9 ways to thank your pastors

October is a special month to honor pastors. While we are grateful for our pastors in general, we appreciate this month which reminds us to bless and care for our pastors.

Here are 9 ways to thank your pastor this month (and other months ...).

1. Say "thank you".

Sometimes the simplest thing is the most neglected. Whether you stop them in the hallway to say thank you or write a card that is delivered to their house, be sure to regularly pray for your pastor (and their family) and thank them for the work they do. / p>

2. Give a gift card.

Some churches are blessed because they have the resources to have expense accounts that can be used by pastors when they meet with Church members for coffee or when they go for a meal in the church. part of the formation of disciples. Many pastors, however, pay for these meals straight out of pocket. You can bless your pastor by giving him gift cards from local restaurants or coffee shops they frequent. If you're not sure which restaurants your pastor frequents, you can ask someone they meet regularly or their administrative assistant.

3. Provide their families with a meal.

A church I was a member of had prepared the equivalent of a month's worth of food for the pastor and his family. Each family in the church had chosen one or two days of the month to offer a meal or a gift card to the pastor. Instead of spending a lot of time in the kitchen, the pastor's wife was able to spend time playing with her three grandchildren. What a blessing these meals were for this young family! You can use a website like Meal Train to plan these meals and note food allergies and sensitivities.

4. Provide funds for a day of family fun.

This time of year, families across the country go pumpkin-picking and apple-picking in orchards, which often feature fun family activities as well. Call a local orchard to find out how much a fun fall day would cost for your pastor's family, then give them cash as a gift for the purpose. In winter, you could use the same principle with occasional outings (skating rink, sliding, skiing, etc.). In the summer, you could offer them, for example, a trip to the waterslides. When family budgets get tight, things like this are often the first to get cut. Be generous to your pastor's family by providing them with a fun family day.

5. Spoil their love of sport.

Does your pastor love any particular sport or sports team? You can give him a pair of tickets to a sporting event or a gift card from a company that sells tickets like Ticket Master or Stub Hub, so he can purchase the tickets himself.

6. Ask your children to draw a beautiful picture.

Part of our role as parents is to cultivate a grateful heart in our children. This is a great opportunity to talk about how grateful your family is for your pastor. Your child can write or draw a thank you card to the Sunday school teacher, and your teen can write a thank you card to their youth pastor.

7. Give them a book.

One of the characteristics of good pastors is that they enjoy learning.Many pastors like to buy books, but any book lover will tell you that it is an expensive habit.You can bless your pastor by helping him build his library with a gift card from a local Christian bookstore or a online book reseller. Another way to bless your pastor throughout the year is to buy him a copy of every book you buy.

8. Provide grounds for maintenance.

In the fall, leaves fall in large quantities in many parts of the country, and during the summer, the rain sometimes makes lawns grow faster than they can be mowed. Why not hire a lawn mowing service for your pastor's family or plan with your small group for a Saturday where you could go raking leaves on their land. In winter, you can plow (or have snow plowed) their driveway, and in the spring, you can bring them flowers or plants for their garden. By helping your pastors with the upkeep of their grounds, you are actually giving them a gift of time - time to spend with family and friends.

9. Give their children a gift.

The pastor's children grow up under a magnifying glass. In fact, a survey showed that 30% of pastors believe that their involvement in the ministry is difficult for their children. The first way you can bless the pastor is by showing grace to their children. By loving their family members the way they are, without expectations of how you think they should be, you are blessing them and showing them the love of God. Then talk to your pastor about how you can bless their children. Is there a toy they want? Is there a movie they want to see? You could help with your small group decorating children's rooms or building a treehouse behind their house. Bless your pastor's family, and you will be blessed by your pastor.

In what other ways can you show your pastors that you appreciate them?

Article written by Gail Mayes, October 8, 2015.

Posted on the blog of the Evangelical Baptist Church of Terrebonne-Mascouche.

https://ebeterrebonnemascouche.wordpress.com/2015/10/08/9-facons-remercier-pasteurs/