Pastors who truly love people will invest themselves into the lives of their congregation. They will weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. They sympathize and empathize with those God has entrusted to them. In doing this, many pastors struggle to separate work from personal life. They cannot just leave the office and forget the events of the day. They take the needs of others with them, agonize over them in prayer and wrestle with them through many sleepless nights.
In taking on the needs of others, the pastor carries a heavy burden that can affect him physically, emotionally and yes, even spiritually. It can affect his family and his health. Years of data reveals that 95% of those who enter the pastorate will not retire from it. In fact, the data shows that hundreds of pastors are leaving the ministry every month; many pastors say that ministry has negatively affected their marriage and family; and many pastors admit they would quit, if they had some other career option. The majority of pastors admit to walking a very lonely road that lacks deep friendships and the suicide rate among pastors is rising rapidly.
In 1992, Focus on the Family was instrumental in establishing the month of October as “Pastor Appreciation Month” in an attempt to prompt churches to honor their pastor and staff ministers. They created a specific time to do what we should be doing all year long – offering encouragement and thanking ministers for the wonderful work they do in the life of the church and community. If your church has not participated in Pastor Appreciation Month, consider doing something special for your pastor and staff. I’ve listed some ideas below, but many more can be found through a simple Google search.
Focus on the Family - Clergy Appreciation Month Ideas
http://media.focusonthefamily.com/pastoral/pdf/CAM_Guide_2012.pdf
Pinterest - Pastor Appreciation Month Activities and Gift Ideas
https://www.pinterest.com/rosepublishing/pastor-appreciation-month-activities-gift-ideas/
Things you can do to encourage & show appreciation for your Pastor:
Thank you cards
Public testimonies of appreciation
Bring breakfast to the office
Provide lunch at the office
Make his favorite dessert
Car detailing (wash, wax & vac)
Cut his grass
Clean his office
Present Gift Cards
- Audible book credits
- Gas
- Coffee/Donuts
- Shopping (Walmart, Target, Bass Pro Shop)
- Grocery Stores
- Lowes / Home Depot
- Restaurants
- Amazon
- Oil change / Tire rotation
- Movie tickets
Take him golfing
Buy him a gym membership
Provide a night of Childcare
Let the pastor’s family use your vacation home (beach, mountains, etc.)
Give him game tickets to his favorite sports event
If you are a handyman, offer an hour or two of work to help with some home projects
If you lack creativity, any pastor would appreciate a nice monetary gift or bonus check
Don’t forget something special for the Pastor’s Wife:
Notes or greeting cards expressing appreciation
Manicure/Pedicure
Hair Cut/Color
Massage or Spa Day
Fresh flowers
1x Maid Service
Take her to lunch
Gift cards (Walmart, Clothing stores, Bed, Bath & Beyond, etc.)
Provide the family with supper, so she doesn’t have to cook
Take her children for haircuts, ice-cream or to a park
Help send her to visit family who live out of state
Honor her publicly
These are just a few ideas and there are many, many more. You do not have to spend a lot of money to express gratitude and make someone feel special. The goal is for those in the congregation to be reminded of what their pastor does and to encourage him (and his wife) to keep doing it for God’s glory!
So start planning… October is just one week away!
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