October is Pastor Appreciation Month. In this episode, Tom & Scott share some ideas on how to bless your Pastor (AND their families) this October...and really, all year!

The Session: Pastor Appreciation Month

1 Thessalonians 5:12–13 (NIV): “Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.”

Pick a different strategy for the week. Do it every day of the week. Do this for the entire month of October. (From Scott: This kinda sounds like Tom's goal setting strategies too)

1 Thessalonians 5:12–13 (NIV): “Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.”

Here are some ways to bless pastors during pastor Appreciation Month

• Pray: Pray for your pastor's spiritual vitality, protection from Satan, and the grace and love of God. You can also pray for their family.
• Give a gift card: A gift card to a restaurant or an Amazon or iTunes card can be a great gift for a pastor.
• Post pictures with the pastor: Share pictures of yourself and the pastor at church events on social media.
• Adopt a local church: Send a care package to another church in your area or serve together with another local church.
• Speak encouraging words: Let your pastor know how the Lord has changed you.
• Write a note: Write a note with encouraging feedback about their sermon.
• Set out a gift basket: Set out a gift basket in the church lobby for members to leave notes and gifts.
• Mow the pastor's lawn: Mow the pastor's lawn when their family is on vacation or ministry
• Connect with the church office manager. Find out your pastors likes and needs and organize a plan to meet them
• Encourage time off and 48 hour getaways!
• Develop assistant pastors who can carry some of the load
• Encourage the pastor to
• Plan for more than Sundays.

Resources

• Remember the pastor's role is 24-7; assign a person or persons to be on-call to help in emergencies. Identify people within the church who can counsel or advise others whether that means listening to problems or pointing them to a professional. Also, before your pastor hits the beach, determine the type of events about which he or she would like to be contacted. (Resource UMC)

• The Gravity Community is an online community of practice for Christians to stay connected and learn together in an environment that's safe for questions and doubts. Join the Gravity Community for connection and support for struggling pastors.