Pastor Appreciation Month

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Pastor Appreciation Day

Appreciate your pastoral leaders who gave you the Word of God. (Heb. 13:7, The Message)

Think about your pastors and the long hours they put in, the criticisms they face, the personal sacrifices their families make. They do all this to serve as the shepherd of your flock.

"Serve one another in love," encourages the apostle Paul (Gal. 5:13, The Message). What better way to serve your pastor than to honor him or her on Pastor Appreciation Day? Your remembrance can be large or small, detailed or simple, but whatever you choose to do, you can be assured that your pastor will appreciate it.

A good way to start planning for Pastor Appreciation Day is to spend time in prayer for your pastors and their families. 

 

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Sunday Rhymes & Reasons
by Greg Asimakoupoulos
Published June 5, 2009
268 pages
$14.95

Sunday Rhymes and Reasons (Inspirational poetry for pastors, leaders and other imperfect saints) is a compilation of inspirational poetry by America's pastor/poet laureate, Greg Asimakoupoulos. In this, his third volume of poetry, Pastor Greg paints word pictures that portray both the struggle and fulfillment that define a life of faith. His repertoire of rhymes celebrate rite-of-passage occasions like birth, baptism, marriage and death as well as the major holidays of the church and culture. It is a volume that illustrates the poet's love of words and of popular culture. The author dips his brush into a paint box of hubris, humor and honesty.

Link to audio interview with Mark Elfstrand (WMBI)  about the book

http://partialobserver.com/article.cfm?id=3378

 

https://www.createspace.com/3384415

"Gloria and I have been encouraged by word pictures from Greg's pen that have celebrated both our ministry and God's presence in our world." – Bill Gaither, Gospel music composer/performer

"Gifted poet Greg Asimakoupoulos is a dear friend of our family. His poetry blesses, comforts, entertains, and provides inspiration for every season of life." – Natalie Grant, singer/songwriter/recording artist

