Thanks to Hallmark everybody has a reason to buy a card 365 days of the year. National Bath Safety Month – check. Great American Pie Month – check. Hug a GI day – check. Talk Like A Pirate Day – check. I’m telling you that there is a day for everything. I did not make up any of those days. Google em. Well, did you know that October is pastor appreciation month? Even if you don’t have a pastor you should find one to hug. Er…appreciate. Not all pastors like to be hugged.
I think that it’s easy to forget about appreciating the pastor. We show up and listen to him talk, but it’s easy to forget that he spent hours working on a 30 35 30 ish minute talk. Now if you are looking for ways to appreciate your pastor just do the opposite of this post. The following are some ways that you can make sure your pastor doesn’t feel appreciated.
- Demand that he meets your needs and ignores his family. Call him after work hours. Get mad at him for not coming to your functions. I know that you are important, but so are the other people that attend the church. If the pastor runs to every emergency, crisis, celebration etc. he will have no time for his own family.
- Complain to him on Sunday. You didn’t like that he said something? Make sure you track him down in between services and download your complaint. Forget about the fact that he has other services. Forget about the fact that he spent hours working on something that you just tore down in seconds. Forget about him and make sure that you find him and tell him exactly what he did wrong.
- Talk negatively about him behind his back. Nothing says you don’t appreciate your pastor more than talking smack behind his back.
- Don’t prepare for Sunday during the week. Make sure that you don’t do anything like reading the Bible for yourself, praying, or applying the Bible. Come to church expecting him to feed you enough for it to last you spiritually for an entire week.
- Forget to pray for him. Sure he is dealing with spiritual attacks, the pressure of being a pastor, and making sure that he is hearing from God before he speaks to the church. Sure he’s got a lot going on but so do you. So forget to pray for him during the week.
So what is one way that you can show appreciation to your pastor?
Oh dear, did somebody have a bad Sunday?
Seriously, good points. Sometimes us minions in the congregation are very selfish about what we expect from our Pastors/leaders without considering what it has taken for them to deliver what they have. I won’t hug my Pastor, but I will make sure I put the time into my own spiritual learning as well!
TC, no I had a great Sunday. I’ve just seen over the years people use their pastor and run all over him.
I can pat me on the back and then allow myself to go for a bike ride. My wife could…well…you know… 🙂 I was at one church that acknowledged it in some way every year. Then i was at one church that never did but once (because a former pastor pushed it). I now serve a church that I am not sure even knows it exists. I like PAM but would prefer it be shown all year. Sort of like Christmas.
Bill, I agree!
Rob this is a wonderful post. Two ways that I have found to appreciate my pastor are 1). to stop by his blog each day and listen to his wisdom, 2). when my pastor gives me advice, consider it carefully and take it to heart. Blessings my friend.
Thanks Daniel! I love having you as a part of WEC and this blog.
I watched one of Perry Noble’s Unleash conferences online, and in one of them, he had the people there pray for their pastors, saying that they needed to let their pastors know that they have their back.
I’ve said/written that phrase on more than one occasion to my pastor ever since: “We’ve got your back.” Then I try to back it up by doing my part to serve in the church.
I like your list, too! I need to work on praying for my pastor more. Actually, I need to pray more in general… Thanks for the reminder!
TJ, Love Perry Noble! I also love that you have your pastors back. That means a lot to him!
I think the best way to appreciate your pastor is to take him out for a cup of coffee once in a while (just make sure to make him pay, so he never forgets the experience). I would also make sure to give him a fist bump every morning. They like that kind of stuff. 🙂
Dido!…
Moe, I’ll translate that to Diet Coke for my pastor. He’s not a coffee drinker.
Anything that lets a pastor (&/or his family) know that he is loved. When we first got married I didn’t really think much about it. We’d always done something for the pastor at the church I grew up at, but it never occurred to me that someone one do something for us. Then all throughout the month, Josh would bring home all sorts of awesome gifts– mostly little things– cards, gift cards, invitations to dinner, someone would bring him by some hot coffee, etc. I was like “what on earth?!” But it was really cool.
I think I know exactly what I’m going to do for this year!
Susan, I’m so glad that you guys have been at a place where the church appreciates you. I know we love you guys at WEC.
I can show my appreciation to my pastor simply by showing up at church and not snoring loudly as I take a seat in the back pew…
Ed, right on. How bout you move to the second to last pew and not sleep. You might really make his day then.
I think it’s also important to show appreciation for the pastor’s spouse and children. That in itself demonstrates how much a person appreciates his or her pastor.
Daniel, agreed!
I work in my church office. This means I spend more time with my pastor. It pains me to say this, but: non-pastor folks, Rob’s list isn’t really exaggerated for comedic effect. THIS STUFF HAPPENS. Sometimes it can be really sad to see or hear how people forget the pastor puts a lot of time and effort into his job — and more importantly, how people forget the pastor is a person.
The primary message here is this: DON’T DO THE STUFF ROB MENTIONS. But maybe a more important message is this: DON’T LET OTHER PEOPLE DO THE STUFF ROB MENTIONS. If somebody starts talking negatively about the pastor to you, shut it down. If you see somebody complaining to him on Sunday, make a point to counteract that with a compliment. Until I started working in the office I didn’t really understand how much work it is to be a pastor. Now it makes me mad when people make his job even harder than it already is. DON’T MAKE YOUR PASTOR’S JOB HARDER.
On a lighter note: a couple years ago my pastor noticed it was both Pastor Appreciation Month and National Car Care Month. I decided to combine that into National Pastor’s Car Care Month. To celebrate the month, I bought him a little toy car. We’ve kept that joke going ever since.
Burrill, I love this! Don’t allow others to do this stuff is so crucial!
Buy him the newest Black Berry! Or, a case of Mountain Dew! That should cover both my mentors.
Let’s see, honestly. I think valuing the teaching they give, and applying it to our lives would have to be the best way I could honor my pastor. For a church body to hear the word and apply it would have to be the ultimate honor we could pay.
Joseph, you are right about that. Seeing people apply the Bible to their lives is such an awesome thing.
Good points – ALL! Well noted – and since we served on staff for YEARS I know that it is very much appreciated when people say “thank you” for stuff you would ordinarily do anyway 🙂 We really appreciate our young pastor and love how he LOVES people and wants to connect. He’s a great friend 🙂
Cindy, it’s amazing how a little thank you can go a long way.
Watch out Rob, Sunday you’re getting a big ole’ hug, not a man hug with a double tap, a-frame hug, or a side a hug, it’s gonna a be a big ole’ full frontal bear hug!
Sirvhim, I’ll be looking out. I might accidentally stiff arm you. It’s not my fault though. It will be a natural reaction. I’ll embrace the hug after I stiff arm you.
Rob, I think that if more people called their pastor just to check on him it would make a huge difference.
Larry, agreed! Just to say hey. Most people only call when they need something.
All good points… something else that bothers me is when people get upset at the pastor for not friending/following on social networks. Do they think they have the right to be bitter when they’re posting nonsense, party pics, drunken tweets, etc.? Also, if the church is large, they probably don’t have a way to keep up with every single person online. If you need to talk to the pastor via the internet, send him an email.
Russ, agreed. I accept almost anyone on Facebook because they probably go to my church. From time to time though if they post something crazy I’ll leave a comment to spook them out. I don’t judge them but I’ll just let them know that one of their pastors saw their none sense.
Perform a breakdance routine to “Arise, My Love.” That’s what I’ve always wanted, anyways.
Matt, ahh the world of breakdance colliding with Arise My Love. I can see it now. Is this before, during, or after the sermon?