Expressing appreciation for your pastor (and other church leaders), doesn’t have to be a big banquet, a new car, a trip to the Holy Land, or a lawn tractor. Sure, all of these may be good suggestions for entire congregations. But individual members can also express appreciation in a variety of simpler, yet still meaningful, ways.
THANK-YOU CARDS
Handwritten notes of gratitude are always a great start. Tell your pastor how much you appreciate the time and thought he takes in sermon preparation, how much his visits at the hospital mean to you, and how much his counsel helped during a recent family crisis. Imagine how getting a bevy of cards in his mailbox might encourage him.
RESTAURANT MEALS
Find out his favorite restaurant or that new restaurant he’d like to try and provide a gift certificate for a dinner for him and his spouse. Everyone enjoys eating out … and not having to cook!
BOOKS
Most pastors enjoy adding to their literary resources or theological library. Don’t know what to pick? Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Christian bookstores, and Kindle offer gift certificates to include in a thank-you card.
GAME TICKETS
If he’s a sports enthusiast, you probably know which football or basketball team he pulls for. A ticket to a home game or maybe a school polo shirt or other team swag would be exciting for him to receive.
NEW SUIT OR JACKET
Yes, many pastors no longer wear suits on Sunday. Some wear sports coats; others wear collared shirts with blue jeans. Whatever your pastor prefers, some new clothes might be appreciated. Why not consider a gift certificate to a department store? And you might go the extra mile: His wife will enjoy a new outfit, too.
SPORTS EQUIPMENT
Does your pastor enjoy golf, tennis, biking, running, pickleball, or another hobby? Maybe balls, tennis shoes, a club or racket, jogging suit, water bottles, or sports equipment might be an unexpected gift to let your pastor know you care.
CAR MAINTENANCE
There’s probably a car mechanic in every congregation. Keeping your pastor’s auto well serviced or performing a much-needed repair is a practical idea, especially considering all the traveling that a pastor has to do to hospitals and to visit with church prospects.
LAWNCARE SERVICE
Maybe there’s someone in the congregation who is in the lawncare business. Arranging to mow the pastor’s or the church’s lawn, prune shrubbery in the spring, or for leaf removal in the fall could be a welcomed relief from a tiresome task.
GARDEN VEGETABLES
If you’re a gardener, maybe share some of the bountiful harvest with your pastor. Corn, tomatoes, zucchini, squash, peas, lettuce, beans, watermelons and more would help cut his grocery budget some. Is there a particular vegetable dish he loves? How about making it for him to enjoy for dinner? Or, better yet, invite him and his wife over for a home-grown meal.
A member at a church where my dad once served as pastor would allow him to stop by on Sunday mornings and cut a fresh rose bud for his coat lapel. She also baked wonderful lemon icebox pies with loads of meringue, and she frequently would send one whenever I had a special accomplishment — or sometimes for no reason at all. She made me feel special. You never forget someone like her!
The point is, expressing appreciation to your pastor (and his spouse) doesn’t have to be ostentatious, just thoughtful. After all, it’s the thought that counts, right? We all enjoy hearing that someone truly appreciates what we do — even our pastors. “Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches” (Gal. 6:6).