Gift By Occasion

Pastor appreciation gifts are an excellent and simple way to say, "Thank you" to your pastor.

Pastors and their families live under incredible pressures. Their lives are played out in a fishbowl, with the entire congregation and community watching their every move. They are expected to have ideal families, to be perfect people, to always be available, to never be down and to have all the answers we need to keep our own lives stable and moving forward. Those are unrealistic expectations to place on anyone, yet most of us are disappointed when a pastor becomes overwhelmed, seems depressed, lets us down or completely burns out.
Sometimes pastors are the loneliest people in the church. Often their hours are long, the pay minimal, the criticism considerable and constant. Feelings of disappointment, discouragement, and defeat may begin to plague the best of them.

Ordination is the process of ministers of the gospel affirming the call, equipping, beliefs, and maturity of a man to become the pastor of a church. In the Old Testament ordination was used to affirm a man to serve God's purpose. Ordination validated God's will for a fully qualified man to serve God and His people.
Several tokens could well serve as an appropriate gift for an Ordination of a Pastor. Traditionally a small chalice and pattern, for use when traveling was given; but these are now even more expensive, and liturgical practice makes them less useful. A book of Celtic blessings is always helpful, since they tend to be imaginative and more lyrical than modern English texts.

A retirement happens once in a lifetime. Retirement gifts are the respectful way to show appreciation and thanks to a Pastor who is ready to retire.
Though one called by the Lord into service truly never retires, you should make a delightful, meaningful gift with a spiritual meaning for your retiring pastor.
A retirement gift for a pastor is not something given everyday, therefore it has to be thoughtful and memorable. Also, retirement gifts should be long lasting.

Pastor Appreciation Month is a special time that congregations set aside each year to honor their pastors and pastoral families for the hard work, sacrificial dedication and multiple blessings provided by these special people. It is typically scheduled in October, but can be held at any time that is convenient for the church and the community. It is also important to remember that appreciation, affirmation and prayer support of our spiritual leaders is appropriate throughout the entire year.
Hopefully Pastor Appreciation Month will prompt your church to honor your pastor with exciting, creative pastor appreciation gifts. May it also be a demonstration of God's love for each of us, thereby becoming a powerful tool of evangelism.