Pastor Appreciation Month

logo-Pastor_Appreciation_Month-300x165A friend of mine wrote an article on the burdens that our pastors carry. Since this is Pastor Appreciation Month, I felt this article important to pass on to our readers.

A few of the points that he makes are:

  • Many in the congregation only see a small fraction of what a pastor does beyond the 2-3 hours a week (e.g. visitations, meetings, bible studies, sermon preparation).
  • We don’t see the spiritual warfare that he encounters .. misunderstandings, backbiting, undermining, rumour mongering, etc.
  • A pastor’s family is also frequently a target or needs encouragement in their positions
  • Encouragement means a lot to a pastor — even a short comment saying how his work has impacted you means a lot to him and will brighten his week.
  • Verbal encouragement is excellent; better yet point out specific points in his sermon or ministry that have helped or educated you.
  • A note is better because he can reread it at hard moments when he needs it

We at BJS of course encourage you to lift up your pastors all the time, not just during October, or even December when the trials are there, but throughout the year. Your pastor is human and needs encouragement and validation just as much as you do.

I’d also add that encouraging the pastor’s family is also critical — taking the time to tell the pastor’s wife on how much you appreciate her sacrifices, or babysitting for them while he and his wife get to go out for an evening.

 

To read the full article, click here.

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