PASTOR APPRECIATION

The Missionary Church is served by a brotherhood of pastors across the country who are fully committed to Jesus and to the advancement of His kingdom. They serve in response to a call on their lives. That call may have come when they were quite young or in some cases after they were established in another career. Whenever it came, they accepted that call. 

With that call came a love for the Church and for those outside the church who do not yet know Jesus. They have a passion to see believers grow in their faith so that they can make disciples of others. They also have a passion to see lost people come to faith in Jesus. Those two passions can be stressful as pastors attempt to balance their efforts to address both passions. 

One of the greatest joys for a pastor is to see people coming to faith in Christ, being baptized and then investing in others. Another joy is seeing believers in the church investing in the lives of those who are not yet followers of Jesus. 

At a time when values are being questioned in every area of society, these pastors stand firm, often in the face of criticism, on the authority of the Word. When church leaders begin to be influenced by secular thinking, our pastors hold to the truth of Scripture.

We have many pastors who serve bi-vocationally – meaning they work another job to support themselves because the church is unable to support them fully. Some serve full time but often at a poverty level. They serve because of their love for Jesus.

Thirty years ago, Focus on the Family began promoting Clergy Appreciation Month as a national month of observance. The leaders at Focus on the Family recognized the burdens pastors carry and the sacrifices many of them make. They wanted to raise awareness and encourage people to find ways of expressing appreciation to their pastors.

Try making your expression of appreciation personal. Frequently the church designates a Sunday when they corporately express appreciation. Some churches have become creative in how they express appreciation. What might happen if, in addition to a Pastor Appreciation Sunday, individuals would commit to sending a note of encouragement to the pastor and/or pastoral staff periodically throughout the year reminding them of their prayers. One of the greatest expressions of encouragement a pastor can receive is the assurance of the prayer support of those he/she serves.

As you look to participate in Pastor Appreciation Sunday/month, why not stop right now and pray for your pastor and staff. Let them know you prayed.