While pastoring a church is a high calling, it can be a career filled with loneliness, frustration and burdens. Many people do not understand the great demands and responsibilities placed upon a pastor and his family. The encouragement, love and respect of a congregation can go a long way in making pastoring a joy and delight rather than a burden.
My husband has the privilege of pastoring a wonderful group of people who make his job of leading the church a blessing,not a burden. Not only do they express love for him, but for the children and me!
Since our church family is so good at loving and encouraging us, I thought I'd share some things that they do. Be sure to try some of these things to bless your pastor and his family!
Believe the Best
When you hear anything about anyone, believe the best rather than the worst as the flesh often would have us do. When people assume the best possible scenario, we are set up for success rather than failure. When people hear or see things and automatically assume the worst, we feel like a hunted animal—people are just waiting for us to mess up.
Let your pastor know that you believe that God has brought him to your church and will use him to do great things!
Let your pastor know that you support him and will stand with him as you move forward as a church to accomplish all that God has for you to do.
Don't Expect Perfection
My husband has the privilege of pastoring a wonderful group of people who make his job of leading the church a blessing,not a burden. Not only do they express love for him, but for the children and me!
Since our church family is so good at loving and encouraging us, I thought I'd share some things that they do. Be sure to try some of these things to bless your pastor and his family!
Believe the Best
When you hear anything about anyone, believe the best rather than the worst as the flesh often would have us do. When people assume the best possible scenario, we are set up for success rather than failure. When people hear or see things and automatically assume the worst, we feel like a hunted animal—people are just waiting for us to mess up.
Let your pastor know that you believe that God has brought him to your church and will use him to do great things!
Let your pastor know that you support him and will stand with him as you move forward as a church to accomplish all that God has for you to do.
Don't Expect Perfection
There are no perfect pastors, no perfect pastors' wives, no perfect pastors' children. Each person has strengths and weaknesses, areas where they are gifted, and areas where they are not.
Pastors are no exception.
It is easy to put a pastor on a pedestal and then guarantee yourself disappointment. Ask God to surround your pastor with others who are strong where he is weak.
Pray for your Pastor and his Family
There are couples in our church who pray for us everyday. They ask us how they can be praying and check up to see if God is answering right away (if not, they keep on praying!).
Sometimes God will put something on their hearts for prayer and when they share it with us we will realize that God used them at just the right time to pray. This is a comfort, an encouragement and the greatest blessing to me of all.
Share the Good News as Well as the Bad
We often walk people through the most difficult times of their lives (big and small things). It is such a blessing when the phone rings and it's good news: Answered prayer, spiritual breakthroughs, or opportunities to witness—we love to hear about those things!!
Pastors are no exception.
It is easy to put a pastor on a pedestal and then guarantee yourself disappointment. Ask God to surround your pastor with others who are strong where he is weak.
Pray for your Pastor and his Family
There are couples in our church who pray for us everyday. They ask us how they can be praying and check up to see if God is answering right away (if not, they keep on praying!).
Sometimes God will put something on their hearts for prayer and when they share it with us we will realize that God used them at just the right time to pray. This is a comfort, an encouragement and the greatest blessing to me of all.
Share the Good News as Well as the Bad
We often walk people through the most difficult times of their lives (big and small things). It is such a blessing when the phone rings and it's good news: Answered prayer, spiritual breakthroughs, or opportunities to witness—we love to hear about those things!!
Serve in Practical Ways
Wow! I can't even think of all the different things our church family has done to make our life more pleasant. Baby-sitting. Cleaning. Helping us move. Bringing meals after babies. Rearranging closets. Giving us their time-share for a week (can you believe it?!) Picking up things at a garage sale. Passing down clothes to our children. Lending us a car when ours broke down.
Get Along with Others in the Congregation
The greatest compliment we ever received as a church came from a lady who had been attending for 5 months. She said, "I have not heard anyone here say anything negative about anyone else. You really love each other."
We try very hard to encourage Matthew 18's way of handling conflict—if your brother offends you, go to him (not anyone else!).
Conflict is inevitable this side of heaven, but gossip and slander is avoidable. A pastor with a church in unity is freed from a tremendous amount of stress.
Write Notes of Encouragement
Everybody, including pastors, needs to be appreciated and affirmed. Knowing that people are for you and have taken the time to write it down is a real boost!
Share how You’ve Applied his Teaching to Your Life
It's wonderful to have someone commend you with "Great Word, Pastor," but even better to share how a sermon or Bible study has actually affected your life. If the sermon prompted you to reconcile to a brother, reach out to a neighbor or make a change in your lifestyle, then let your pastor know!
That is what he is hoping for and that good news will be a great encouragement.
God bless you!
Warmly,
Meredith Curtis
Wow! I can't even think of all the different things our church family has done to make our life more pleasant. Baby-sitting. Cleaning. Helping us move. Bringing meals after babies. Rearranging closets. Giving us their time-share for a week (can you believe it?!) Picking up things at a garage sale. Passing down clothes to our children. Lending us a car when ours broke down.
Get Along with Others in the Congregation
The greatest compliment we ever received as a church came from a lady who had been attending for 5 months. She said, "I have not heard anyone here say anything negative about anyone else. You really love each other."
We try very hard to encourage Matthew 18's way of handling conflict—if your brother offends you, go to him (not anyone else!).
Conflict is inevitable this side of heaven, but gossip and slander is avoidable. A pastor with a church in unity is freed from a tremendous amount of stress.
Write Notes of Encouragement
Everybody, including pastors, needs to be appreciated and affirmed. Knowing that people are for you and have taken the time to write it down is a real boost!
Share how You’ve Applied his Teaching to Your Life
It's wonderful to have someone commend you with "Great Word, Pastor," but even better to share how a sermon or Bible study has actually affected your life. If the sermon prompted you to reconcile to a brother, reach out to a neighbor or make a change in your lifestyle, then let your pastor know!
That is what he is hoping for and that good news will be a great encouragement.
God bless you!
Warmly,
Meredith Curtis
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