Pastor Appreciation Month

Faith

Pastor Appreciation Month Has Arrived: Show Your Pastor How Much You Care

If the word of God is foundational to your life, then chances are really good that a wonderful pastor nurtures that thirst for scripture and points you to Biblical truths. There's absolutely no greater gift than being taught God's amazing lessons, and there's no better time to thank your pastor than this October, which has been designated as Pastor Appreciation Month.

The History of Pastor Appreciation Month

While the holiday officially only dates back to the 1990s, the devoted believe that the concept of showing special thanks to pastors actually began when the Apostle Paul was in the process of creating the very first Christian churches. His writings directly refer to those who direct the affairs of the church as being worthy of double honor. From then on, various churches and all manner of denominations began to set a day, a week or even an entire month aside to find ways to recognize and honor their pastor.

Great Ways to Show Your Appreciation

Here at Geneva College, we have some great suggestions for ways to show your pastor how much he or she is loved and appreciated. Some churches choose a Sunday in October to host a reception in honor of their pastor, and some individual church members like to find ways to show their appreciation throughout the month of October.

• Provide the Sunday Sermon: If you are able to help bring in someone who is qualified to give a good sermon, then you can give your pastor a chance to sit in the pews and enjoy an inspiring Sunday message. A guest pastor preaching on one Sunday during October can also be a much-appreciated gift to your pastor.

• Offer Childcare: Even your pastor and his or her spouse could use a night out for dinner and a movie. Offer to care for their children while they enjoy a night out together.

• Put Together a Cleaning Crew: Spend a Saturday thoroughly cleaning the church and the parsonage or, if there isn't one, the pastor's home. Even children can help dust, and you can do a thorough job of washing down walls and windows and other chores that don't normally get done each week. This is also a great time to do those little repairs that need done and maybe even a little touch up on painting.

• Organize a Brunch or a Picnic: Bake a nice cake, have everyone bring their favorite dishes to share and let your pastor enjoy being the guest of honor during this event that is fun for everyone. This is also an excellent time to allow individual church members to stand up and say what they especially appreciate about the pastor.

• Pay It Forward: You can definitely show your appreciation to your pastor by helping others within your congregation and in your community. You may want to run errands for the elderly or volunteer to help teach people of all ages to read. If you know any youth who seem drawn to the ministry, then you may want to encourage them to learn more about our student ministry major.

Pastor appreciation

Opinions expressed in the Geneva Blog are those of its contributors and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official position of the College. The Geneva Blog is a place for faculty and contributing writers to express points of view, academic insights, and contribute to national conversations to spark thought, conversation, and the pursuit of truth, in line with our philosophy as a Christian, liberal arts institution.

Oct 7, 2015

Faith

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