Honoring Pastors in Practical Ways
Editor's Note: October is Ministers Appreciation Month in the Assemblies of God.
Each week, pastors across the Assemblies of God lead, teach, and shepherd their congregations with compassion and selflessness. For most, a pastor’s day extends far beyond regular business hours and the church’s weekly service times. Yet even though they spend much of their time and energy serving others, pastors also need encouragement and support. Without the emotional and spiritual care of close friends, family, and mentors, pastors risk feelings of burnout and disconnectedness.
A 2023 Barna Group study on ministers in the United States showed that loneliness and isolation are plaguing pastors at an increased rate year after year. This uptick in weariness comes alongside other research from Barna that shows “pastors’ feelings of support from those around them have decreased.
Additionally, loneliness and isolation were reported as the second most common reason pastors admitted they’ve considered leaving the ministry.
AG districts are taking note of these trends and have begun intentionally developing resources and proactive strategies to help pastors feel emotionally refreshed and spiritually recharged.
Kansas Ministry Network Superintendent Nathan Sheridan has seen the impact of healthy pastoral care from several different perspectives.
Growing up as a pastor’s kid, Sheridan became aware of churches taking time to honor their pastors through a Focus on the Family talk in the early 1990s. But when he stepped into his first pastoral role in 2005, he began to understand the importance of pastoral appreciation in a new way.
“I started thinking differently when I became a pastor,” he says. “I realized that I had come after someone and someone would come after me, so I wanted to be intentional in leading my church in healthy ways of honoring their pastor.”
He continues, “I didn’t do this with an arrogance or a sense of entitlement, but out of helping the church understand the blessing that Paul describes in Scripture when we honor spiritual leadership. And I knew I wanted the person that would follow me to be able to walk into a church that had developed a culture of generosity and honor towards its leadership.”
Sheridan says that one of the most emotionally beneficial tokens of gratitude he received from his church was the honoring of his children. “My kids bore the responsibility of my role as a pastor as much as I did. They experienced the weight of having to adjust family plans or not having me present for dinner if I had to take a phone call. But our church made sure they experienced the joy of our role as well with the way they honored them throughout the year.”
When he stepped into his role as district superintendent in 2024, Sheridan says that he took this mindset with him. His responsibility to care for the pastors of the Kansas Ministry Network includes spiritually covering their children in weekly prayer. “I have a printout of all the names of our PKs (pastors’ kids) and MKs (missionary kids). I call out their names personally as I pray for them,” he shares.
Each week, the network also selects three churches and pastors from their district to pray over, and Sheridan sends them an encouraging hand-written note. Additionally, the network offers resources to pastors such as online coaching, links and websites for inexpensive getaways, and most recently they have developed a relationship with Pastoral Care, Inc. to bless pastors with additional resources, including ideas for policy manuals, medication discounts, and online training.
“Consistency in honoring those in spiritual leadership means a great deal to pastors,” Sheridan states. “But special times throughout the year also provide opportunities for congregations to show their appreciation to their spiritual leaders.”
Congregations can take advantage of Ministers Appreciation Month, formally celebrated in October, by honoring their pastors in meaningful ways. Below are eight practical ideas for honoring pastors:
1. Plan a weekend getaway for the pastor and his/her spouse.
2. Work with the church board to offer the pastor a sabbatical.
3. Give pastors gift cards and provide babysitting services, if necessary, so the pastor and his/her spouse can enjoy a date night.
4. Take a regular task off the pastor’s plate, such as mowing his/her lawn, providing car maintenance or oil changes, or taking dinner to his/her house.
5. Send a meaningful, hand-written thank you or appreciation note or host a “card shower,” encouraging congregants to write encouraging notes that their pastor can read, especially during tough ministerial moments.
6. Plan a 24-hour prayer covering for the pastor and his/her family. Ask congregants to commit to praying for the pastor and his/her family every hour, on the hour for a 24-hour period of time.
7. Make sure the pastor can attend district and national events or trainings by helping cover registration and/or travel expenses.
8. Put together a “favorite things” basket for each member of the pastor’s family.
“Ministry isn’t a silo vocation,” says Sheridan. “Pastors are required to be privately healthy and publicly fruitful, but it takes the help and support of others to make this possible.”