Pastor's Appreciation

I could not, in good conscience, leave a “commercial” as a post for very long, without creating a “real,” substantive posting. So, in that effort, here goes.

October is coming to an end, and as most of you are aware, October is Pastor’s Appreciation Month. I wanted to share just a couple of thoughts and experiences with you concerning this wonderful month.

I say that with a bit of trepidation. I don’t want it to sound like I think this is a great month because everyone tells me they appreciate me. While that is nice, that’s not the reason. Most pastors, no matter who they are or where they pastor, feel unappreciated most of the time. Whether this is based in reality or not doesn’t matter. The devil makes sure that a pastor feels as though they are doing no good for anyone, that they’re not making a difference in anyone’s life, that they’re not affecting anyone for the better, especially for the Lord.

Taking a month out of the calendar and setting it aside to share your appreciation for your pastor is a great thing, because, even if it’s only for a brief moment, it makes the pastor feel that they are contributing something positive to someone’s life. This does wonders for the morale of a pastor, and positively affects the entire congregation as a result. So, before October is over, let your pastor know you love him. AND DON’T JUST DO IT IN OCTOBER!!! DO IT ALL YEAR LONG!!!

Over this past month, I’ve received several expressions of appreciation from members of my congregation. Each one has touched me deeply, and I appreciate every one of them. For a pastor, it is easy to get caught up in the everyday rigors of shepherding the flock, of seeing the heartache and pain of those who are ill or who have lost loved ones. It’s easy to get swept away in the invariable tide of politics and cliques, to look at all that goes wrong, to wistfully long for what could be, and get discouraged. But then, someone comes along to give you a little encouragement.

I will be sharing a bit of this with my congregation in November’s newsletter, but I wanted to expand here just a bit. This past Wednesday evening, a family gave me a couple of gifts in appreciation: a musical tie, some homemade muffins, and a card and note. These things, especially the card and note, really moved me. The card was from a young girl who thanked me for helping her through the loss of her great-grandfather. The note was from this girl’s grandmother, the daughter of the man who passed away. Their words made me feel that I have been of use, and knowing that I helped someone in some way, during a time of great need, is truly special to me.

The biggest problem for most pastors is built into their job. Everyone looks to the pastor for help, for guidance, for encouragement and strength. But whom does the pastor have like that? Fortunately for me, I have a wonderful man to fill that void. He is my former pastor, and he is my grandfather. Watching his life and ministry gave me the tools necessary to help me in my own calling, and I can still go to him to seek advice and counsel. Without his encouragement and guidance, I would not be where I am today.

And there are others, other men and women of God whom I can go to with questions or problems, and know they will give me sound, Godly advice. And there are still others, in and out of the pastorate, whom I silently watch, on whom I quietly rely for examples of wisdom and strength that come only from the Lord.

I appreciate these people. I appreciate my congregation. I appreciate those of you who visit this blog. And I appreciate my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who sees beyond my mistakes and failures, and helps me help others. My only desire is to have many more years in which to serve the Master, and be a source of encouragement to others. But even if I don’t have many years, my prayer is that someone will have benefited from something the Lord has done through me.


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