October is…..
CLERGY APPRECIATION MONTH
Photo by Chip Dizzard
Time goes so fast and October has already arrived! This is a reminder for elders and church
members that October is Clergy Appreciation Month. Clergy Appreciation Day is always the
second Sabbath of October, although anytime during the month of October or the year is always
appropriate to thank your pastor!
We hope this annual event has become a regular and rich experience for your pastor and pastoral
team. It is important the entire pastoral staff needs to be remembered, along with the ministers’
spouses and children who do so much to help pastors carry out their work more effectively.
More than that, we pray there are motivated members in your congregation who have taken it
upon themselves to champion the cause of pastor recognition not only during the month of
October but on a regular basis throughout the year. NAD Ministerial recommends the head elder
organize a clergy appreciation planning committee for your church so responsibilities are shared.
Please copy or email this information and distribute to your church elders and clergy
appreciation planning committee. Parts of this article may be shared with the congregation.
As Elders, we share responsibility with pastors for the congregation's spiritual well-being: We
also have a responsibility for the pastors' well-being. We have more knowledge than most about
what the pastors are doing and feeling, and we help them carry their burdens in our limited way.
SO Elders, please share the pastoral information below with your members:
Few people have a clue about the burdens pastors carry. They don't know how much more work
there is than they see in those two or three hours a week, how much time they put into study and
preparation, how many meetings they must attend (some of them — like budget meetings — not
directly related to the pastoral ministry), how many long hours they puts in. They don't know the
emotional investment they have in all the people they counsel — their health crises, their
spiritual crises — or the family time they must sacrifice.
Even a little encouragement means a lot to a pastor. When you take just a minute to let him/her
know you appreciate and support what they are doing, you remind them the ministry God has
given them is making an impact on people's lives. When you write him/her a note, you give them
something they can look at more than once, something they can re-read at hard moments when
they need it. When you smile sincerely and give them a genuine handshake or hug, you show
them they are among friends. You break through the negativity others may be hurling their way;
you provide rays of sunshine poking through on a cloudy day.
If you want to do something especially uplifting for your pastor, tell him/her how something they
said made a spiritual impact on you. The pastor is there to speak the Word of the Lord. They
want to know you're listening and it made a difference.
1 2013 NAD Ministerial Clergy Appreciation Month Ideas –Editor: Mona Karst
That's the pastor’s reward in this life. That's what gives him/her joy in their work. And that's
what makes all their trials worthwhile. Friends, there are not enough words to describe how
precious pastors are. God has given us pastors to see to it that we are taken care of spiritually.
God has entrusted each pastor to his/her own flock and I have to say it is such a privilege to be
under Pastor ________ care. Signed,__________________________Head Elder
Importance of Pastoral Appreciation
The pastor’s needs and circumstances are different from those of any other job or profession.
Pastors are responsible for spiritual leadership. God has entrusted to them one of the most
precious of assignments—the spiritual well-being of His flock. When a pastor becomes weary,
the very souls of his or her church community are endangered.
Pastors often get a lot of negativity from church members. Add to this the pressure of balancing
ministry, family, personal growth and the demands of a (usually) needy congregation, and it's no
wonder pastors are burning out left and right. Really….who would choose to live life under
these conditions unless they felt obliged to a higher, divine directive. Unfortunately, these are the
conditions under which pastoral families often serve.
The good news is that we can make a difference! You can be different; you can be part of a team
which builds your pastor up instead of tearing him down. You can get on his radar and both
contribute to and benefit from a relationship with him, every Moses needs an Aaron! “
When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron
and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained
steady till sunset.”Exodus 17:12
Often pastors and their families feel isolated and burnt out—often wondering if what they do
makes a difference. As elders and church members, we want to come alongside them and be their
“Aaron” in this generation. We want to encourage and support them, help shoulder their burdens,
strengthen their families, ignite their faith and applaud their efforts.
Expectations of Pastors tracked in surveys have found a high percentage of pastors feel
pressure to be the ideal role model of a Christian family—which is impossible, of course. As a
result, four out of five pastors feel their families are negatively impacted by unrealistic
expectations—whether self-imposed or congregation-imposed—and that ministry is an outright
hazard to the health of their families. In reality, the “pedestal” is not all it’s thought to be. As
pastors and their families try to please the God who called them to ministry while trying to meet
the expectations of their congregations, stress is dangerous result.
Financial pressure…pastors typically make substantially less than their own board members
and deacons. Nearly 70 percent of pastoral spouses work outside the home, most often due to
financial need.
What Does My Pastor Need?
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2013 NAD Ministerial Clergy Appreciation Month Ideas –Editor: Mona Karst
Material gifts are appreciated by the pastoral team, but your church members can show honor
and appreciation in many other ways, such as the following:
How Do You Talk About Your Pastor?
It’s easy to complain about the pastor’s last sermon or why we didn’t like hymns he picks or how
our church doesn’t have a singles ministry etc., but do we spend equal time talking about which
part of the sermon we found personally convicting or how talented the volunteer worship team
members are? Complaining is easier, but rarely helpful.
What if we made a commitment to encourage our pastor and church leaders by only speaking
well about them publicly? What if instead of complaining about all the problems with the church
(and every church has them) we looked for solutions? What if instead of speculating about the
decisions the pastoral team makes, we committed to praying for them?
Use these verses to pray for our pastors and church leaders instead:
“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with
complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2).
