October is Pastor Appreciation Month
“Dear brothers and sisters, 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.
And live peacefully with each other.”
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13
Pastor Appreciation Day began with the establishment of Clergy Appreciation Month. In Timothy 1 (5:17), Paul began the concept of clergy appreciation when he stated that the elders of the church are worthy of a double honor. He reiterated this idea in Thessalonians 1 (5: 12-13) when he stated that that those who work hard among you should be held in the highest regard for their work. This idea became Clergy Appreciation Month in 1992, established by pastors and religious workers. Eventually, Pastor Appreciation Day would form out of this month.
(Source: holidayscalendar.com)
Articles:
20 Ways To Encourage Your Pastor (FamilyLife)
30 Day Praying For Your Pastor Challenge (Revive Our Hearts)
Here are some ideas for Pastor Appreciation (From Focus on the Family):
- Leave a handwritten “Thank You” note on his desk.
- Purchase $5 gift certificates for his kids to go to McDonald’s or other favorite restaurant.
- Get a Starbucks gift card for him—and one for his wife.
- Offer to bring over a home cooked meal.
- Give your pastor and his wife a regular date night by watching their kids. They desperately need some alone time.
- Arrange a weekend stay at a Bed & Breakfast for just the pastor and his wife.
- Ask, “Pastor, how can I help you personally today?”
- Pull weeds, rake leaves, mow his yard.
- Wash and wax the family car.
- Spring for an oil change and tire rotation.
- Make his family a favorite dessert.
- Buy a gift card to his favorite bookstore.
- Subscribe on his behalf to the Focus on the Family Pastor’s Weekly Briefing
- Do a “power shopping” of the basics—pasta, cereal, soup, soap, fresh fruit—yes, even toilet paper. Don’t forget a few chocolate treats!
- Pick up a copy of Pause, Recharge, Refresh by H.B. London and provide it with a note of encouragement.
- Give him game tickets to a sports event in town.
- There’s nothing like a night at the symphony—if there’s one locally, treat your pastor and his wife to a night of musical inspiration.
- If you’re handy with a paint brush, offer to spruce up a few rooms in his home as needed.
- If you have carpentry, roofing, or construction trade skills, give the gift of home maintenance. Fix that leaky faucet, tighten that toilet seat, even replace a few hard to reach overhead lights.
- Offer to visit the infirmed or sick so that the pastor can have an afternoon or evening off.
- Make a picnic lunch basket stocked with all of the goodies.
- Have your kids hand paint or draw a homemade banner for the pastor with a favorite scripture verse.
- Present your pastor’s wife with a certificate for a manicure and pedicure.
- Slip an anonymous dinner-for-two gift card in the offering plate with your pastor’s name on it.
- If your pastor’s wife has a newborn, offer to take care of the baby one morning. That’ll give her time to catch up on a few errands.
- Just in time for their anniversary, provide a complimentary overnight stay at a local hotel—and be sure to include some “mad” money!
- Give the gift of a “Spic-n-Span” house. Offer to do a deep cleaning—bathrooms, closets, bedrooms, dusting—the works.
- Invest in the pastor by investing in his children. Offer to take them for haircuts followed by an ice cream treat.
- With the help of your elders or leadership team, create a special Sunday service that serves as a “tribute” to him.
- Last but not least, give your pastor and his family an extra week off of vacation. A true vacation—one with no phone calls, no visitation, no weddings, no funerals, no counseling, no sermon preparation, no conflict resolution—nothing but a chance to rest, relax, reconnect with his family while restoring his soul
Downloadable Pastor Appreciation Month Guide from Focus on the Family: Click Here
