A Pastor's Perspective: Real Appreciation for Your Pastor

Every October is Pastor Appreciation Month. This is an opportunity to express sincere appreciation for the pastoral staff at your church. I hope you were able to do that last month and that your pastoral staff did feel encouraged and appreciated.

But I thought it would be insightful for all of us to hear about Pastor Appreciation Month from a pastor’s perspective. So below, I am sharing word-for-word what my friend, Peter, who pastors a church in Montana, says. We encourage you to read Peter’s words - and then take action to encourage your pastor in one of the three ways Peter suggests.

Pastor's Appreciation month, from a pastor's perspective, is always interesting and awkward. You kind of hope that someone will do something, and yet at the same time you're okay with it if no one does anything at all. For the Shepherd/Teacher, being recognized and appreciated is always nice and it means a lot for people to do something. I'm not sure about other pastors, but most of what I've received this time of year is a special announcement, a big cake for everyone, maybe an occasional present or gift card to a restaurant. This is all great, don't get me wrong! You should show appreciation to your pastor, but maybe there are some other ways that you could do it and it would mean way more than a gift card or a cake. What follows is Peter's "Top 3 Ways to Appreciate Your Pastor".

Number 3: This one thing that, if you do it, you make your pastor's day, month, year - heck, maybe his whole life! Every week your pastor works really hard to study God's Word looking for the proper interpretation of each Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek word so he can put together his powerfully impactful 3-point sermon. He seeks the Lord and asks for the words to write and then say so that the truths of God’s Word will hopefully penetrate the hearts of his listeners, all the while depending on the Holy Spirit to drive each point home. Why? So that hopefully each person's life will be transformed by the Living God through His Living Word! So, what is this form of appreciation that holds such power? Honor him and appreciate him and his countless hours of hard work by living out what he preaches and just as important, meditate on God's Word day and night and continue the work that the Holy Spirit started somewhere during his sermon Sunday morning. Your pastor's heart's desire for you is to know the Lord as deeply as he does and to see your life, marriage, and family transformed by His power!

Number 2: This next way of showing your pastor appreciation gets a little more personal and possibly a good bit more risky. The person that is closest to your pastor is his wife and, if you think that your pastor has a hard job, I believe the pastor's wife has an even harder job. She is expected to do all sorts of things around the church, including cleaning, counseling, give parenting advice, and the list goes on. So many people will approach her asking for help and wisdom, pouring their hearts out in order to be known by her, but rarely asking her how she's doing, what's going on in her life, or what her struggles are (mainly because they think she's got it all together). It's so easy for your pastor's wife to end up being completely alone and lonely in a room full of people. She gets to hear way more bad stuff about her husband than good stuff and she has to live in the tension of people not being willing to just approach the one person in the church that is the most approachable (hopefully). My suggestion for one of the best ways, I mean it’s #2 on my list, is to care for and build a genuine relationship with the pastor's wife where you know her just as deeply as she knows you. This will truly bless your pastor more than you will know.

Number 1: The top #1 effective way to appreciate and bless your pastor is to cover him in prayer. Prayer is our most powerful tool as a believer second to the Word of God! When a pastor takes on this noble calling, he can be a bit unaware of the spiritual battle he is stepping into. When Jesus says in Matthew 16:18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it, it won't prevail against the church. he didn't say anything about the pastor. Your pastor is the #1 target of our adversary and accuser. the Devil. In the spiritual realm, if your pastor is covered in prayer they can't touch him. That's when they shift their attention to the pastor's wife. If she is covered, they turn to his children. This is the man who is held doubly accountable for what he says from the pulpit. This is the man who, often times in the eyes of certain congregants, can't do anything right. Even if you don't agree with everything he says. pray for him. It's hard to stay mad at someone you are praying for. Pray that his study time is fruitful and not just so he can put together a good sermon. Pray that his study time will transform his own life so that he can stand firm and remain strong in his faith in order to serve the Lord for years to come. Pray for his marriage. Pray for his wife and their oneness! Pray for his kids that had to put up with being a pastor's kid and probably struggle with some resentment and rebellious tendencies. All of this starts with praying for his protection in the spiritual realm, for God to fight for him in the heavenly places! This is eternal work that he is doing and he needs and desires your prayers.

In all seriousness, please still find ways to show your pastor appreciation but these three things would completely change his whole ministry!

APPLICATION: Take time to pray and see if God would have you begin to appreciate your pastor/pastoral staff in one of the three ways Peter suggested. And if none of those connect with you, ask the Lord for other meaningful ways to truly appreciate the work that your pastor and staff do to glorify God and build His Kingdom!

• Post shared by Abiding Marriage, November 2025.

• "Top 3 Ways to Appreciate Your Pastor" written by Pastor Peter Zipp, Outdoorsmen Church, Missoula MT, October 2025

• Image by Raj Vaishnaw on Pexels