“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of
mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in
peace by those who make peace” (James 3:17-18).
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and
on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be
strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in
your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to
comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to
know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness
of God” (Ephesians 3:14-19).
10 Things Pastors Wish Their Congregations Would Do
http://www.nadministerial.org/article/670/for-nad-pastors/nad-ministerial-articles/10-things-pastors-wish-theircongregations-would-do
By Dave Gemmell, Associate NAD Ministerial Director
1. Pray for your pastor. The pastor is the spiritual catalyst for the church. That makes the pastor a great
big target for the enemy. Pray for the pastor’s spiritual health. Pray for protection. Pray for wisdom.
Pray that the catalytic gifts of apostleship, prophecy, teaching, evangelism, and shepherding will
grow strong in your pastor. The most affirming words that a pastor ever hears is “pastor, I’m praying
for you everyday.” Romans 15:30, 2 Corinthians 1:11.
2. Affirm your pastor. Pastoring may be one of the most difficult jobs in the world these days.
Pastors live in a highly concentrated environment where they see the results of sin on a daily basis
through caring for humanity. While the average person may see a death, injury, illness, or family
conflict occasionally, the pastor lives through these things on a weekly basis. Though pastors don’t
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2013 NAD Ministerial Clergy Appreciation Month Ideas –Editor: Mona Karst
live for affirmation, words of validation do provide a lifeline of strength through treacherous times.
Those little notes saying ‘pastor, you’re making a difference,’ may be the very thing that helps your
pastor make it through another day. Acts 4:36
3. Bless the pastoral family. Pastoral stress leaks into families and is enough to test all the family
bonds. Throw in a few wild expectations about how a pastoral spouse and pastoral kids are supposed
to behave and you have a recipe for a family meltdown. The antidote is the blessing. Bless the
spouse. Bless the kids. Let go of any expectations and treat the family with a rich blessing of
heavens grace. And of course to relieve the financial pressure, return a faithful tithe so that the
pastor is secure in getting a regular paycheck. 1 Corinthians 9.14
4. Release the pastor from constant ministry so renewal can take place. Pastors who go 24/7 for
days, weeks, and months on end will inevitably self destruct. Mandate that your pastor takes weekly
breaks for spiritual renewal as well as annual extended breaks for study leave and vacation. It is a
small price to pay for the rich spiritual energy that comes as a result of regularly releasing you pastor
from ministry. Matthew 14:23
5. Talk with your pastor, not about or around. Complaining about the pastor to someone else is
corrosive for the entire church family. Writing anonymous critical notes to the pastor are acts of
spiritual terrorism (by the way smart pastors just thrown them in the trash can without reading
them). If you have a problem with the pastor, talk directly to the pastor and try to work it out. If
resolution can’t be found, then bring a spiritual leader with you and seek resolution. And then (and
only then) if resolution is not found, bring together a larger group to dialog with the pastor.
Challenge privately. Affirm publicly. Matthew 18: 15-17
6. Forgive your pastor for falling short of your expectations; because no pastor will perfectly satisfy
your ideals. Remember that your vision of what a pastor should be is probably unique to you.
Everyone else in the congregation also has unique expectations. Many of the expectations are
mutually exclusive. Your pastor will also make some mistakes. All pastors do. Extend to your
pastor the same grace that God extends to you. If your pastor knows that he/she practices ministry in
a safe, grace filled congregation where risk taking is expected and stagnancy is deplored, your
church can become spiritually turbocharged. Matthew 18:21,22.
7. Feed yourself spiritually. Don’t expect to live on a limited spiritual diet of thirty minute weekly
sermons. Going seven days without eating makes one weak. Even with the best sermons you will
spiritually starve to death. The role of the shepherd is not to stick grass in the mouths of sheep but
to lead the sheep to green pastures. As you listen to the great sermons that your pastor preaches may
you be inspired to get into the word yourself everyday in prayer filled Bible Study. Psalm 23:2
8. Bond with a small group. Don’t expect the primary pastoral care to come from the pastor. It is
mathematically impossible, and primary care is not his/her role. Regular spiritual support occurs in
small groups. When you are plugged into a weekly small group you will grow together, pray for one
another, care for one another, and support one another through all the ups and downs of life. The
pastoral staff and lay pastors can serve as a safety net for those not in small groups as well as care
for those in life transitions. Matthew 18:20
9. Follow the leader. The pastor is not the CEO of the congregation, that role is reserved for Jesus.
However the pastor has been given the gift of apostleship and you should take your cue from the
pastor and follow after Jesus. Let your pastor lead. With leadership comes change. Things will be
different. Since the founding of the church God has brought a succession of quality pastors, each one
with leadership to take your church to the next level. God gives your pastor vision. Help the pastor
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2013 NAD Ministerial Clergy Appreciation Month Ideas –Editor: Mona Karst
flesh out the vision and then do your part to turn the vision into reality. Hebrews 13:17
10. Exercise your spiritual gifts. Pastoral gifts don’t do much by themselves. However if you let
those catalytic gifts energize your gifts, you will come alive spiritually. Let the pastor equip you so
that your church family can reach unity in the faith and knowledge of the Son of God and become
mature, attaining to the whole measure the fullness of Christ. Take advantage of the teaching and
ministry opportunities at your church. Place yourself in optimal places for spiritual growth.
Ephesians 4:11,12
10 Things, Copyright 2013, Dave Gemmell.
Reproduction permitted as long as source is cited.
Appreciation Suggestions:
Clergy Appreciation Month is an opportunity acknowledged in Scripture to recognize and
encourage those whom God has called to proclaim His message and lead His people. Putting
together a big celebration might seem overwhelming but as you plan remember clergy
appreciation is NOT about glorifying a man or a woman so:
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
Plan early, some ideas can require a substantial amount of time to develop.

