In two months, we’ll turn the calendar to October and enter Minister Appreciation Month. Some know it as Pastor Appreciation Month or Clergy Appreciation Month. Either way, it’s a time when churches across the country pause to say thank you to those who serve, preach, counsel, and lead. The second Sunday of October is traditionally designated as Pastor Appreciation Day, but the whole month offers a rich opportunity to do more than just say “thanks.”
Before we get into the “how,” I want to reflect for a moment on why it matters—and why we must never forget that ministry begins at home.
Peter Greer shares a powerful and heartbreaking story in his book The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good. It’s the story of Bob Pierce, a young, passionate follower of Christ who in 1947 was working with Youth for Christ in China. When he saw firsthand the depth of poverty among children there, his heart broke. He brought pictures of those children back to the United States and connected them with people who could help. That simple step eventually grew into what we know today as World Vision—a global relief and development organization that has changed countless lives.
But behind the growing ministry was a man whose personal life was falling apart.
In 1963, Pierce suffered a nervous breakdown. He kept traveling the world, speaking and serving, but his family was paying the price. In 1968, he got a call from his daughter. She was in trouble. She needed her dad. And he told her… “I can’t come right now.” He had just resigned from World Vision and needed to say his goodbyes.
Soon after, she attempted suicide. She survived that time—but tragically succeeded later.
Pierce checked into a rehabilitation center in Switzerland for a year. But by the next year, he had already taken the reins of a new organization—what would become Samaritan’s Purse. His marriage fell apart. By 1970, he and his wife were separated. He spent the last eight years of his life isolated from the very people who had needed him most… until a final, God-ordained moment of reconciliation the week before he died.
At the height of his ministry, Pierce once said, “I’ve made an agreement with God that I’ll take care of His helpless little lambs overseas if He’ll take care of mine at home.”
But, minister, that’s not how it works! Only you can be a dad to your children. Only you can be a husband to your wife. And only you can know the toll that ministry sometimes takes on your own soul.
That’s why Minister Appreciation Month matters. Not because we need to puff people up—but because we need to build them up. Pastors and ministers are people. They have families. They carry private pain, public pressure, and personal sacrifice all at the same time.
So what can your church prepare to do now for this October? I am giving you a huge head start! Here are some simple and meaningful ways to show appreciation that can go a long way toward refreshing your pastor’s soul:
Let’s Get Practical:
Give a Gift Card. Pick a restaurant, bookstore, coffee shop—or even a carwash or another service that will save time or effort.
Create a Care Package. Include a few of their favorite snacks, a book, or something fun for them or their family.
Give a Love Offering. Consider a financial gift, or help them go to a conference, retreat, or continuing education experience. Make sure to follow rules about what is taxable for your ministers and not create a problem in tax season.
Offer a Break. Cover a Sunday. Help teach a class. Let them have a day—or week—just to breathe.
Spruce Up the Office. A fresh coat of paint, a new desk chair, or even just a deep cleaning can show love in a tangible way.
Let’s Get Personal:
Write a Note. A simple, handwritten card from a member sharing how the pastor has made a difference? That’ll probably be kept for a long, long time.
Tell the Story. Ask members to share ways the pastor’s ministry has touched their lives—then read them in church or post online with permission.
Say It Publicly. Take a moment in a Sunday service to recognize them. Share an official message of thanks from the platform, in the newsletter, on social media, or in the bulletin.
Let’s Remember the Family:
Include the Spouse and Kids. Ministry is a family effort. Let them know they are seen, loved, and valued too.
Pray for Them. Not just in general—pray for them by name. Pray specifically. And let them hear that prayer.
Encourage Rest. Respect boundaries. Encourage time off. Support the idea that rest is not a reward—it’s a rhythm that sustains.
The greatest gift you may give your pastor this October is simply this: remind them they’re more than their role. They’re a whole person made in God’s image. And, because of the Priesthood of Believers, they are not alone.
Let’s prepare now to honor those who serve our churches—before a possible burnout, before frustration becomes a tool of the Enemy, before a family falls apart under the pressures of constant ministry demands. The time to appreciate is now.