Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a pastor? What it is they do all week? Ever wondered what it’s like to prepare a sermon every week, get ready for a baptism, or conduct a wedding? Have you ever thought about what stressors a pastor experiences?
Pastors and staff ministers need the little boost you will give them this month. They need it every month, probably more than you know.
What would you do if faced with these scenarios?
Scenario 1
You get to your job first thing in the morning. There’s a big meeting that day and you have a major presentation to give. A lot of people are coming and bringing their friends and family. As you open the door, you're greeted with a wave of warm stale air. Clearly, the air conditioning isn’t working. After verifying that the AC should’ve come on hours ago but didn’t, you stare helplessly at the thermostat and think: What can I do? I don’t know anything about AC units, and all these people will be here soon!
Scenario 2
You’re giving an important presentation at work. You’ve prepared and studied and this topic is very important to you. Then you notice a cricket crawling on the floor in front of you as you talk. No big deal, you just ignore it. Then you notice that the people in the audience see the cricket and are tracking its movements. Then another cricket falls from the ceiling. And for the rest of your presentation, the audience is not so subtly watching crickets fall from the ceiling every few minutes trying to see if any will fall on your iPad as you speak.
Scenario 3
You've planned your Saturday afternoon schedule. A longtime friend asked you to speak at a funeral, and your daughter has a dance recital in the evening.You already have a big Sunday planned, but sometimes big Saturdays happen too. Suddenly, you get a text message that another long-time friend is in the hospital, and the family is asking you to come by. Just before the funeral starts, another message comes in, saying that a long-time friend with cancer may not make it through the night. You ask yourself, “How many different places can I be at one time tonight?”
These are all real-world scenarios. I’ve been the pastor when the AC goes out the night of VBS parent night. I’ve seen crickets fall from a hole in a roof onto the pastor trying desperately to get through his sermon. Every pastor has experienced the last scenario. I could have shared stories of water pipe explosions happening in the middle of sermons, business meetings devolving into shouting matches, and flat tires at the perfectly wrong time.
I could have also shared stories of baptisms, counseling sessions that led to life transformation, budget meetings that were not confrontational, discipleship groups that produced generations of disciples, and countless other great things. Even building projects that weren’t delayed! Okay, maybe not that last one…
When Work is Personal
Everyone has stress and pressure in their lives and jobs. Being a minister is a little different, though, because the pressure is rarely turned off. Unlike the old adage, “It’s not personal, it’s business,” everything in pastoral ministry is personal to someone.
Ever been asked to handle someone’s favorite possession? Drive their favorite car? Look through an old photo album? Hold the newborn in front of a mom with only that one child? You just can’t do that exactly right all the time! Everything in church work is personal to someone!
Everywhere ministers go, that’s who they are. They get asked to pray for every meal (as if that’s some sort of rule). They’re expected to be drippy sweet to everyone in every line, even if they’re having a bad day. And they’re expected to know every birthday and holiday even if no one else does.
The Need-to-know for Pastor Appreciation
October is Pastor Appreciation Month. Every pastor and minister should be doted on this month by their congregation, the people they serve. Churches can show their appreciation in little and big ways. But here are a couple things to remember as you consider your appreciation for your pastor (and the rest of the staff too!):
1. Pastors are individuals, with their own gifts, talents, and foibles.
Your pastor is not the last pastor you had or the one you had growing up. They don’t all have the same personality style. Some need time away from people to recharge, and some need to be around people constantly. Comparisons can be brutal, so let pastors be the individuals they are.
2. Pastors have their own families.
“Comparisons can be brutal, so let pastors be the individuals they are. ”
Your pastors is a husband, a father, a son, AND a pastor. Each of these roles are distinct, but they overlap. Extend grace when the lines get blurry. His family needs community just like all of ours. There will be times he and the family find that sense of belonging within the church community, and other times they may need to be with people who don’t think of him as “the pastor.”
3. Pastors have unique roles.
There are days that your pastor will bear a ridiculously heavy weight—for the simple reason that he is a pastor. This man is going to fall asleep thinking about the needs of the church some nights. Some nights, he won't sleep because of the church. Some nights, he'll be sleeping just fine until his phone goes off.Suddenly, someone on the other end of the line will want him to be pastoral in two seconds.
Pastors and staff ministers need the little boost you will give them this month. They need it every month, probably more than you know.
#BetterTogether
Josh Ellis is Executive Director of Union Baptist Association. He has a PhD in Leadership Studies and has served on the UBA staff since 2005. With both practical and scholarly knowledge, he leads the association into innovative collaboration for the sake of strategic gospel advancement.
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