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Did you realize that our pastors have one of the most stressful jobs in America? Here are just a few statistics that may give insight into what our pastors are facing:
- Over 15,000 churches will no longer be able to pay for a full-time pastor or will have to close their doors completely in the next year.
- Many pastors report working anywhere from 55-75 hours a week.
- 80% believe pastoral ministry has negatively affected their families. Many pastors’ children do not attend church now because of what the church has done to their parents.
- There is a growing number of churches who have been without a pastor for longer than 2 years.
- The profession of “pastor” is now near the bottom of a survey of the most-respected professions, just above “car salesman”.
- Many denominations are reporting an “Empty Pulpit Crisis”. They do not have a shortage of ministers but have a shortage of ministers desiring to fill the role of a pastor.
So why are we telling you all this? We want to encourage you to see the great need for caring well for our local pastors. What better time to start than Pastor Appreciation Month? These are people who are called to serve the Lord as shepherds and overseers of God’s flock. It’s not a light calling, and it is one that is quickly leading many to be discouraged and questioning whether they are able to continue on!
Alarming? Yes, it is, and yet, we can all play a role in building up our pastors. We can work together to do something about these trends that we just read. Some of them may be simple, some a bit more complex, but together as the family of God, we can make a difference!
What Is Pastor Appreciation Month, And Why Is It Important?
Pastor Appreciation Month is a relatively new holiday. It was created in 1992 by Hallmark Greeting Cards as Clergy Appreciation Day. You’re right, it was started as a marketing strategy to give churchgoers the chance to say ‘thank you’ to their local clergy. Traditionally, the holiday was observed on the second Sunday of October, but since has grown to a month-long focus.
There are no set rules or guidelines for this holiday; some churches choose to do small things throughout the entire month, and others choose to focus on hosting a celebration on one particular Sunday. All are focused on showing appreciation, love, and care for those who give so much to serve God’s people. As you can see from the statistics we mentioned above, this is not an easy job, but we can be part of making the pastor’s job more joyful. God has asked us to do just that!
… honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work…
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13
And this is a good verse of advice.
Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.
Hebrews 13:17
So you see, we can make an impact on the lives of our Pastors and their families. Having an attitude of gratitude in our small churches can make a difference in all of us, by:
- Helping us to grow in our faith as we are obedient to God’s Word.
- Presenting a good witness to our community as they see how we care for one another.
- Supporting and building up the body of Christ by strengthening our ties.
- Demonstrating to the world around us what God’s family is all about!
Small gestures and heartfelt words can bring an atmosphere of joy, love, and a servant’s heart to your whole church. Sometimes, just recognizing the leadership, the sacrifices, and the skills that your pastor brings to your church can speak volumes to their hearts.
Think how much this example could speak to the younger generations. Getting them involved in acts of appreciation and service can help to develop their faith, and who knows, maybe even help to open the eyes of someone that God is calling to be in the ministry in the future!
Are you ready for some fresh ideas to show the shepherd of your flock some appreciation and love? Read on…
7 Caring Ways To Celebrate Pastor Appreciation Month
1. Plant A Gift Card Tree
Get an artificial tree (sold at department or craft stores) or make your own display by getting a large tree branch, spray paint it white, and put it in a large pot with styrofoam or quick-dry cement. Make sure the pot is weighted with stones, so as not to fall over.
Let your small church family know a few weeks in advance that you will be having a Gift Card Tree for the pastor in the lobby on your Celebration Sunday. Provide a basket with clips or clothespins, so that people can hang their cards on the tree when they come to church.
You may want to decorate the trees with various printed photos of the pastor doing different things at your church, or the children of your small church putting on their best faces!
When you send out your informational letter to the church family about the date of the presentation, make sure to include some suggestions on different cards that would benefit the pastor and their family-favorite restaurants, grocery stores, hobbies, etc.
During the service, make a presentation and tell your pastor.
“We are thankful for how you have helped us to ‘grow’ and to be firmly planted in God’s Word! So pick from the fruits of our appreciation!”