Select the weekend service in October your church will honor your entire leadership staff
as a congregation.

Select a planning committee to oversee preparations for this event. Ideally, the committee
should be representative of all members of the congregation (i.e., age, race, gender,
church activity), but should remain small enough to be effective and efficient. This
committee does not have to be large…three or four can work quickly to formulate ideas
to show the pastor appreciation that will work in your church. In past years NAD
ministerial has sent many ideas of things to do, give and events to plan and are willing to
resend if requested: mona.karst@nad.adventist.org See worksheet at end of article.

Plan the details. Your goal is to express appreciation to your entire pastoral staff and their
families. List the specific activities you want to undertake to achieve this goal.

Delegate the responsibilities. Assign the responsibility for each activity on your list to
one person. This person may need to enlist the assistance of others in the congregation,
but making one person accountable will improve your results. Also, be sure to involve
those under the direct ministry of staff pastors, such as calling on youth group members
to help honor a youth pastor.

Communicate your plans to those in your congregation and community.

Promote your activities. Carefully determine the best means to promote your activities
and encourage participation.
2013 NAD Ministerial Clergy Appreciation Month Ideas –Editor: Mona Karst

Monitor your progress. Be sure that each responsible person on your planning team
reports his or her progress at regular intervals. Avoid a surprise resulting from a lastminute crisis.

Thank the participants. Make sure that each person who helped plan, prepare, decorate,
serve, lead, entertain, speak, clean up, etc., knows how significant his or her
contribution was to the success of your celebration activities. “The elders who direct
the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work
is preaching and teaching.” 1 Timothy 5:17, NIV
When you plan ways to express appreciation to these faithful servants, remember to include
your pastor’s spouse, PK and/or ministry staff. Customize a questionnaire for each and give
out sometime in the year before October, December or birthdays etc. (see sample below)
Our Pastor’s Feedback
(or Ministry team, pastor’s spouse, pastoral family & PK, etc)
What is your favorite:
Candy/Candy Bar? _________________________________
Clothing store(s)? __________________________________
Sports team or event? _______________________________
Favorite Restaurant _________________________________
What resources you would like to have:
Tablet____________________________________________
Bible Commentaries Book or CD ______________________
Books/Authors_____________________________________
Other_____________________________________________
What are your hobbies? ______________________________
What are your allergies?______________________________
Name something on your want list______________________
My car could use____________________________________
My family could use_________________________________
What gift cards would be a blessing to purchase clothing, music, books, audio books, etc.?
___ Adventist Book Store
___ iTunes
___ WalMart
___ Amazon
___ Target
___ Barnes & Noble
___ Kohls
___Olive Garden
___Other
My birthday is: ____________________________________
My anniversary is: _________________________________
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2013 NAD Ministerial Clergy Appreciation Month Ideas –Editor: Mona Karst