“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.
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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.
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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