Tips – Have the children and teens help to decorate the tree so it’s truly a whole church family gift! Ask one of the teens to take some photos in the weeks prior, so that they can be printed and hung on the tree.
2. Meals For The Month
Create a Pastor Appreciation Meal Train for the month of October, providing meals at different times throughout the month. Ask someone to create a calendar and have the church family sign up to take a night or two that they will be responsible for. (There are several good apps for this.) Include any dietary restrictions or special needs, as well as favorites and take-out spots, too. Some people might not want to cook, but are happy to pay for a meal delivery.
At the end of the month, why not close out the celebration by hosting a Dessert Night for all! A great way to gather together, make connections within your small church family, and have an opportunity for folks to give words of testimony and thanks to the pastor and family.
Tips – If your pastor has children at home, don’t forget to show them love, too. What about special treats with encouraging notes of affirmation on them for their school lunches or after-school snacks? Including the entire family lets them know that you realize that they all make sacrifices for this calling and that you appreciate each one of them!
3. Stuff A Mailbox
Purchase a mailbox, decorate it with sticker letters with the pastor’s name, and place it in a display in your church lobby. Let your small church family know that there will be a mailbox present for certain dates, for the congregation to place cards of appreciation, and/or letters of thanks.
Suggest that cards and notes for each member of the pastor’s family should be included. If people would like to include a monetary gift or gift card, they could do so.
Encourage the children’s ministry to make artwork as their special way of saying thank you.
Make a presentation to the whole family on Pastor Appreciation Sunday. Ask other church leaders/ elders to come and pray over the pastor and family, asking for God’s blessing upon their lives and ministry. Ask someone to take a photo of the family after the service and put it in a nice frame for a keepsake.
Many churches have a Potluck meal together following the service so that they can extend the time of celebration!
4. Sabbath Getaway
Realizing the stress and burnout that can easily occur in a pastor’s journey, what about offering them a time of rest and spiritual refreshment? Arrange for the church to pay for a stay at a retreat center, Airbnb, Christian camp, etc. There are several places that cater to pastors. They are located all over the country, and most offer great discounts.
Help to facilitate the journey by making sure this is a paid time of retreat. Have church members volunteer to watch their home, mow their lawn, take care of animals, and, if they decide not to bring children on the retreat, to care for children.
This is an endeavor that will require everyone in your small church to pitch in and help, but it is one that will bless your pastor and their spouse in spiritual, emotional, and joyful ways.
Tips – Arrange for pulpit supply and any classes that the pastor teaches to be covered during their time away. It’s always a nice treat to have a basket of fruit & snacks waiting at the getaway spot with an encouraging note from the church family.
5. The Pastoral Prayer Calendar
Make printable calendar sheets for the entire year. Inform your small church family that you will post the sheets on a clothesline or clipboards in the lobby at church. Each person signs up for a week to pray for the pastor during the year (of course, they can sign up for multiple weeks).
Print out a “How to Pray for Your Pastor” tip sheet so they can have some ideas of how to pray. Write down each family member’s name, if they attend school, and any special needs.
Ask someone to be the Prayer Calendar Coordinator and send out reminder emails to the person who signed up to pray that week, with a special thank you for their participation.
After everyone has signed up, take the calendar sheets, make a copy, and wrap them up or put them in a gift bag with a tag that says:
“You are important to us and important to the work of the Lord. We are surrounding your family in prayer and want you to know that we stand together as the family of God!”
Tip – Make children’s prayer cards that will be sent home with the kids of your small church ministry each week. Encourage them as you let them know that they too, are an important part of the church family and they can serve by praying too!
Tip – Have a basket of index cards available so people can write down the dates they signed up for, so they can remember!
6. Funny Fridays!
Make your pastor laugh while giving them some special goodies. Laughter is great for our physical and emotional health, God created it to be good for our souls!
Here are some ideas for some fun deliveries to be made on Fridays to the pastor’s home or office:
- Have church members sign up individually or in teams to do a project.
