Pastoral leadership is one of the most challenging and rewarding roles a person can experience. It’s filled with mountain-top highs and deep-valley lows. The way God works through the leaders in the church is inspiring. Yet, often, they are left feeling overstimulated, overworked, and lonely if they aren’t careful to recharge and spend time with God.
This article was updated August 2021
Pastors lead, counsel, and teach a specific church community. They provide moral, personal, and religious guidance to those in their congregation. Aside from preparing and preaching a sermon each week, pastors officiate special services, including weddings, funerals, and baptisms.
Some people still wonder, “What do pastors do all week?” They assist with church budgeting and financial matters, they oversee the staff and ministry, and communicate with volunteers and church attenders.
In other words, pastors don’t simply work 9-5 and clock out each day. They are basically always “on” and are available when they’re needed. That’s why it’s especially important to honor and appreciate our pastors.
Most likely, your pastor isn’t asking to be honored during Pastor Appreciation Month because they enjoy doing what God has called them to do. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to do something to show our appreciation for them, especially because of the hard work they participate in.
October is Pastor Appreciation Month, with many churches and parishes celebrating specifically during the second Sunday of the month. Though honoring church leaders has dated all the way back to the early church, it was commercialized in the early 1990’s with an emphasis from Focus on the Family in 1994. Since then, it has continued as a more formal way to appreciate pastors and their families for the great sacrifice and service they do for our church communities.
The Bible encourages believers to lift up our church leaders, showing them respect and honor. Below are five Scriptures that express the importance of appreciating those who have taken on the weighty role of overseeing the church.
Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. – 1 Timothy 5:17
And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves. – 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13
Obey your leaders and do what they say. They are watching over you, and they must answer to God. So don’t make them sad as they do their work. Make them happy. Otherwise, they won’t be able to help you at all. - Hebrews 13:17
Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. - Romans 13:7
Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another. - Romans 12:10
Pastors (and their families) are often expected to have it all together and to be the ones who encourage everyone else. But they cannot continuously pour out their time, energy, and resources without being filled up. They need encouragement, too.
Pastors often hear the negative comments and feedback much more frequently than positive and uplifting words. “That sermon was a little off this week,” or “You didn’t say hi to me after service,” or “Pastor so-and-so doesn’t take time to get to know me” and the list goes on. Especially in the wake of the pandemic, social unrest, and political extremes, pastors have been under even more stress.
We should honestly be honoring and praying for our pastors throughout the year. But during Pastor Appreciation Month, we can take some focused time to celebrate them. Below are 10 ideas to show your pastor(s) how much you appreciate them.
We hope you enjoy celebrating and honoring your pastor this year. May they feel appreciated for all that they’re doing to further God’s Kingdom here on earth.