"Then I will give you shepherds
after My own heart,
who will lead you with knowledge and understanding."
-JEREMIAH 3:15
Praying For Our Pastor
Ways to pray for Pastor Branden.
Show Appreciation
Some ideas for showing appreciation to your pastor:
Pastor Appreciation Month
Pastor Appreciation Month is celebrated in October. The month is dedicated to recognize the work and efforts of pastors and to show appreciation for their contributions. Remember your Pastor in prayer as you should always. Your love and support is so appreciated. Everyone likes to know they are appreciated, even our Pastor.
"According to recent studies… 4,000-5,000 pastors quit each year. They don’t quit because they have a lack of faith in God. They don’t quit because they don’t believe in the calling God has placed on their life. Most don’t even quit because of financial reasons. Pastors quit because they are overwhelmed with mental exhaustion.
Until you’re a pastor you’ll never fully understand what it’s like to carry spiritual burdens for people. Getting up in the middle of night, praying for your family of faith. Awakened in the middle of night with someone on your heart. Overwhelmed with concern by a persons absents or distance. Your mind continually occupied with the presentation of the upcoming Sunday message - how to preach it, what to teach on, how do we apply it? Getting critiqued on a continual basis. Being told you need to do better or that some areas of the church simply need to be better. Pastors invest their WHOLE LIFE into people and yet people will turn their backs on their pastor at the first sign of a storm, usually without a conversation.
Pastors stand in the middle of disputes. Pastors stand in the middle of gossip. Pastors council broken marriages. Pastors comfort those who have suffered loss. Pastors navigate the waters of imperfect people with a desire to see each one thrive in their faith. They long for spiritual breakthroughs. Your pastor craves the very best for you. All of this, while trying to battle their own flesh and grow in their own relationship with God. Pastors see the posts. Pastors hear the whispers. Pastors endure the negativity. Pastors are continually caring for the sheep while fending off the wolves. Pastors pour out and pour out - rarely being poured into.
What keeps a pastor going? YOU!!!
YOU - the person who is genuinely hungry.
YOU - the person who worships with passion and freedom.
YOU - the teenager who is striving to be a follower of Jesus.
YOU - the single mom who understands the beauty of the hope found in Christ.
YOU - the one who walks through the door for the first time because you’re in search of peace, hope, and community.
Pray for your pastor.
Serve with your pastor.
Talk with your pastor.
Encourage your pastor.
They are human. They need YOU more than you think."
"According to recent studies… 4,000-5,000 pastors quit each year. They don’t quit because they have a lack of faith in God. They don’t quit because they don’t believe in the calling God has placed on their life. Most don’t even quit because of financial reasons. Pastors quit because they are overwhelmed with mental exhaustion.
Until you’re a pastor you’ll never fully understand what it’s like to carry spiritual burdens for people. Getting up in the middle of night, praying for your family of faith. Awakened in the middle of night with someone on your heart. Overwhelmed with concern by a persons absents or distance. Your mind continually occupied with the presentation of the upcoming Sunday message - how to preach it, what to teach on, how do we apply it? Getting critiqued on a continual basis. Being told you need to do better or that some areas of the church simply need to be better. Pastors invest their WHOLE LIFE into people and yet people will turn their backs on their pastor at the first sign of a storm, usually without a conversation.
Pastors stand in the middle of disputes. Pastors stand in the middle of gossip. Pastors council broken marriages. Pastors comfort those who have suffered loss. Pastors navigate the waters of imperfect people with a desire to see each one thrive in their faith. They long for spiritual breakthroughs. Your pastor craves the very best for you. All of this, while trying to battle their own flesh and grow in their own relationship with God. Pastors see the posts. Pastors hear the whispers. Pastors endure the negativity. Pastors are continually caring for the sheep while fending off the wolves. Pastors pour out and pour out - rarely being poured into.
What keeps a pastor going? YOU!!!
YOU - the person who is genuinely hungry.
YOU - the person who worships with passion and freedom.
YOU - the teenager who is striving to be a follower of Jesus.
YOU - the single mom who understands the beauty of the hope found in Christ.
YOU - the one who walks through the door for the first time because you’re in search of peace, hope, and community.
Pray for your pastor.
Serve with your pastor.
Talk with your pastor.
Encourage your pastor.
They are human. They need YOU more than you think."
Here are some reasons why Pastor Appreciation Month is important:
- Recognize their role: Pastors are often on-call 24/7, providing spiritual and other support to their congregations.
