Clergy Appreciation Month 2017: Pastor Appreciation Sunday

“Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;” 

(Romans 15:30 KJV)

October is here a time set aside for appreciating our pastors and all they and their families do—the sacrifices they make to care for the people in their charge.  Of course, we should appreciate them the other eleven months of the year too!  October is Clergy Appreciation Month, with this in mind, I will be sharing (with some editing) what I posted last two Octobers.

To read the first post in this series on Clergy Appreciation Month, please see Clergy Appreciation Month.

Today, Sunday, October 8, 2017, is Pastor Appreciation Sunday.  Some churches honor their pastor(s) on this Sunday with a special service; while others prefer to have a typical service.

Personal Photo

 

A variety of ways exist to honor our pastors—it does not have to be flashy or glamorous.  It can be something as simple as a short presentation during the service or a simple potluck after the service.  (Be sure to include children and youth!)  The idea is to let your pastor know that they are loved and appreciated.  Of course, this appreciation should happen more often than in October!

Have you ever stopped to consider how much a pastor does during a given day or week?  Dedicated pastors work far more than 40 hours a week.  Likely their work week is closer to 60-70 hours!  Discover your pastor’s day off each week and guard it!  They need some down time to care for themselves.  

Being a pastor is a huge and demanding job; something that can only be done through the strength of God and much prayer.  How often do you pray for your pastor(s)?  It is only right that we pray for our pastor; after all, pastors pray for their flocks. 

To get an idea about “a day in the life” of a pastor see Thom Rainer’s article A Day in the Life of a Pastor. 

Personal Photo

 

Pastors truly need and deserve all the support and encouragement they can get.  Recognize and affirm the sacrifices they make—do it orally or in writing.  Do not forget how meaningful, the seemingly small things can be!  Share your appreciation from your heart.  It will mean far more than you will ever know, this side of heaven. 

Be sure to pray for his/her family, as well; do not forget the many sacrifices they make!  The families of pastors make far more sacrifices than we will ever know.  How many family meals or special gatherings do you suppose pastors miss?  Even pastors without a family make many sacrifices in serving their congregation.

HAVE YOU HUGGED YOUR PASTOR TODAY?  J

How will you show appreciation to your pastor this week?

Please join with me in prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we pray that You will strengthen and encourage our pastor.  Help us to pray effectively for our pastor and family each day.  Lord, please protect our pastor and family from the attacks of the enemy; we plead the blood of Jesus over them.  Grant our pastor the wisdom to guide and care for us.  Thank You for all of the sacrifices pastors and their families make in service to You.  Reveal to us how to best show our appreciation to our pastor.  In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim

Clergy Appreciation Month 2017

“And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be ye at peace among yourselves.”  

(1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 KJV)

October is here; therefore, it is a good time to look towards appreciating our pastors and all they and their families do—the sacrifices they make to care for the people in their charge. October is Clergy Appreciation Month, with this in mind, I will be sharing (with some editing) what I posted the last two years.

Clergy Appreciation Month was started in the early 1990s by a lay person, who saw a need.  He realized that there were months and days honoring people and groups but nothing for honoring pastors.  Pastors are human and need encouragement like everyone else—it can be something quite simple—such as a pat on the back, a word of praise, or simply being attentive during services.  At times pastors seem to take more than their fair share of criticism, so words of praise are even more important.  Pastors (and their families) need our prayer and support, not our criticism.  Show your appreciation publicly, even if you think they may be embarrassed; knowing how much they are loved and appreciated will do more good than we can begin to comprehend. 

    

Personal Photo

Remember most pastors work incredibly hard, putting in extremely long hours to care for the flock they love.  (And by the way, they work more than just on Sunday!)  This means they miss time with their families.  They also neglect their own needs at times.  Therefore, they need to be reminded they are loved and that they are making a difference in the lives of others.

Personal Photo

We see pastors being encouraged in the Bible, such as the support Aaron and Hur gave to Moses during the battle with the Amalekites (Exodus 17:10-13).

How is your pastor being encouraged by the members of his/her congregation? Who holds up your pastor’s arms?  What are you doing to encourage your pastor?  

Photo Credit P. Whitlach

Do not forget to encourage your pastor’s family; they are an important part of the ministry too! The pastor’s family is a vital part of his/her ministry.  They are expected to make many sacrifices that many in the congregation would be unwilling to make.

One great way to encourage your pastor and his/her family is through prayer! Let them know that you are praying for them.  For some ideas to direct your prayers see:  How to pray for your pastor

Throughout the rest of this month and in the months ahead, think about ways to affirm the work of your pastor and his/her family.  Keep in mind that our pastors should be appreciated and affirmed twelve months a year, not just in October!  Remember the times that someone has expressed their appreciation of you.  How did you feel?

How are you honoring your pastor and his/her family?  How have you showed appreciation (as an individual or as a church) in the past?  What about this year?