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Pastor Appreciation Gifts   Next month is Pastor Appreciation Month. We have some great prayer resources that would make a wonderful gift for your pastor. Why not encourage them with a gift that keeps on giving . . . a deeper prayer life. Here are some suggestions:   Praying for Your Pastor Prayer Cards. Get your entire congregation praying more effectively for your pastors with these Scripture-based prayer guides. $8.99 a pack of 50 Click for Information               Giving Ourselves to Prayer. A 584-page, 80-chapter book on prayer just for pastors. Give him or her a powerful resource that will help in his or her personal prayer life and to lead your congregation in prayer.   Regular Price: $34.99 Special Price: $22.99 (until Oct 31)   For More Information               A Gift Subscription to Prayer Connect. This excellent magazine comes every two months! Let it refresh and stimulate your pastor toward a deeper level of prayer. An annual subscription is $24.99. When ordering put your pastor's name and address in the ship to section at checkout. If you put "Gift" in the notes, we will send a notice to them that you are giving them this as a gift.   For More Information         Back Issue Super Special We currently have 12 back issues of Prayer Connectavailable; each provides encouragement and inspiration on a specific aspect of prayer. Back issues regularly cost $6.00 each, but until Oct 31, you can buy them for 50% to 85% off depending on quantities.   Do you like a particular issue? Then buy copies for your friends or small group. Back issues will never be cheaper than now! Click on whatever issue you want below:   #12 (S/O 2013) -- Hope Undaunted #11 (J/A 2013) -- Jesus: Our Great Intercessors #10 (M/J 2013) -- Living in the Upper Room #9 (M/A 2013) -- Releasing Children to Pray #8 (J/F 2013) -- The Lord Is Near #7 (N/D 2012) -- Open Hearts, Open Doors #6 (S/O 2012) -- Stand Firm & Strong #5 (J/A 2012) -- The Place Was Shaken #4 (M/J 2012) -- As the Waters Cover the Sea #3 (M/A 2012) -- Solid Foundation #2 (J/F 2012) -- Fresh Fire #1 (Premiere)-- Can Prayer Save America?     Prices are good until October 31 or while supplies of an individual issue last.   Connect through Daily Prayer Devotional More than 18,000 individuals receive our short prayer devotional each day via email and RSS feed. Let it inspire you, too. Check it out at connection.harvestprayer.com. Here is today's reading:   Prayer: The Key to Evangelism   God is moving all things toward completion. I don’t pretend to know when. But I do know the key. It is evangelism. And the key to evangelism is prayer. Jesus said, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). The gospel is going to be preached to all nations…Jesus said so.   Read more . . .  Books in E-Book Formats   Many of our books are now available through the major e-book suppliers: Kindle, Itunes, etc.   Simply go to your e-book store and search for the title you want. The following are in this format.   Be Jesus in Your Neighborhood Desperate for Change Power Praying Prayer and the End of Days Praying God's Heart Praying Like Paul Revolution on Our Knees Shine His Light Stark Raving Obedience The Devil Goes to Church The Prayer Factor Both Praying with Fire and Encountering Jesus are just a few weeks away form being available as well. We Need Revival, Lord The Western Church is badly in need of a fresh move of God's transforming Spirit in our midst. Learn a powerful way to pray for revival, using the revival passages of Scripture. Recently released Praying with Fire offers 21 revival principles to pray.   Regular Price: $14.99 Our Price: $12.99   For More Information Encounter Jesus in a Fresh Way Encountering Jesus is a very unique book that looks at 30 commands of Christ and helps the reader to pray them into their lives. This is a great resource for anyone who wants to grow deeper in their relationship with Christ, but it is also a perfect gift for new church members or new believers.   Retail Price: $12.99 Our Price: $10.99   For More Inforamtion     Powerful New Resource Coming   Pray the Word is a new product line that will include a book of 30 prayers, a journal of 90 prayers, and a free app that includes 30 prayers. We believe these products will change the way you and your people pray! Releasing in January, watch for order information coming in a few months. Here is a sample of the prayers:   Overcomer        Father, Your Word says that I am an overcomer because of the blood of the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the word of my testimony--that in Jesus, all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form and I have been given fullness in Christ and share in His authority over every spiritual power and authority! But I confess that I do not feel like an overcomer and I often give in to the influence of this world instead of submitting to Christ.   Read more of prayer     PrayerShop is a ministry of Harvest Prayer Ministries. HPM exists to encourage, challenge and equip churches to become houses of prayer for all nations. Our ministries work to disciple churches and believers to turn their congregations into prayer saturated churches. Every dollar you spend at PrayerShop goes to further prayer in the local church. Thank you for shopping at PrayerShop.

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October is Pastor Appreciation month, and we want to support you as you honor and affirm your pastor! Some of the latest research indicates that the "downstream" symptoms of ministry stress and challenges are significantly impacting pastors and their families. We've compiled some simple strategies to bless your pastor and family. The Lift Pastor Appreciation strategy is an initiative designed to see God prompt the church to become the pastor's greatest source of support.   5 SIMPLE STEPS TO LIFT UP GOD'S SERVANT IN YOUR CHURCH:   1. Download the Lift flyer, poster, bulletin insert, and certificate for a planning meeting with your deacons, elders, or lay leaders. Click here http://www.greatcommandment.net/lift-for-lay-leaders.htm for these resources. Make plans to affirm each of your ministers and families.   2. Schedule the appreciation event, service, or reception and promote them using the resources above. Make sure to edit poster and certificate to include ministers' and family names, plus date of appreciation event.   3. (Optional) Purchase a VISA gift card at any local retail store. This gift card is for your pastor to use for their own get-away retreat at any bed and breakfast that is part of the Christian Hospitality Network. Click here (www.thechn.us) to find a CHN location.  Pastor discounts range from 25-50% off. Sun-Thursday nights are most available, and a $300-500 gift card would typically cover a multi-night stay. This process will give your ministry couple the privilege of selecting the bed and breakfast location that blesses them most.  4. Download the Reboot Spiritual Life and Reboot Marriage Apphttp://greatcommandment.net/lift-for-pastors.htm to familiarize yourself and then assist your ministers in doing the same; Reboot apps are perfect resources for your pastor's self-guided Reboot Retreat. These Reboot apps and ministry discounts are a part of the Lift Pastors Appreciation initiative and brought to you by the Great Commandment Network and their Reboot Leaders resource team.   5. At your appreciation event, present the Appreciation Certificate (after editing names), then print and distribute the bulletin insert entitled, "50 Ways to Bless your Pastor" for your entire congregation.

