Pastor Appreciation Month

October is Pastor Appreciation Month. Honestly, I never knew or thought of this until I first started dating a pastor. But now that I am married to him, of course I want to recognize him, and all the pastors out there. I never knew all the behind the scenes work a church has. I fell into the thinking many probably do, that a pastor prepares a sermon during the week and shows up Sunday to preach it, with a few other things here and there. Boy, was I wrong, and it's only now that I can see that. Especially in a small church, when the pastor is the only one who works there and the only secretary is the wife's assistance, a pastor sure does do a lot.

To all the pastors who do it all and then some, who-
<3 study God's Word daily in preparation
<3 read, research and collaborate for sermons
<3 write, rewrite and rewrite again their sermons
<3 deliver sermons on Sundays and sometimes Wednesdays, Saturdays, any day
<3 create slides, media or visuals to go along with the sermons
<3 run their own slides, media or visuals during a sermon
<3 Sunday School preparation and teaching
<3 Communion meditations
<3 Communion preparation
<3 schedule and lead meetings
<3 innitiate, build and lead teams and committees
<3 visit people at home and in the hospital
<3 answer calls at any hour of any day even while on vacation
<3 answer the door at home at any hour of any day
<3 funeral planning and funerals
<3 marriage prep and weddings
<3 choosing and leading Bible Studies
<3 creating, printing and folding bulletins
<3 Children's bulletins
<3 building and maintaining a church website
<3 building and setting up a backdrop
<3 song choices, media for worship, running it during the service
<3 recruiting and overseeing guest worship leaders
<3 starting up, recruiting and overseeing Children's Ministry volunteers
<3 outreach event planning, preparation, advertising and day of attendance
<3 church member events
<3 renovation planning and collaboration
<3 cleaning, organizing and set up to make sure everything is presentable at it's best
<3 arriving before everyone arrives at each church service
<3 leaving after everyone has left each church service
<3 ministerial association meetings
<3 prayer meetings
<3 showing up to lead prayer whenever called upon
<3 leadership conferences, conventions or travel
and so so much more depending on the church, type of ministry, etc.
and then go home to be a husband, father, family member and friend, doing work around the house and for others that never ends.

Make sure to take the time this month to recognize your pastor. It's a ministry, it's a calling, but it's sometimes a lot of behind the scenes, long hours, sweat and tears that goes into it. Pray God's blessings over your pastor's life and that of his family's as well.

To my husband, my father-in-law and all the pastors out there who have chosen to answer that call, to minister to the body of Christ and be and hands and feet of Jesus, to be a godly example of what we all should be... Thank you and Happy Pastor Appreciation Month!