- Acknowledge their hard work: Pastors are often underpaid and overextended, and may suffer from shift work syndrome.
- Recognize their families: Pastors' families are also part of their support network, and should be celebrated alongside them.
- Counter negative expectations: Pastors are often expected to be perfect and always available, which can lead to burnout.
Ways to Pray for our Pastor
Seven Things You Can Pray for Our Pastor
- Spiritual Protection: Jesus, please protect my pastor from the attacks of Satan. Give him the strength to endure temptation.
- A Clean Heart: Father, please protect my pastor from the deceitfulness of sin that we all are prone to. Guard him from sin.
- Spiritual Encouragement: Lord, please encourage my pastor by the power of your Spirit. Let his soul be refreshed with the love of Christ.
- Wisdom: Jesus, please give Pastor Branden your wisdom. Help him know the way to go even when the way is not clear.
- Doctrinal Faithfulness: Lord, I pray for my pastor that you would help him hold fast to Scripture, even when others tell him to let go.
- Health: Father, please give my pastor supernatural strength. Protect him from sickness and disease.
- Strong Marriage: Jesus, please give our pastor a supernaturally healthy marriage. Strengthen the bonds between him and Jacqui and encourage them both in ministry.
"The elders who direct
the affairs of the church well
are worthy of double honor,
especially those whose work
is preaching and teaching."
- 1 TIMOTHY 5:17
Some ideas for showing appreciation to your pastor:
How exactly should we celebrate our pastor? He does so much for us. More than we ever know or realize on a daily and even moment-by-moment basis. How can we show him that we appreciate all that he does, but also who he is to us and so many others? What is the perfect gift to express deep gratitude and heartfelt thanks?
Here are some ideas and suggestions to get your creative juices flowing.
If you have any thoughts or ideas on how we as a congregation can bless our Pastor this year and show him how much he means to us, reach out to a Board Member or organize and tackle one of these 10 ideas:
1. Write Lots and Lots of Letters.
On the Sunday before Pastor Appreciation Day or anytime the month prior, distribute stamped envelopes addressed to the pastor. Include an instruction note inviting each church member to write and mail a personal note of encouragement and appreciation to the pastor during the week. Social media posts of praise are nice and always welcome, but a hand-written note is such a treasure these days. Take time to express personally what your pastor means to you.
2. Ask All Ages to Participate.
Laminate bookmarks created by the children in your church, featuring their art work and signatures. Allow kids to present the bookmarks to the pastor personally. Ask the pastor to stop by the children's ministry area for a visit and share a prepared song of thanks with him. Teens and young adults can write letters as well. Or create original pieces of art work, collaborate on an original song to share with the pastor during a worship service or a visit to his office, or volunteer their time at the church office to help clean or organize. With the pastor and church staff's permission, of course!
3. Provide the Resources Your Pastor Needs.
Purchase select volumes or a full set of Bible commentaries to aid your pastor in research and study for sermons, Bible studies, and discipleship classes. Encourage various groups, such as Bible classes, committees, or church ministry teams, to present one book of the set, individually wrapped with their personal notes of appreciation on the inside pages.
4. Add New Books to His Library.
Most likely, your pastor has a large and growing library of resources comprised of both personal interests as well as volumes on church ministry and growth, leadership, and theology. Encourage his love of study and reading by adding some new books to his stack of must-reads.
5. Publicly Proclaim Your Thanks.
Take out a full-page ad in your local newspaper, featuring a photo of your pastor and a declaration of your church's love and appreciation. Even better: List every member's signature in the ad. Create a presentation of photos and video of the pastor(s) in action during the past year. Set it to music and play it as a pre-worship service video each Sunday during October.
6. Spruce Up His Office.
Do a surprise office makeover. Consider fresh paint, updated décor, flowers and plants, new furniture, and even a computer or technology upgrade. Ask different Sunday School classes and small groups to tackle a different aspect of the redo.
7. Shower Him with His Favorite Things.
Think of all the treats, hobbies, and interests your pastor enjoys, such as dark roast coffee, running, a favorite sports team, fishing and camping, etc. Ask each member or ministry group to bring a small memento related to one of these favorites, i.e., hat, travel mug, fishing lure, gift cards. Designate a drop off area for the treats and surprise him at the end of your worship service one Sunday in October.
8. Volunteer Your Time.
Most churches have a shortage of volunteers to serve in various ministry roles each week. And it's a source of stress for most pastors and church staff. This year give them the gift of your time and commitment for Pastor Appreciation Month — volunteer to serve on a consistent basis if you don't already. It will make his day and he will appreciate the support every time you serve.
