CRESTVIEW — October is Clergy/Pastor Appreciation Month. Have you thought about the amount of time and effort our pastors put into their jobs? Pastors make the time to be there for their congregants when a member is ill, they make hospital visits, they comfort us when our loved ones go to heaven and they pray for us regularly.
Additionally, congregations expect relevant weekly sermons that are interesting and based on Scripture, which requires intense sermon preparation time. As the spiritual leader of the local congregation, the pastor must have a strong personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ to be effective and be a mature Christian with strong moral character. Additionally, they must be well versed in the Scripture, which requires hours of Biblical study.
An effective pastor spends hours in prayer to discern the will of God and get his wisdom. In addition to the preaching and teaching duties, they are generally the church's Administrator. They are available almost 24 hours a day.
These days pastors are under a great deal of stress. Many hospitals don't allow in-person visitation and so these types of visits are either on the phone or perhaps through Skype or Zoom. Because of the stress that people feel, pastors are counseling and comforting their members more than usual.
Pastors are also required to have terrific listening skills, be tactful under all circumstances, as well as being organized and methodical to ensure all church programs run smoothly. Congregations have many expectations for their Pastor, but we must remember that our pastors are human and need our love, encouragement and support.
Here are some practical ways to show appreciation and be a blessing to your pastor.
- Faithfully pray every day for the pastor.
- Pray for his/her family.
- Pray for his/her study time that the Lord would be with them and bestow his discernment.
- Pray for wisdom for the pastor.
- Pray the Lord will strengthen your pastors marriage and family.
- Pray for protection from spiritual attacks.
- Pray for God's guidance for your pastor.
- Offer to babysit so the pastor and his wife can go out to dinner.
- Offer to mow the lawn or run errands for their family.
- Buy them a gift card to a local restaurant or home improvement store.
- Pay for them to attend a pastors conference.
- Write a note of encouragement to your pastor and their spouse.
- Invite them over for a meal.
Please make an effort during October to convey your genuine gratitude and thankfulness for all that your pastor does to make your church run smoothly.
We have many terrific pastors here in Crestview. Please give them your thanks.
Janice Lynn Crose, a former accountant, lives in Crestview with her husband, Jim; her two rescue collies, Shane and Jasmine; and two cats, Kathryn and Prince Valiant.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: HAPPENINGS: Ways to show your appreciation for pastors in October