Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Pastor Appreciation


Friends within our community know that Trish (my wife) and I serve as pastors of New Harvest Church. I often write to my people and community. The thoughts are from my perspective. They may or may nor apply or be relevant to you. This note is to the church we are privileged to serve. I thought I would share it with everyone for a couple of reasons. 1) To remind congregants to take the time to express their appreciation for their pastor 2)A view from a pastor's perspective


A Pastor Appreciation service will be held for Trish and I this Sunday at the church. It will be a special time where honor will be given. Lunch will follow the service, with great food and fellowship. That is pretty much all I know. It is one of the few times as pastor where I am out of the loop and not in control regarding the direction and flow of the service.

The month of October is set aside as a time for the recognition and honor of pastors. Serving as pastor is both one of the most rewarding, and most stressful occupations you will ever experience. A recent survey states that 80% of pastors, and 84% of their spouses deal with constant discouragement. I could give you other stats regarding pastors leaving the pulpit, but that is not my purpose here. Before I move on, I want to challenge you: honor your pastors. Your pastors aren't perfect. He/she will make mistakes, will make some decisions or say some things you may not agree with. But they have the responsibility to guard your soul.You should stand with them and help them strengthen the local church.

Here are my thoughts in advance of Pastor Appreciation...
1) Trish and I are honored to be honored. Thank you for entrusting your souls and your family into our hands.
2) We are blessed to have you in our lives. God is so good to allow us to have people like you in our church family.
3) Sometimes we forget to say thanks. Thanks for serving, giving, praying. Without your combined efforts, we could not have a strong local church that extends its mission to the community, region, and world. Thank you for all you do.
4) We love you. More than words can express. You are more than people we preach and teach. You are in our hearts.
5) You are family to us. A few of you are our natural family. All of you are our spiritual family. As family, we worship together. We sing together, pray together, play together, and cry together.
6) Our desire to see the glory of God captured in the hearts and lives of all. To see a church blazing with the fire of the Holy Ghost, reaching, rescuing, and redeeming lost and hurting humanity. To take the gospel of the kingdom to the nations of the world, beginning at home. It is to raise up our sons and daughters, to empower and train them for the call of God on our lives. Thank you for catching this vision with us!

Pastor Appreciation? Thanks. Whatever you will do or say. Just want you to know that Trish and I appreciate you appreciating us. Just in case we forget to say it during the service or the dinner Sunday.
WE APPRECIATE YOU!

1 comment:

Josh&KC said...

thanks for everything pastor Ronnie