Lovely Things You Can Do For Your Pastor

I often write about what we need to change in the church.  Yes, we get it wrong sometimes, but sometimes we get it right.  In my current work, I observe some lovely things that congregations have done for their pastors.  Here are some favorites:

• A personnel committee member asked me “if it would be okay” to give their pastor a surprise $5000 bonus.  That would be a big yes. Even better:  add it to her continuing education budget so that she won’t have to pay taxes on it and then encourage her to take a class in Paris.
• A personnel committee asked me if I might be on a conference call with all of them to share ways they can support their new pastor.  (You people are champions.)
• A congregation who couldn’t afford a raise for their pastor added an additional week of paid vacation.
• After a pastor’s mother passed away, the elders arranged for her and her family to go to a church family’s vacation home for an extra week of vacation.
• A church that knows its pastor loves shoes gave her a gift certificate to a shoe factory outlet in the town where she was taking parishioners on a mission trip.
• The parents of a young adult couple came to worship from out of town for the baptism of their grandchild and – after they returned home – they wrote a heartfelt letter to the pastor thanking him for being such a great spiritual leader for their “kids.”

It’s a very hectic week for most of our pastors.  Show them some love.

[Note:  Thanks SB]