Please join with me in prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for all those who were and are obedient to Your call on their lives and became pastors to shepherd Your flock. Prompt us to know how and when to encourage our pastors; may we use our words with care—building up rather than tearing down. Father, thank You for our pastors and their families; pour out Your blessings on them, may they experience the fullness of Your presence in their daily lives. In Jesus’ Name, we pray.  Amen

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim

Note: There will be an additional post on Sunday on the topic of pastor appreciation. 

Clergy Appreciation Month 2016: Pastor Appreciation Sunday

“Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;” (Romans 15:30 KJV)

Personal photo

October is here a time set aside for appreciating our pastors and all they and their families do—the sacrifices they make to care for the people in their charge.  Of course, we should appreciate them the other eleven months of the year!  October is Clergy Appreciation Month, with this in mind, I will be sharing (with some editing) what I posted last October.

To read the first post in this series on Clergy Appreciation Month, please see Clergy Appreciation Month.

This coming Sunday, October 9, 2015, is Pastor Appreciation Sunday.  Some churches honor their pastor(s) on this Sunday with a special service.  

A variety of ways exist to honor our pastors—it does not have to be flashy or glamorous.  It can be something as simple as a short presentation during the service or a simple potluck after the service.  (Be sure to include children and youth!)  The idea is to let your pastor know that they are loved and appreciated. Of course, this appreciation should happen more often than in October!

Personal photo

Personal photo

Have you ever stopped to consider how much a pastor does during a given day or week?  Dedicated pastors work far more than 40 hours a week.  Likely their work week is closer to 60-70 hours!  Discover your pastor’s day off each week and guard it.  They need some down time to care for themselves.   

Being a pastor is a huge and demanding job; something that can only be done through the strength of God and much prayer.  How often do you pray for your pastor(s)?  It is only right that we pray for our pastor; after all, pastors pray for their flocks. 

To get an idea about “a day in the life” of a pastor see Thom Rainer’s article A Day in the Life of a Pastor. 

Photo credit: P. Whitlach

Pastors truly need and deserve all the support and encouragement they can get.  Recognize and affirm the sacrifices they make—do it orally or in writing.  Do not forget how meaningful, the seemingly small things can be!  Share your appreciation from your heart.  It will mean far more than you will ever know, this side of heaven. 

Be sure to pray for his/her family, as well; do not forget the many sacrifices they make!  The families of pastors make far more sacrifices than we will ever know.  How many family meals or gatherings do you suppose pastors miss?  Even pastors without a family make many sacrifices in serving their congregation.

HAVE YOU HUGGED YOUR PASTOR TODAY?  

How will you show appreciation to your pastor this week?

Please join with me in prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we pray that You will strengthen and encourage our pastor.  Help us to pray effectively for our pastor and family each day.  Lord, please protect our pastor and family from the attacks of the enemy; we plead the blood of Jesus over them.  Grant our pastor the wisdom to guide and care for us.  Thank You for all of the sacrifices pastors and their families make in service to You.  Reveal to us how to best show our appreciation to our pastor.  In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim

Clergy Appreciation Month 2016

“And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be ye at peace among yourselves.”  (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 KJV)

October is nearly here; therefore, it is a good time to look towards appreciating our pastors and all they and their families do—the sacrifices they make to care for the people in their charge. October is Clergy Appreciation Month, with this in mind, I will be sharing (with some editing) what I posted last October.

Personal Photo

Clergy Appreciation Month was started in the early 1990s by a lay person, who saw a need.  He realized that there were months and days honoring people and groups but nothing for honoring pastors.  Pastors are human and need encouragement like everyone else—it can be something quite simple—such as a pat on the back, a word of praise, or simply being attentive during services.  At times pastors seem to take more than their fair share of criticism, so words of praise are even more important.  Pastors (and their families) need our prayer and support, not our criticism.    

Remember most pastors work incredibly hard, putting in extremely long hours to care for the flock they love. (And by the way, they work more than just on Sunday!)  This means they miss time with their families.  They also neglect their own needs at times.  Therefore, they need to be reminded they are loved and that they are making a difference in the lives of others.

Photo Credit: P. Whitlach

We see pastors being encouraged in the Bible, such as the support Aaron and Hur gave to Moses during the battle with the Amalekites (Exodus 17:10-13).

How is your pastor being encouraged by the members of his/her congregation?Who holds up your pastor’s arms?  What are you doing to encourage your pastor?   

Photo Credit: C. Meissner

Do not forget to encourage your pastor’s family; they are an important part of the ministry too! The pastor’s family is a vital part of his/her ministry.  They are expected to make many sacrifices that many in the congregation would be unwilling to make.

One great way to encourage your pastor and his/her family is through prayer! Let them know that you are praying for them. For some ideas to direct your prayers see: How to pray for your pastor.

Throughout the rest of this month and in the months ahead, think about ways to affirm the work of your pastor and his/her family.  Keep in mind that our pastors should be appreciated and affirmed twelve months a year, not just in October!

How are you honoring your pastor and his/her family?  How have you showed appreciation (as an individual or as a church) in the past?