9 Celebrate His Wife.
Showing your love and support to your pastor's wife will bless and encourage your church leader more than you know. Include your pastor's wife when you write your note of appreciation — or better yet — send one specifically to her. Pray for her and their family, and let her know when you do. Remember that being a pastor's wife is challenging and comes with a lot of unrealistic expectations. Thank her for all that she does because she does a lot. Many things you may never know about.
10. Random Acts of Kindness
Don't be afraid to bless him with dinners, treats, dessert to go with a nights dinner, a coffee gift card, or small gifts of appreciation. Everyone likes to know they are appreciated, even our pastor.
(These ideas of ways to show appreciation for your pastor were found and cited from Lifeway .com on 10 Gift Ideas for Pastor Appreciation Month)
Here are some ideas and suggestions to get your creative juices flowing.
If you have any thoughts or ideas on how we as a congregation can bless our Pastor this year and show him how much he means to us, reach out to a Board Member or organize and tackle one of these 10 ideas:
1. Write Lots and Lots of Letters.
On the Sunday before Pastor Appreciation Day or anytime the month prior, distribute stamped envelopes addressed to the pastor. Include an instruction note inviting each church member to write and mail a personal note of encouragement and appreciation to the pastor during the week. Social media posts of praise are nice and always welcome, but a hand-written note is such a treasure these days. Take time to express personally what your pastor means to you.
2. Ask All Ages to Participate.
Laminate bookmarks created by the children in your church, featuring their art work and signatures. Allow kids to present the bookmarks to the pastor personally. Ask the pastor to stop by the children's ministry area for a visit and share a prepared song of thanks with him. Teens and young adults can write letters as well. Or create original pieces of art work, collaborate on an original song to share with the pastor during a worship service or a visit to his office, or volunteer their time at the church office to help clean or organize. With the pastor and church staff's permission, of course!
3. Provide the Resources Your Pastor Needs.
Purchase select volumes or a full set of Bible commentaries to aid your pastor in research and study for sermons, Bible studies, and discipleship classes. Encourage various groups, such as Bible classes, committees, or church ministry teams, to present one book of the set, individually wrapped with their personal notes of appreciation on the inside pages.
4. Add New Books to His Library.
Most likely, your pastor has a large and growing library of resources comprised of both personal interests as well as volumes on church ministry and growth, leadership, and theology. Encourage his love of study and reading by adding some new books to his stack of must-reads.
5. Publicly Proclaim Your Thanks.
Take out a full-page ad in your local newspaper, featuring a photo of your pastor and a declaration of your church's love and appreciation. Even better: List every member's signature in the ad. Create a presentation of photos and video of the pastor(s) in action during the past year. Set it to music and play it as a pre-worship service video each Sunday during October.
6. Spruce Up His Office.
Do a surprise office makeover. Consider fresh paint, updated décor, flowers and plants, new furniture, and even a computer or technology upgrade. Ask different Sunday School classes and small groups to tackle a different aspect of the redo.
7. Shower Him with His Favorite Things.
Think of all the treats, hobbies, and interests your pastor enjoys, such as dark roast coffee, running, a favorite sports team, fishing and camping, etc. Ask each member or ministry group to bring a small memento related to one of these favorites, i.e., hat, travel mug, fishing lure, gift cards. Designate a drop off area for the treats and surprise him at the end of your worship service one Sunday in October.
8. Volunteer Your Time.
Most churches have a shortage of volunteers to serve in various ministry roles each week. And it's a source of stress for most pastors and church staff. This year give them the gift of your time and commitment for Pastor Appreciation Month — volunteer to serve on a consistent basis if you don't already. It will make his day and he will appreciate the support every time you serve.
9 Celebrate His Wife.
Showing your love and support to your pastor's wife will bless and encourage your church leader more than you know. Include your pastor's wife when you write your note of appreciation — or better yet — send one specifically to her. Pray for her and their family, and let her know when you do. Remember that being a pastor's wife is challenging and comes with a lot of unrealistic expectations. Thank her for all that she does because she does a lot. Many things you may never know about.
10. Random Acts of Kindness
Don't be afraid to bless him with dinners, treats, dessert to go with a nights dinner, a coffee gift card, or small gifts of appreciation. Everyone likes to know they are appreciated, even our pastor.
(These ideas of ways to show appreciation for your pastor were found and cited from Lifeway .com on 10 Gift Ideas for Pastor Appreciation Month)