Growing up as a pastor’s kid, I remember multiple years when October was filled with unexpected gifts, special church potlucks and thank you notes. The extra goodies and gifts were greatly appreciated and enjoyed by our entire family, but what I remember most is how meaningful the notes were to my parents.
Reading specific examples of how church members were impacted by my parents’ ministry encouraged them as they continued to serve faithfully. As their daughter I was thankful for how the church expressed their love and appreciation for my parents, especially when they recognized all of the hard work my parents did behind the scenes, from ordering Sunday School curriculum to renovating restrooms.
Often we forget to thank our church leadership for all of their hard work and for the impact they’ve had on our lives. This October celebrate Pastor Appreciation Month by thanking your pastor and pastor’s family for their service to your church.
Here are a few tips to help you as you prepare for Pastor Appreciation Month:
- Appoint a person or several people to come up with a plan for October, making sure to add any special events to the church calendar.
- Communicate with the entire church what you will be doing to thank your pastor – from thank you notes on a bulletin board to a special offering to a thank you luncheon – make sure everyone knows all of the details. If you’re planning a surprise, be sure to communicate clearly and discreetly.
- Remind the congregation regularly about how they can encourage the pastor during October (and throughout the year)!
We’ve also come up with a few ideas for helping you make Pastor Appreciation Month extra special this year.
- Use a special bulletin one of the Sundays in October.
- Ask church members to write notes of appreciation, compile the notes in a book, and present the book to your pastor at the end of October.
- If your church has multiple pastors, assign a different pastor to each Sunday School class or small group, and have them encourage their specific pastor with gift cards, favorite sweets or snacks and notes throughout the month.
- Collect a special offering for your pastor using these offering envelopes .
- Plan an all-church lunch or dinner, and ask various church members to publicly share how the pastor has impacted their lives.
Check out our Pinterest board for even more ideas, including a free, downloadable planning guide from Care for Pastors .
How are you celebrating your pastor this October?
Growing up as a pastor’s kid, Laura was regularly involved in children’s and youth ministry. Laura spent ten years in full-time overseas ministry, and is uniquely prepared for serving churches through her role at Concordia Supply.