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Thanking Your Congregation
	By Ted Cunningham Last month was Clergy Appreciation Month. How did that go for you? Some pastors received cards, emails, small gifts, and a few meals. Others received appreciation face-to-faceon Sunday morning. For some, it went unnoticed all together. Whatever last month looked like for you, let's consider a new kind of appreciation this Thanksgiving season. What if we turn the tables on our congregations and appreciate them? I am guilty of taking Woodland Hills Family Church for granted. Like most churches, we've seen our share of highs and lows over the years. During times of growth and ministry wins, we ask for more. When giving does not meet budget, we ask for more. When children's ministry wears out volunteers, we seek fresh recruits. Our tendency is to ask for more out of those who already give so much. Thanksgiving is a great season to pause and say, "Thank you."  Here are 7 ways to say, "Thank you," to your congregation...Read more.

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As you know, October is Pastor Appreciation Month.  We need your partnership this month in an important effort to offer vital and tangible help to pastors across the nation.  We want to help our spiritual leaders with profound tools to provide encouragement and spiritual health.  You can play an essential role as you join us in October. Together we can make a difference.    

 

Did you know?

• Almost 1700 pastors leave the ministry every month in the U.S. due to church conflict, family problems, health concerns and, in some cases, moral failure.
   
• Eighty percent of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years.
   
• Eighty percent of pastors and eighty-four percent of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged in their roles.
   
• Fifty-five percent admitted that they are lonely and have no close friends. 
   
• Fifty percent of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living.
   
• Eighty percent of pastors' spouses feel their spouse is overworked.

 

This month join us in a step of faith to help pastors all across our nation. 

 

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE AND TO JOIN US IN THIS IMPORTANT INITIATIVE!

 

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NEW DATA ABOUT CLERGY HEALTH By Bill Whitt October is Pastor Appreciation Month, and one of the best ways to show appreciation to your pastor is through empathy and understanding. How are ministers doing today? How is your minister doing today? In today's article, I'll try to paint a picture for you, using data from the Barna Group's State of Pastors Report. New data shows that many indicators of health are trending in the right direction, but pastors still need our prayers and our support. Knowing these recent findings will help you know how to support your pastor best this month and every month. FIVE INSIGHTS TO HELP YOU CARE FOR YOUR PASTOR 1. Good News: "Only" One-Third of Pastors Are Considering Quitting In March 2022, 42 percent of pastors reported they were considering leaving their jobs. The stat now stands at 33 percent. Without a doubt, this improvement is because the acute stressors of the pandemic are in the rearview mirror (and maybe because some of the ones who were considering quitting did end up quitting?). Even though this is good news, one-third is still a huge number. It represents a lot of your pastors, weary from time in the trenches of church renewal, silently thinking about walking away. What can you do to support them in their time of need? 2. Job Satisfaction Overall Is Rising Pastoring is extremely challenging work, but it is also very rewarding work! Pastors who report they are very satisfied with their vocation grew from 52 percent in 2022 to 59 percent in 2023. What can you do to help your pastor see and appreciate the fruits of their labor? How can you help your pastor find satisfaction in their role on staff, council, and among the congregation? 3. Satisfaction with Particular Churches Lags Behind While pastors report high satisfaction with their vocation in general, a smaller percentage report being very satisfied with ministry at their current church (47 percent). Working in a particular church with a particular group of people is more challenging than speaking about a vocation more broadly. How can you help your pastor deal with the unique challenges of leading your congregation? 4. Age and Gender Discrepancies Are Strong Women are less likely than men to express they are very satisfied with their current ministry (32 percent vs. 49 percent). The similar discrepancy exists when comparing younger pastors to older pastors (38 percent vs. 50 percent). If you have a young pastor or a female pastor (or a young female pastor!), please realize that ministry challenges may affect them at a higher rate. Pay particular attention to their needs and start by asking what those needs are. 5. Confidence Is Rising In 2022, only 35 percent of pastors said they were more confident in their calling than when they started ministry, with many losing confidence in their calling. In 2023, 51 percent reported they are more confident in their calling -- a large increase! The affirmation of others is one ingredient in sensing a call from God into ministry. If you believe your pastor is called to ministry, be sure to affirm that calling regularly! With 10 days left in Pastor Appreciation Month, what can you do to ensure your pastor does not have to walk through these challenges alone? And why stop in October? Let's remember to support our pastors year-round! It is one of the best investments you can make as you work toward revitalizing your church.