- Print out the cards and give them to those who will deliver. Make it fun, decorate the basket or plate, wear a silly hat for delivery-take a selfie with the pastor holding their item, and then post it on social media or in the church slides on Sunday.
Many times, people think of pastors as stuffy or that church is never any fun, let the community know that there is joy in the presence of the Lord, and yes, you have fun together as a small church family!
Here is a list of ideas and note cards, but you can come up with your own too!
Food Items:
- Bake a batch of cookies, put in clear wrap, tie with curling ribbon. Card: “Our Pastor is one smart cookie!”
- Deliver a box of fresh donuts or donut holes. Card: ““Donut” what we’d do without you, pastor!”
- Drop off a crockpot of soup to their home. Card: “You are Souper. Thank you for all you do!”
- Deliver a fruit basket of grapes, bananas & apples. Card: “Thanks a bunch! You are great – all the way to the core!”
Gift Items:
- Deliver a planter with flowers for the yard, or a fresh floral bud vase. Card: “Thank you for helping us bloom and grow.”
- Bring over an invitation to go out for breakfast. Card: “You are an Egg-cellent teacher!”
- Order them a new book, put in a gift bag with tissue. Card: “From cover to cover, we think you’re great!”
- A new pair of soft, comfy slipper socks. Card: “Thank you for walking in the way of the Lord.”
Hobby & Family Items:
- Family Pass to a local museum, zoo, or historical sight. Card: “To enrich your lives, like you enrich ours!”
- Family Pass to Putt-Putt Golf or Bowling. Card: “It strikes us that your family might be in need of a tee-rific time!”
- Tickets to a local Baseball Game. Card: “When it comes to pastors’ families, we’ve scored a Grand Slam!”
- Family Pass to an Escape Room. Card: “There’s no escaping this truth, you’re great!”
Have church families put in ideas for gifts to give and times that they can sign up to deliver them. Encourage some people who may not be able to get involved as much as others, that they can support with monetary donations, praying for the deliveries, and writing extra little notes to go in the mail.
7. Lights, Camera, Appreciate!
Ask some of the more ‘techy’ people in your small church to put together a video to show on Pastor Appreciation Sunday. Interview various people in your church and ask them to share why they appreciate the pastor, a memory to share, something funny that happened, or a way that the pastor has helped them. Do some research and find some photos of the pastor through the years from infant to current. Mix the still photos in with the video bites.
Plan a whole service around saying “Thank You!” Invite different members of the pastor’s family who don’t live in town to attend the service. You might be able to call some old friends or mentors to get quotes or stories, college friends or teachers, former pastors, etc.
Discover their favorite foods and have a lunch buffet following the service with a few of their favorite things.
Ask one of the elders or someone in your church to bring a devotion about serving the Lord with gladness. End the service with a prayer circle around the Pastor and their family.
To Be Seen And Valued
As you can see, there are many ways to say thank you, and the wrappings and activities can be as varied as all the churches we have represented here. The main goal is to encourage our small churches to serve and live with intentionality and thankfulness. As we learn to verbally appreciate and value our pastors, we will see a direct impact on the life of our church and the life of our pastors.
Pastors who are seen and valued are:
- Being infused with emotional energy. When pastors are working on ‘empty’ in their emotional gas tanks, they can be exhausted. Being valued regenerates their passion for ministry!
- Given a reason to stay. So many pastors who are discouraged and feel unappreciated think about stepping away from the ministry. You are encouraging them to stay in the fight!
- More likely to serve with joy, vision, and compassion, which in turn benefits the whole church community.
We hope that these ideas have inspired many of you to show your pastor how much you appreciate them, but our biggest goal is to make sure that you are caring for them as Jesus modeled for us!
Surround them with prayer, make time for them to rest both physically and emotionally. Care for their families and allow them time to build strong family bonds and create wonderful memories. Don’t just let a date on the calendar inspire you to value your pastor; do it from a passion in your heart!
We’d love for you to share what you do for your Pastor, take pics, and post them to our large Facebook group.
Read More:
Helping Kids Celebrate Pastor Appreciation