Please join with me in prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for all those who were and are obedient to Your call on their lives and became pastors to shepherd Your flock. Prompt us to know how and when to encourage our pastors; may we use our words with care—building up rather than tearing down. Father, thank You for our pastors and their families; pour out Your blessings on them, may they experience the fullness of Your presence in their daily lives. In Jesus’ Name, we pray.  Amen

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim

Clergy Appreciation Month: Pastor Appreciation Sunday

“Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;” (Romans 15:30 KJV)

To read the first post in this series on Clergy Appreciation Month, please see Clergy Appreciation Month.

This coming Sunday, October 11, 2015, is Pastor Appreciation Sunday.  Some churches honor their pastor(s) on this Sunday with a special service.  

A variety of ways exist to honor our pastors—it does not have to be flashy or glamorous.  It can be something as simple as a short presentation during the service or a simple potluck after the service.  (Be sure to include children and youth!)  The idea is to let your pastor know that they are loved and appreciated. Of course, this appreciation should happen more often than in October!

From http://www.pastor-gifts.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/pastor-appreciation-daymonth-730x480.jpg

Have you ever stopped to consider how much a pastor does during a given day or week?  Dedicated pastors work far more than 40 hours a week.  Likely their work week is closer to 60-70 hours!  Guard your pastor’s day off each week.  They need some down time to care for themselves.   

Being a pastor is a huge and demanding job; something that can only be done through the strength of God and much prayer.  How often do you pray for your pastor(s)?  It is only right that we pray for our pastor; after all, pastors pray for their flocks. 

To get an idea about “a day in the life” of a pastor see Thom Rainer’s article A Day in the Life of a Pastor. 

Pastors truly need and deserve all the support and encouragement they can get.  Recognize and affirm the sacrifices they make—do it orally or in writing.  Do not forget how meaningful, the seemingly small things can be!  Share your appreciation from your heart.  It will mean far more than you will ever know, this side of heaven. 

Be sure to pray for his/her family, as well; do not forget the many sacrifices they make!  The families of pastors make far more sacrifices than we will ever know.  How many family meals or gatherings do you suppose pastors miss?  Even pastors without a family make many sacrifices in serving their congregation.

From http://metrovoicenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Slider_Pastor-Appreciation.jpg

HAVE YOU HUGGED YOUR PASTOR TODAY?  J

From http://blog.rose-publishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Screen-Shot-2015-10-02-at-9.33.56-AM-300x226.png

How will you show appreciation to your pastor this week?

Please join with me in prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we pray that You will strengthen and encourage our pastor.  Help us to pray effectively for our pastor and family each day.  Lord, please protect our pastor and family from the attacks of the enemy; we plead the blood of Jesus over them.  Grant our pastor the wisdom to guide and care for us.  Thank You for all of the sacrifices pastors and their families make in service to You.  Reveal to us how to best show our appreciation to our pastor.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim

Clergy Appreciation Month

“And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be ye at peace among yourselves.”  (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 KJV)

From http://montgomery.sig-ltc.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2013/10/clergy.png

Clergy Appreciation Month was started in the early 1990s by a lay person, who saw a need. He realized that there were months and days honoring people and groups but nothing for honoring pastors. Pastors are human and need encouragement like everyone else—it can be something quite simple—such as a pat on the back, a word of praise, or simply being attentive during services. At times pastors seem to take more than their fair share of criticism, so words of praise are even more important. 

Remember most pastors work incredibly hard, putting in extremely long hours to care for the flock they love. (And by the way, they work more than just on Sunday!) This means they miss time with their families. They also neglect their own needs at times. Therefore, they need to be reminded they are loved and that they are making a difference in the lives of others.

We see pastors being encouraged in the Bible, such as the support Aaron and Hur gave to Moses during the battle with the Amalekites (Exodus 17:10-13).

How is your pastor being encouraged by the members of his/her congregation? Who holds up your pastor’s arms? What are you doing to encourage your pastor?   

Do not forget to encourage your pastor’s family; they are an important part of the ministry too! The pastor’s family is a vital part of his/her ministry. They are expected to make many sacrifices that many in the congregation would be unwilling to make.

One great way to encourage your pastor and his/her family is through prayer! Let them know that you are praying for them. For some ideas to direct your prayers see: How to Pray for Your Pastor.

Throughout the rest of this month and in the months ahead, think about ways to affirm the work of your pastor and his/her family. Keep in mind that our pastors should be appreciated and affirmed twelve months a year, not just in October!

How are you honoring your pastor and his/her family? How have you showed appreciation (as an individual or as a church) in the past?

From http://www.ministryinsured.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2013/10/sheep.jpg 

Please join with me in prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for all those who were and are obedient to Your call on their lives and became pastors to shepherd Your flock. Prompt us to know how and when to encourage our pastors; may we use our words with care—building up rather than tearing down. Father, thank You for our pastors and their families; pour out Your blessings on them, may they experience the fullness of Your presence in their daily lives. In Jesus’ Name.  Amen

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim