This morning on the House of Hope I would like to share with you about Pastor Appreciation Month!
Do you have a Pastor in your life? Do your attend Church? Who do you seek wisdom from? God? Your Pastor?
Everyone needs a Pastor, including a Pastor!
This is from Karen Friday, Karen writes for God here at FGGAM. She is married to a Pastor……
I penned these words not only because I’m a pastor’s wife, but also because pastors often fall off our radar when it comes to appreciation.
Self-less Duties of Pastors
Before we look at 3 ways to appreciate pastors, first, let’s discuss some of their many self-less duties. This list is in no way exhaustive.
- Pastors often work tirelessly on the front-lines of ministry.
- They help carry the burdens of the congregation.
- They visit the sick in hospitals, join couples in matrimony, and preach a message of hope at funerals.
- Pastors study to righty divide the Word.
- They set the example of obedience to the mission of Christ and His Church. “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.” (Hebrews 13:7 ESV)
- Pastors are called to shepherd the flock of God and exercise oversight knowing that when the Chief Shepherd appears, they will be rewarded. (Reference, 1 Peter 5:2-4.)
Now, let’s look at some of the ways to appreciate our pastors.
3 ways to Appreciate Our Pastors
- Tell our pastor. It should go without saying, but we often forget to express our gratitude to others. Especially in the church. Why is that? The enemy! Satan loves it when we don’t build each other up and never speak encouraging words to those who play a role on our Christian journey. So, we tell our pastor our appreciation. Either through the spoken word or write it in a letter or card.
- Show our pastor. Remember show-and-tell as a kid? We took something to school and not only told about the object, but we showed it to our classmates. Showing appreciation is expressed in many ways. Maybe we do some act of kindness for our pastor. And come alongside our pastor’s vision for ministry in our church. Do we join our pastor in using our spiritual gifts to build up the body of Christ in the church, community, and missions? Are we participating in helping others and spreading the gospel?
- Pray for our pastor. One of the greatest gifts we can give anyone is prayer. And just because our pastors often pray for us and others, doesn’t mean they are not in need of prayer. In fact, because of a pastor’s calling and ministry, the forces of darkness work overtime to fight against a pastor. Let’s pray for our pastor’s Sunday message, ministry during the week, spiritual strength against temptation and sin, health, family, responsibilities, heart for God, walk with the Lord, and any other ways the Holy Spirit leads us to pray.
Are we ready to appreciate our pastor all throughout October? And not only that, but also every month of the year? God’s people, it’s important. Don’t miss this opportunity.
