“Some Reflections on 
Clergy Appreciation Month”
By Pastor Jeff Tomlinson
Greetings in the Lord Jesus Christ!
I have a couple of thoughts to share with our Clergy and Church membership in the CDP District.
October is traditionally recognized as “Clergy Appreciation Month” in the life of the Christian Church. In many congregations there will be a recognition of Pastors and other Clergy who serve the local Church. In years past I have been blessed with special dinners (usually a carry-in/pot luck), programs put on the congregation, and gifts from appreciative members. I have always felt loved and appreciated. I hope that has been your experience as well. I know, however, that for some Pastors this has not been their experience.
If you have not felt appreciated and loved by the congregation you serve I weep with you in that experience. You may not be able to express that sentiment vocally or publicly to your people, but the feelings are there nonetheless. If you are “clergy,” and this has been your experience, you may have no one in the local congregation to share this with. It may mean that you have to talk with someone outside your church, even outside of the ministry, who can help you process these feelings and I encourage you to do that.
If you are a member of a local Church and if you are especially part of the lay-leadership of the local Church, please make sure you do something to honor your Pastors and Clergy during this time. The majority of Pastors work long hours in preparation for a sermon on Sunday. If they are teachers (like I am) they spend much time in research and reading and prayer so that the word they bring to the pulpit is good food for the soul. In addition to the time spent in preparation for that public part of ministry that you witness on Sunday, there are countless hours spent in prayer, in planning, in visioning for the health and future of the congregation where you worship. Encourage your leadership to do something nice for your Shepherd and their family to show your appreciation for them and to encourage them in the ministry God has called them to exercise.
During this Covid-19 pandemic, Pastoral ministry has become a great challenge. Many Pastors and other Clergy in your churches spent significant time prior to this pandemic, visiting members in the nursing homes and hospitals and even in homes. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, much of that personal ministry is not possible, at least not in the way we have always done so. If your congregation is sill on “lock-down,” and even if you have re-opened for limited services, your Pastors are having to work even harder. Some of you may be preaching to an empty auditorium! That is a challenge all in itself. Others may be having to adjust to looking into a camera lens on a video camera or the small screen on their phone to bring the sermon or study to life. Worship pastors are having to function without all their ministry team or make adjustments in how to lead people into the presence of God while members are watching on their television or computer at home. Ministry is a great challenge in any age, but especially during this time of Covid-19.
Show your ministry leaders; Pastors, Teachers, Worship Leaders and others some much deserved love and appreciation during this special time. I promise you that the love you show will inspire and motivate your leaders to even greater love for God, for you, for your church and for others!
I have one more thing I want to share with you today. I am beginning a prayer journey with some written and online resources (check out Acts4:13 ministries at www.acts413.net/21days). I had not heard about this ministry before and I was curious about the reference to Acts 4:13, so I checked it out in my Bible. Here is what I found.
“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” (ESV)
Here is another translation from “The Passion Translation.”
“The Council members were astonished as they witnessed the bold courage of Peter and John, especially when they discovered that they were just ordinary men who had never had religious training. Then they began to understand the effect Jesus had on them simply by spending time with him.” (TPT)
Brothers and Sisters engaged in the ministry of the Word and the Table, let me ask you something and I don’t want to put “one more thing” on your plate! Do your people recognize that you have been “spending time with him”? I am talking about time spent with Jesus, my friends. I know without a doubt the amount of time you have to spend in details related to the ministry and operation of the local church. I know how much time it takes to put out fires and soothe ruffled feathers. I am well aware of the hours you put into that last sermon and you had no one in the sanctuary but you and you are not even sure that anybody was engaged with the message from home.
May I offer some unsolicited counsel? I discovered this some years ago in my own preaching and pastoral ministry. If I don’t spend time with the Lord Jesus in prayer and study first…everything else piles up and I feel like I am spinning my wheels. When I commit to a time of prayer and study in the Word of God as the first and the number one priority in ministry…everything still piles up…but…I have the strength and the wisdom and the patience and the guidance of the Spirit to handle it and to keep moving forward.
May I encourage you Pastor? May I encourage you Minister? May I encourage you Worship Leader? Make time for Jesus first and you will discover that all the other issues of church ministry will be easier to handle. The issues will not disappear. Some of them are just part of being engaged in ministry. But the power and boldness and courage and resources of the Holy Spirit will be right there with you, enabling and empowering you to continue to do ministry.
May God bless you in this “Clergy Appreciation Month.” May your congregation honor and love you as you serve them. May your love for your people and for the ministry increase and overflow in abundance as you spend time with Him.
Thank you for your ministry and
your service and dedication to the Lord.
+Pastor Jeff Tomlinson
