How To Encourage Your Pastor February 1, 2007

(NewSpringers…you are awesome…and I am so blessed to lead you. This is NOT me asking for anything…understand that last week this site got over 13,000 unique hits…we have tons of people reading this site from all over the world…and I want them to know HOW to encourage their pastor. Thank you for all that you do for me…because of YOU I can share HOW to do this effectively!)

PLEASE do not misunderstand the title of this post…I honestly believe I am one of THE most encouraged pastors in the world. AND I know that tons of people read this site who attend other churches…and please hear me when I say that I LOVE pastors!!!

In fact, I have the privilege of hearing from a lot of pastors all over the world…and there are so many times that many of them feel defeated and discouraged. In fact, I read a survey recently which said that only 5% of the people who enter the ministry end up retiring from the ministry. Folks…that means there is a 95% chance that the dude leading your church right now is not going to make it.

Why is that? First of all let me say that I do not believe that there is a tougher job in the world that ministry–especially the position of the Lead Pastor. There is no way that the pressure we face can be explained…there is a spiritual element of this job that is one of the most wonderful AND exhausting things a person could ever experience.

So, in light of all of this, I would say that the FIRST thing that would help out most pastors is to be encouraged by the people at his church. How do you do that? Well…here are how the people at NewSpring have encouraged me…so let me pass this on to you…

#1 – Send Them An Encouraging Card Or Note Or E-mail.
I cannot tell you the number of times people from NewSpring have sent me a card or a note, telling me how God has used this church to change their life. I have literally sat at my desk and wept over some of the stories that poor in…and there are many that I keep in a folder so that from time to time I can take them out and read them again.

To be honest…some of these cards and letters have came at low points when I really needed encouragement…and God has used these things to whisper to my soul, “This is why you do what you do!”

#2 – Bless Them With Gifts

RELAX…I am NOT wanting a new house at the beach…BUT IF God did lay that on your heart I probably would not put up a fight. :-) Seriously…

Let me tell you about some of the coolest things I have gotten that meant SO MUCH to me…

• For Christmas I had several people give me Starbucks gift cards.
• I had one dude give me $75 worth of Marble Slab gift certificates!
• Two AWESOME people in our church mailed me $50 of Brusters gift cards!
• One dude gave me a coupon book for Brusters. (I have came to the conclusion that God must want me to eat a lot of ice cream…and I will NOT resist Him!!!)
• A lady in our church made Lucretia and I a blanket…and then she made another one when she found out we were pregnant with “The Noblet” stitched on it.

I could go on and on with how people have blessed me. Like I said…it means SO MUCH to me when people do this because I know people care. Find out what your pastor loves–what restaurant he goes to most often…and then do something special for him.

#3 – Bless Your Pastor’s Wife!

Let me be very clear here…when someone does something for Lucretia…it means SO MUCH TO ME…and if your pastors loves his wife and you bless her…WOW…that goes a long way.

For example…I just went through my mail and someone mailed Lucretia and I a card and in that card was a gift card to a maternity shop that she has mentioned several times. AWESOME!!!

One time a home group got her a gift certificate to Victoria’s Secret–YEAH…that’s what I’m talking about! That was a blessing…both for her and me!!! :-)

Seriously–the pastors wife is THE most underappreciated role in the world. Most ladies would not believe what a pastors wife goes through…and so when someone goes the extra mile to do something nice for her…it means something.

#4 – Serve As A Volunteer

I can honestly say that one of THE single most encouraging things I see every weekend are our volunteers. There have been times when I get a lump in my throat just watching people park cars, greet people at the doors, work in our nursery, show people to their seats…and so much more.

Why does this mean so much to me? Because I have dedicated my life to this church. I want to live in Anderson for the rest of my life…there isn’t a better community in the world. And when I see people pouring their lives into what I have dedicated my life to…I know they get it…and I know what happens when people who are full of passion partner with a church that is full of passion–LOST people get found and found people get grown up!!!

For many of you I promise THE single most important thing your pastor needs is for you to call the office and say, “What do you need me to do…I will do anything!!!” After he picks himself up off the floor he will probably give you a list…unless he is a co-dependent pastor who needs to be needed!!!

I remember the early days of NewSpring when people would say, “Perry…let me do that!” And even today as I see the most awesome volunteers on the planet pour their lives into this church–that absolutely PUMPS ME UP!!!

Please–take some time today to encourage your pastor. Let him know how much he means to you! AND…(shameless plug) if you REALLY want to encourage him...make sure he gets to come to THIS...and make sure he gets to bring a lot of people with him!!!

(NewSpringers…IF you want to encourage me…then take the list above…pick out a staff member OR several staff members and do something for them. This is the best team in the world…and I could not do ministry without them…let them know how much you love them!!!)