“Don’t pastors only work on Sundays?”
It is a common misconception that pastors only work on Sundays—they preach a sermon on Sunday morning, shake a few hands, and then spend the rest of the week cleaning the church. While this may be true for some, most pastors work extremely hard around the clock. If they have a family, their ministry impacts their spouse and children, who also make sacrifices to support their work.
A lot happens behind the scenes to run a growing church. On top of the public ministry of writing and preaching a weekly sermon, pastors are also involved with individual and couples counselling, training ministry leaders, hospital and crisis visits, managing budgets, recruiting volunteers, community evangelism, brainstorming sermon series, building maintenance, running weddings and funerals, graphic design, website updates, pastoral care, praying, supporting charities and parachurch ministries…the list goes on.
Unfortunately, for many pastors and their families, their work can become a thankless and lonely job, with church members unaware of the responsibilities and pressures they experience, often at all hours of the day, 7 days a week. Unlike a 9-5 job, pastors often work evenings and weekends because that’s when their church members are available to meet.
With our recent 2023 Oxygen Christian Workers Survey revealing alarming levels of loneliness, burnout and mental health issues amongst Christian workers in Australia, it is vitally important that the church learns to appreciate and support the work of pastors and leaders.
In America, October is ‘Pastors’ Appreciation Month’, where churches are called to encourage their pastors. Since it’s October, we wish to borrow the spirit of this tradition, and to share 6 ways you can encourage your pastor this month:
1. Share how God has been working in your life
Send a letter, email or text message of how God has been at work in your life. Despite the challenges of pastoring a church, your pastor will be reminded of God’s work through his perseverance in the Lord. Examples of things you could share:
- Something you learned or appreciated from a sermon
- What you’ve been meditating on in your personal walk with God
- What holiness or faithfulness looks like in your current season of life
- An answered prayer
- Someone you have been evangelising to or are praying for
- How the church or a specific ministry has blessed you recently
2. Encourage their family
Likewise, do the same with their spouse and children. Share with them that you appreciate the unique sacrifices of ministry families, and that their support is enabling gospel work. Offer a meal or help with babysitting when the pastor is on call – such as Sundays at church or when the pastor is called away from the home.
3. Include them in your next hang out
Believe it or not, pastors often get forgotten in social contexts. Since the pastor is well-known in the church community, people assume they already have plans. Encourage your pastor with life-giving friendship by including them in social gatherings, outside of the formal church calendar. Even if they are busy, an invitation will help them feel included and supported in the church family they so faithfully serve.
4. Pray for your pastor
The Bible is clear. Pastors who commit their lives to gospel work will experience spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:11-20). Satan despises gospel ministry and is working hard to discourage your pastor’s faith, godliness, marriage, family, friendships and wellbeing. Pray for your pastor regularly—for joy, help, wisdom, perseverance, protection against Satan’s schemes—and let them know that you’re doing it.
5. Buy a gift that encourages rest
How does your pastor enjoy their days off? Find out and give them a gift that encourages them to do so! It could be a book to read, cinema tickets, a home-cooked meal, a class to take, or a few days away for rest and recharge! Be wary that a weekend away may not be possible unless a guest preacher can be booked to replace them.
6. Refresh them with a library of life-giving sermons with a KCC+ subscription
Pastors are called to teach and pastor others, but who does this for the pastor in return? The KCC One app is filled with thousands of life-giving sermons, testimonies and devotionals. With a KCC+ subscription, your pastor can access KCC’s latest and exclusive content. With brand new monthly uploads, a KCC+ subscription is a precious gift of spiritual encouragement, not just during Pastors’ Appreciation Month, but all year round!
