6 Ways to Love Your Pastor

October is commonly known as Pastor Appreciation month. While many of us truly love and appreciate our pastors, these four weeks give us the opportunity to show that to them. The hard part is figuring out exactly how to show that to them.

Here are a few practical ways that you can show your pastor some love and encouragement before the month is out.

1) Send them a note of encouragement

Pastors are on the constant receiving end of criticism because of something they said in a sermon or because of a decision they made in the leadership of the church. The criticism can be so consistent and rhythmic that “Monday Morning Emails” are a dreaded reality for many pastors because there will undoubtedly be a critical email waiting on a pastor to open in his inbox on Monday morning.

One of the best ways to love your pastor is to tell him. Shoot him an email that isn’t constructive criticism but one that points out the gifts that God has given him.Drop him a hand written note, telling him how God has used him in your life.

2) Pray over your pastor

There is power in prayer – that’s a truth that the believer certainly knows. Don’t overlook that power when it comes to the life or ministry of your pastor.

I feel that one of the most encouraging and empowering acts a believer can do is to pray over another brother or sister in Christ. That same encouragement is true for your pastor as well. Take a minute of your Sunday to pull your pastor to the side and pray over him. There’s so much good that comes when a pastor gets to hear the hearts and prayers of the church.

3) Care for his family

Many of the pastors I know have a very clear love language – their family. If their family is in a good place, they are too. Sometimes the best gift or encouragement that you can give your pastor is to bless and care for his family. An encouraging note to his wife or a gift basket to his kids can do just as much to encourage your pastor as a gift or a note given directly to him.

4) A simple gift goes a long way

Appreciating your pastor does not have to be in the form of some grandiose gift. A simple gift card can go a long way. When I was a pastor, the gift cards to coffee shops and restaurants would help to buy coffee dates or nights out with my wife that were otherwise a stretch on a youth pastor salary. Even a gift card to Bass Pro Shop or a local bookstore can help him to pursue his favorite hobby while showing him you care.

5) Give a ministry gift in his honor

Does your pastor have another ministry in the area that he is passionate about or missionary that he supports? Give a gift in his honor towards that mission. It shows him that you care about his passions while also participating in an act of generosity that moves the gospel forward. There’s no better way to encourage your pastor than to let him know that he has a partner in ministry.

6) Give the gift of rest

Most of the pastors I know work well beyond a 40 hour work week. Long days, meetings at night, and hospital visits on the weekend. The to-do list is never done. Rest is typically not a part of their vocabulary, which can be both a blessing and a curse.

Sometimes a pastor needs a gentle nudge to rest and recover. You can play a role in guiding him in that direction. Offer a free night of babysitting so he can take his wife on a date. If you have a vacation home, offer a few days away at it. If your church by-laws does not offer the pastor a sabbatical, begin a discussion as a church on what it would look like to make a sabbatical an established part of life as a pastor at your church.

What about you? Anything else you would add to the list?