He hit a home run, and his team won the game. The score was tied and our son came up to bat. The wife of a retired minister recalled a family event her pastor husband couldn’t go to: “Our son was playing in a Little League baseball tournament, and my husband had an associational meeting he had to attend. Pastors with children may have to skip sporting events, piano recitals and other things to meet church responsibilities. If using the second weekend in October, plan a special Sunday service to recognize the entire church staff.Ī minister’s family is a big part of his success. Start early in the calendar year to build a team so financial goals can be met. Suggestions for honoring ministers, staff, familiesĬhurch members should plan ahead. Terry also suggested church members meet and pray over their pastor - for wisdom, rest, a deeper understanding of scripture. Express your thoughts through a personal letter.” Has he been there for you during a health crisis of a family member? Did he perform a wedding celebration? Did he minister to you when a family member passed from this Earth into their eternal home? Think of how your pastor has supported you and your family. “For example, I would suggest that individuals write a letter to their pastor. “Not only does being recognized for their service help the pastor, but the church benefits in finding ways to express gratitude. “Pastors need to be appreciated,” Terry said. Terry, a former pastor and a contract worker for Lifeway Worship, echoed Floyd’s encouragement. This could be given by 31 men, each who would promise to pray for the pastor with great intentionality on their assigned day during the month of October.” “A special gift each pastor needs is the gift of prayer. Individually, the members might honor their pastor with a personal note or a personal ‘thank you’ verbally. “I encourage them to honor both the pastor and his wife publicly, present them a special ‘thank you’ gift, and focus a prayer time for them. “I urge churches to understand the difficult challenge pastors have faced since March 2020,” Floyd said. Each has leaders who commit themselves to the local church body, and each has faced an enormous task in the past couple of years especially, said Ronnie Floyd, president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee. Difficult yearĪccording to, there are 314,000 protestant churches in the United States. Pastor Appreciation Day is celebrated the second Sunday in October and Pastor Appreciation Month throughout the month. In 1994, Focus on the Family chose October as Pastor Appreciation Month for the purpose of church members financially supporting their minister. In 1992 this idea became known as Pastor Appreciation Month, to honor pastors and religious personnel. In 1 Thessalonians 5:12–13, he said “those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you … hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.” The Apostle Paul wrote that “elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching” (1 Tim. The history of honoring those ordained by God goes back to biblical times. Through various means, congregations have found ways to encourage their leaders. The role of the clergy has been vital to churches and their communities throughout the history of America, and there is a long record of churches supporting their pastors and clergy.
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