Comments on: Today’s pastors need encouragement

By: Robert

Robert — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:02:25 +0000

Happy for you pastor!
Can sense how the congregation love you so much.

Thinking about it, I haven’t listened to any of your preaching yet. It must be inspiring looking at how much the encouragements you got.

I agree, we should have pastor’s day/week. I don’t know if the one Mike Griffin mentioned was something celebrated worldwide, but it seems to be important.

God bless you, Pastor!
Robert

By: kenny

kenny — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 02:23:07 +0000

You have proposed a biblical, patient approach that should yield lasting fruit. I appreciate the comment.

By: Timothy P

Timothy P — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:03:40 +0000

I agree with you whole-heartedly, and yet this is generally so lacking in local churches. I like the reasons by Mike Griffin, it’s so true of the perspectives and mindsets of the average lay church member.

The challenge is, what if the pastor really requires or hopes for encouragement, how does he communicate this with his congregation, without coming across as demanding, finger-pointing, or holier-than-thou?

One approach I take is to lead by example, namely being to my leaders the encourager, the pray-er (person who prays for them), the affirmer, the champion (singing their praises and making them look good to others, especially when they’ve served well), the advocate, the sounding board, the emergency button, the non-judgmental, the friend, etc. As more and more of this saturates our ministry, I see it becoming more mutual, as in them also taking the initiative to pray for and ask how they can pray for me, and also see the necessity and blessing of encouraging me as their pastor. Such a joy!

By: kenny

kenny — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:50:20 +0000

Don’t know who they are, but these guys keep me smiling.

By: kenny

kenny — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:43:40 +0000

Thank you, fellow servant.

By: kenny

kenny — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:43:04 +0000

I never heard of such a month or week or even day either.

By: Angela Sim

Angela Sim — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 02:49:09 +0000

I don’t even know there is a Pastor Appreciation Month! As there are Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Teacher’s Day, even Secretary Week, we should institute a Pastor Day or Pastor Week and celebrate it

By: Fr Seamus+

Fr Seamus+ — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:51:20 +0000

Dear brother
Appreciate your writing and especially this encouraging piece! Pax Christi+

By: Blogpastor

Blogpastor — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 06:47:55 +0000

I just received an email reminding me that October is Pastors’ Appreciation Month, but “many pastors do not get any affirmation or appreciation because their staff and congregation say:
“It’s their job”
“They don’t need it, they always seem so together”
“They get their reward in heaven”
“They are holier than me, how can I affirm them?”
” We are all too busy and I forgot”
“I don’t know how to affirm a pastor”
“What if it seems manipulative?”
“No one affirms me, so why should I affirm others”
“I am sure they get plenty of affirmation from other pastors or staff”"
(Mike Griffin, Equipping Leaders for Asia)

By: TPWC

TPWC — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:44:52 +0000

Ps Kenny,
Praise God for loving and caring members! Treasure them!