Pastor Appreciation Month

When someone tells you, “thank you” how does that make you feel? It helps you feel appreciated. Everyone likes to know they are appreciated. For some people, affirmation is their love language—it’s the primary way they feel loved. We all like to know we matter to others. However, how often do YOU let others know they are appreciated? How often do you say “thank you?”

October is Pastor Appreciation Month, with the second Sunday of the month designated as the annual Pastor Appreciation Day. Why not show your pastor some appreciation? A very simple, easy and yet powerful way to say thanks is by using the free LifeTalk sharing cards and digital eCards. This month we encourage you to let your pastors know they are appreciated. Send them a quick eCard via email or text.

It only takes a minute to say thanks, but your message will last a lifetime!

In 1992 a layman looked at his calendar and noticed the existence of Groundhog Day. He concluded that if there is a day to honor groundhogs, there certainly should be a day to honor pastors. This led to the establishment of Clergy Appreciation Day on the second Sunday of October. By 1994 organizations like Focus on the Family began promoting an entire month to encourage faithful members to outwardly show their appreciation for religious leaders. Thus Clergy Appreciation Month became an annual recognition on a national level. While initially informal, Pastor Appreciation Day became more commercialized with Hallmark Cards selling cards specifically for this occasion starting in 2002. Over time, the observance has evolved into a significant event within many Christian communities across the United States.

Statistics show only 20 percent of Americans attend church every week. (About 40 percent attend once a month.) Many Christians feel church is irrelevant. Every week more than 50,000 people leave the Church and never return. Although 4,000 new churches are started each year, 7,000 churches close annually in America. Still, in proportion to the population there are less than half as many churches today as there were a century ago. Tragically, if non-Christians in this country were to form a nation by themselves, it would become the largest mission field in the English speaking world.

Today there are about half a million pastors serving in Christian churches in the USA. Yet, there is a shortage of pastors, especially for larger churches. Fifty percent of pastors are over the age of 55. More than 80 percent of pastors feel they are on call 24/7. According to the Urban Ministry Institute, 50 percent of pastors end up divorced, 70 percent continually battle depression, 80 percent of pastors (and their spouses) feel discouraged in their roles. Over 90 percent of pastors do not regularly pray with their spouses. 1,500 pastors leave the ministry permanently each month. Seventy percent do not have a close friend, confidant, or mentor. Ninety percent of pastors said the hardest thing about ministry is uncooperative people.

Pastors are unsung heroes. Many work tirelessly around the clock to minister to members of their congregation. The job can be demanding and the hours can be grueling. Sometimes it seems the work never stops. People tend to have a lot of expectations from their pastor. Yet, how often does YOUR pastor receive a true sense of recognition? How often does he or she feel truly appreciated? Letting your pastors know you appreciate them is one way to prevent pastoral burnout. And October is the month designated especially for that purpose. Take action right now. Let your pastors know they are appreciated. Send them a quick eCard today! Then pray often for your pastors and ministry leaders.