you will write them. If you first have to buy one, you usually won’t write any. Good-Natured postcards are printed in Germany and leave plenty of room for your own lines. For days when nothing goes to plan there is the Life Happens postcard for 2 €.
Conclusion
The fear of writing the wrong thing is almost always bigger than the risk. Name it, say something concrete, make an offer, stay around: an encouragement card needs nothing more, and none of the sentences has to explain anything. The 21 messages above are starting points; the best sentence is still the one that can only come from you. You will find the right card for it at Good-Natured among our postcards.
Frequently asked questions
Is a text message just as good as a card?
A message is often exactly right for the moment. A card stays around and gets read again on bad days. Both together work well: a short message straight away, the card a few days later.
When is the best time to send an encouragement card?
Often not on the first day, but one to three weeks later, when other people’s attention fades. An upcoming operation, an exam day or the first day at a new job are good occasions too.
What do you write to someone you barely know?
Don’t claim more closeness than there is. “We only know each other by sight, but I heard what happened and I’m thinking of you” is quite enough. A small, concrete offer comes across as friendlier here than a big one.
Can you send an encouragement card anonymously?
You can, for example within a church community. But then the most important part of the message is missing: that a particular person is thinking of you. If possible, at least sign with your first name.
For when nothing goes to plan: the Life Happens postcard for 2 €, printed in Germany.
View the card ↗
