Each year, the month of October is designated in the Christian community as Pastor and Minister Appreciation month. What a special time this has been for me personally as churches took time to encourage and bless me with notes/cards, spoken words, gifts and prayers.

I ask every Louisiana Southern Baptist church to join me in celebrating your Pastor(s) and Ministerial Staff members sometime during the month of October. Remember it’s not how much you do its simply that you do something to show appreciation for their ministry of leadership.

We all have been struggling for the last couple of years and many Pastors have endured the storms the best they know how and need some kind of encouragement. I pray and trust that you will use this opportunity to generously bless your staff.

To give you and your church a head start and for your preparation for that recognition I wanted to share with you some ideas and resources that will help you show appreciation to your Pastor.

A Few Ways to Bless your Pastoral and Ministry Staff

• Set aside a brief time in the October worship service(s) to pray publicly for them.
• Organize a daily prayer partner(s) to pray for them every day in October.
• Bless them with a special love gift from the congregation.
• Present them with some time away with all expenses paid by the church.
• Write notes/cards to express your appreciation and honor for their ministry.
• Present them with a basket of gift cards to local restaurants.
• Make a tangible special gift: mow the yard, clean the house, wash the car.

Additionally, download the resources below created specifically to bless our pastors through social media posts during the month of October. A sample of the images, as well as links for download are below.