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Key Scripture Focus   Brothers and sisters, pray for us. 1 Thessalonians 5:25 NIV   People of God: Please Pray for your pastors during October - Clergy Appreciation Month!     Here are 2 scripture-based tools that you can use to pray for your pastors.  One is a PDF and one as a word document.  You can download them at:    Pdf: https://prayerassist.org/wp-content/uploads/clergy-appreciation-month-pray-for-your-pastors-v4.pdf   Word: https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fprayerassist.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fclergy-appreciation-month-pray-for-your-pastors-v4.doc&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK     Use the passage(s) of scripture to pray for your pastors by name:   Example:  Lord, I pray that Pastor John will stand firm.  Nothing will move Pastor John. (1 Corinthians 15:58) May Pastor John always give himself fully to Your work because Pastor John‘s labor is not in vain in the Lord!   Once you personalize the scripture(s), you can use the word document to send these prayers to your pastors by text or by e-mail.  Your pastors will be blessed, strengthened and encouraged - and they will experience the gift of God's love!   Invite others to join us!   May God use His people to breathe love and life into the hearts of our pastors. They give so much to us!  May we give them the gift of love through prayer!

This important message was made available to you through the ministry of Prayer Assist.   Prayer Assist consults with and equips pastors, leaders and faith-based organizations to produce more prayer-energized disciples and ministries.   Your tax-deductible investments allow Prayer Assist to serve more and more people.     You may make donations on-line at https://prayerassist.org/  -   Click on "DONATE" button or Mail check payable to "Prayer Assist” to Thomas Bush, Prayer Assist, 4755 71st St, La Mesa, CA  91942a

 

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PASTOR APPRECIATION MONTH   My 20+ years of pastoring had many wonderful, God-glorifying moments.   But, also some difficult and discouraging episodes.   Which were greatly helped when someone took the time to say or do or write something that demonstrated their appreciation.   I especially appreciated people who told me they were praying for me.   So ... Let's commit to pray this Pastor Appreciation Month: Your home church pastor A pastor(s) you know in your city/community For the Reimagine.Network's goal to engage and equip 10,000 pastors to lead the church to "be transformed by the renewing of their mind-set" toward Gospel-focused worship and ministry You can ask the Holy Spirit right nowwho to pray for and how to make that prayer personalized to the need of that pastor.   Phil Migliortatti   *Click here for some good ideas of how to bless your Pastor...

PASTOR REIMAGINATION MONTH   BUT...let's go beyond appreciation into "reimagination!"   "The word reimagine means to imagine something again or in a different way; reconceptualize, re-create, review, revise."   Join me in asking the Lord to create a movement of 10,000 pastors and ministry leaders of discipleship, prayer, evangelism who are seeking a Spirit-led, Scripture-fed "renewing of their mind" toward the corporate identify and ministry of the Church.   √"WHY? Reimagine...   √Begin a New Journey   √Reimagine Future Church   √Become a Reimagineer   The future of the CHurch must be much more than a tweaking of ministry programs or improved use of technology.   In fact, we need to unLearn many of the modes and methods we have grown accustomed to.   The BIble is inspired, but that does not make our applications of Scriptural teachings inerrant.

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