If a pastor receives cash, he/she may feel obligated to spend it on somebody else. I know we criticized gift cards earlier, but they are actually a great individual gift. If you’re going to give them a gift or service that you offer, make it pro bono. Just make sure you don’t offer a 20% discount to your services so that you end up profiting from Appreciation Month. If you are a professional, it is appropriate to offer your services for free. This is an opportunity to do something for them that they would never do for themselves. Just make sure to check with his secretary that the dates work with his schedule. Give them tickets to an event they would enjoy. They rarely are given the chance to go anywhere. The gift of a meal is: “What’s your favorite pizza place in the area? Mario’s? What’s the best night for me to buy your family three pizzas from Mario’s so that you’ll have leftovers?” 3. Pastors love to eat (maybe a little too much-but hey, you can bring that up on New Year’s Eve.īuy them a gift card to his favorite restaurant.Īgain, a free meal shouldn’t turn into: “I bought you dinner out with me and my wife - and by the way, we need counseling!” It will teach kids the value of expressing gratitude to those who serve in the church, and it will teach them about the sacrifice pastors make in dedicating their lives to ministry. Take time at home to make this a craft for your kids. This option exists so that you have no excuse not to give anything.Ī handwritten letter or note also provides an opportunity for kids to participate. This is why we’ll break our 10 killer pastor appreciation ideas into individual and corporate gifts. The more organized you are as a church, the more meaningful you can make your appreciation. Most people think about this time as an opportunity for individuals to express appreciation. Coupons to your services at a discount (that’s a reverse gift where you get something).Anything with a Bible verse written on it (he's/she's the pastor it would be like buying your boss a stapler for Christmas).While we’re on the topic, let me preface our idealist with a list of gifts you absolutely shouldn’t buy. But with the possibility of pooling resources and intentional forethought, you could easily make a list of things they would prefer over a gift card. It’s not that you can’t give him a $5 gift card if that’s all you can contribute. Ask yourself: “How could we make him feel extraordinarily appreciated? How could we make him feel truly blessed?” Just because the pastor might make a mediocre salary, that doesn’t mean you should buy him a mediocre gift. Trust me - he/she wants the espresso machine.įourth, let your inner capitalist run wild. You might wonder: “Wouldn’t he want $400 in Starbucks gift cards?” For example, instead of buying 20 $20 gift cards to Starbucks, one person could take it upon themselves to coordinate the purchase of a $400 espresso machine. The more people you include in the gift, the higher quality gift you can give. Third, give a gift from as many people as possible. For example, a bad example of a pastor appreciation gift would be a two-hour coffee meeting with me. Second, It’s important that when you give an individual gift, the gift isn’t about you. They usually are wary of receiving gifts, but this is the perfect opportunity to bulldoze their misplaced sense of guilt and say: “No, we insist!” 4 Critical Rules for Pastor Appreciationįirst, don’t be sheepish about giving them gifts. Here are guidelines for how you and your church can excel this October in showing your pastor that he/she is appreciated, loved, and respected in your church. Sometimes, all it takes to keep pastoral burnout at bay is for a church to crush Pastor Appreciation Month. Travis Collins writes in his book For Ministers about to Start.or about to Give Up that 75% of pastors experience “severe stress causing anguish, worry, bewilderment, anger, depression, fear and alienation” during their ministry. Most of them don’t go to seminary to become rich. What do pastors receive for their hard work?Īccording to, the average pastor’s salary is $48,828 per year.Īnd yet, the average pastor goes into $60,000 of debt to receive a seminary education. Your pastor is probably underpaid, overextended, suffering from shift work syndrome, and hasn’t had regular working hours his entire career. Pastor Appreciation Day, also known as Clergy Appreciation Day, is the second Sunday of October.
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