6 Ways You Can Show Your Pastor Appreciation This Month

Every October is Pastor Appreciation Month, and it's one of our favorite months here at Vanderbloemen. Your church can have fun showing your pastor(s) how grateful you are for their leadership.

Here are a few ideas of ways you can show your church leadership just how much you appreciate them.

1. Make a Pastor Appreciation Month video.

Hire a videographer or have the church's Tech Director record different people in the church saying why they are grateful for your pastor. This can be a short, two to three minute video played different Sundays with different people who have some kind words or a funny story to share. This is a great way to involve the whole church in celebrating your pastor.

2. Give a giant card.

Have the congregation and church staff sign a giant card for your pastor. This can be set out in the lobby of the church where everyone can have access to it to sign. A card gives everyone an opportunity to share their love and appreciation to the pastor, and it gives the pastor something tangible to see how much the people care for them. 

3. Use social media.

Social media has given us so many opportunities to promote events and Pastor Appreciation Month is something that should be shared. You can post pictures of memorable quotes throughout the month on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter that your pastor has shared or share the video clips of your thank you video. You can even encourage people to share their own thanks on your pastor's Facebook page or e-mail them to share why they are thankful.

4. Offer a date night or a weekend away.

A night where the pastor and their spouse can have some alone time is key to keeping a healthy work-life balance. Have small groups come together to give restaurant and movie gift cards, and create a sign-up list for people who can volunteer to babysit their kids. Another fun thing to do would be to sponsor a weekend away at a cabin or bed & breakfast for them to unplug and just spend time with one another.

5. Sponsor a mission or make a donation in the pastor’s name.

Have your church come together to sponsor some sort of mission in the pastor’s name such as building a well in places where there is poor water quality. Another option would be to sponsor a child through a faith based non-profit that offers education and food. This is not only a thoughtful gift, but also something that can help your church serve not just in the community but also serve and give on a global scale.

6. Give the pastor a sabbatical where they can turn off.

Pastors have a hard job and are constantly pulled in multiple directions between staff care, hospital visits, counseling, officiating wedding ceremonies and funerals, leading people through hardships, and many other things. Give the pastor a day, a week, or a month off where they can turn off their phone and truly unplug. On the days the pastor is taking off, you can appoint another staff member or elder to be the contact person for that time in case of an emergency or any type of pastoral care need. Encourage your pastor to take care of themselves spiritually, physically, and emotionally as opposed to only focusing on the needs of others. 

There are other ways to show your pastor your appreciation, but this is a start to get you thinking of ideas to say thank you. Pastors have a big job to lead the church in spiritual development. It is important to remember that regardless of the time of year so they don’t get burnt out.

How can you thank and support your pastor this month and year-round?