By Diana Davis

They chatted, teary-eyed, about the enormous encouragement of Minister Appreciation Day each October. The pastor and his wife said, “They really go all-out!” Over the years, their church’s thoughtfully-prepared gifts had included a gift card to a fancy restaurant, a personalized gift basket, a two-night stay at a state park, and golf at a nice course. Last year, they were blown away when the church surprised him with his dream recliner!

It doesn’t take a lot of effort to say “thank you.” Will your church put thought and action into acknowledging the pastor and ministry staff God has given you? Need fresh ideas? Try one of these:

Text Bombing. If your pastor has unlimited text messaging on his phone, ask all church members and attenders to text an appreciation message to the pastor on a specific day.  Boom! He’s encouraged.

Bound Book of Personal Quotes. Ask every church member and attender to write a one-sentence quotation about the pastor. (Use form below.) Combine them into a book and have it bound at the local print shop. Or ask avid scrapbookers in the church to create a beautiful book. Make a separate, unique book for each ministry staff member.

Tie Wardrobe. If your pastor wears a tie, ask groups in the church to purchase a nice tie and have everyone in that group sign the back with fabric pens. Choirs, deacons, committees, organizations, and all ages of Sunday School classes can participate.

“My Pastor” Video. Interview children to ask what they like best about the pastor, then create a short video. End it with a funny rap about the pastor by middle school youth.

Everybody Bring Twizzlers. Carefully select two items your pastor really likes, i.e. golf ball, popcorn, fishing lure, sunflower seeds. Ask every church member to bring one of the items on Sunday, then have a processional where everyone brings their small encouragement gift to put in a huge basket. Provide extras for guests and forgetful members.

Facebook Flood. If your pastor uses Facebook, distribute an announcement to church members asking them to post a Facebook message of appreciation on his page during Pastor Appreciation Week. For example, snap his photo and post “This is what a great pastor looks like!”

“Love Our Pastor” t-shirt. A children’s class can write their name with fabric ink on a t-shirt, then invite the Pastor to their classroom for the presentation.

Lawn Signs. Attach election-style signs to wood stakes in the church lawn proclaiming “We love Pastor Monty” during Pastor Appreciation Week. On Sunday, youth can use them to picket as people arrive.

That pastor with his dream recliner serves with just a little extra zeal, knowing his congregation appreciates his ministry. Will your church “honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other.” 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13NLT

Happy Pastor Appreciation Day, Pastor Monty!

Gathering tips:  Assign different people to help gather the short comments from members in the nursing home and homebound members. Be sure to allow children to write their short comment.

Editing tips: The exact number of words is not as important as the content. Yes, you want the comments to be brief, but edit only if necessary. Leave off any comment that appears to be negative or unkind, of course.

Printing: Check out your local printer. Many chain companies, such as PIP or Kinkos can actually bind the pages into a finished book in less than a week.

If you have avid scrapbookers in your church, one of them might take it as a big project to create a personalized book of compliments for the pastor.

Other staff: If you have additional ministry staff members at your church, consider tweaking the questions and creating a personalized book for each one. For example, the youth minister will need comments from every youth, every parent and youth worker, and any other church members who’d like to write one.

After gathering all the forms, group the answers to the different questions together and create pages of answers. Be sure to put the church member’s name by his or her comment.

Example:

My favorite memory of Pastor Monty is…

…when he slipped in the baptistry, and still was excited about baptizing a new Christian. –Herman Singer

…when he held the hand of the lady who was so nervous about giving her testimony.   –Casey Litton

…when he told me how to become a Christian. –Sam New

So all the answers to that question are grouped on a page (or pages) to create a meaningful book of encouragements and compliments.

One more new article of pastor appreciation ideas will be posted next week!

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[SAMPLE FORM: Add your church logo, pastor name, dates]

Your 25 Words

for Pastor Appreciation Book

We are preparing a book of encouragement to present to as a gift to our pastor on “Pastor Appreciation Day.” Will you please write a comment to let the pastor know how he’s impacted your life? This is for every person of every age who attends Chapelwood Baptist.

Shhh! It’s a surprise. Don’t miss Sunday, October 23^rd, when we present the book to Pastor. Thanks for helping.

STEP #1   Write your name as you want it printed.

NAME:__________________________________

STEP #2  Check the lead-in you want for your comment (just one):

(use a check box instead of line. I can’t get it print here!)

__My favorite thing about our pastor is…

__One thing I’ve learned from Pastor Monty is…

__ It mean a lot to me when Pastor Monty…

__I remember when Pastor Monty said…

__One way God used Pastor Monty to impact my life was…

__My favorite sermon Pastor Monty preached was the one about…

__Other pastor compliment:

STEP #3:  Complete the sentence you checked in Step #2, using 1 – 25 words. It can be serious, funny, complimentary, or reflective.

. . . ___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

STEP #4:  TODAY Deposit this in the Pastor Appreciation box in the foyer today, please.

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© Diana Davis 2011 – Feel free to use this at your church!

And watch for a new article I’m finalizing with some fresh new ideas for pastor appreciation.

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Fresh Ideas

Gold Apples

by Diana Davis

“A word spoken at the right time is like golden apples on a silver tray.” Proverbs 25:11 HCSB

I love hearing how churches honor their pastors and pastoral families for Clergy Appreciation Month each October. But how can you, as an individual church member, honor and encourage your ministers? Here are 25 simple ideas. Pick one!

• Write your minister an encouraging note the first day of every month this year.
• Present him a “Best Pastor in Winchester” t-shirt, substituting your town’s name.
• Actively listen during the sermon.  Nod your head.  Take notes. Say “amen.”
• Write a letter to the editor of the local paper to compliment your minister.
• Brag about your pastor every chance you get – and not just at church.
• Faithfully and joyfully use your spiritual gifts within the church body.
• Provide a generous book allowance for him in your church budget.
• If he has houseguests coming again, deliver a great casserole.
• Sit near the front of the sanctuary each Sunday this month.
• Borrow his car for an hour, gas it and wash it squeaky clean.
• Tell him how last Sunday’s sermon impacted your week.
• Be the first church member to volunteer for something.
• Exempt clergy from bringing dishes to pitch-in dinners.
• Pay for his teens to attend the church’s youth retreat.
• Show up early for church and help.  Stay late and help.
• Baby-sit his kids for free during a wedding or funeral.
• Introduce him to your friends and work associates.
• Help his children apply for college scholarships.
• Treat him for lunch. Listen more than you talk.
• Ascertain that he’s paid an appropriate salary.
• Include his family in a holiday celebration.
• Show respect by calling him “Pastor.”
• Anonymously mow and edge his lawn.
• Accompany him on ministry visits.
• Quit complaining.

© Diana Davis www.keeponshining.com 2011

October is Pastor Appreciation Month! Many churches take a few minutes of one Sunday’s worship service to say “thanks” to their spiritual leaders. I’m posting a previous article below, with a few ideas for celebrating your pastor and ministry staff. I’ll also post a second article of ideas for an individual church member to do to help celebrate Pastor Appreciation Day.

I’m finalizing a new article on the subject, too, with current new ideas, and I’ll post that soon. Also, there are more ideas for pastor anniversaries, welcoming new pastors, etc. in my book, Fresh Ideas-1000 Ways to Grow a Thriving and Energetic Church.

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PASTOR APPRECIATION DAY

“…give recognition to those who labor among you and lead you in the Lord.”

I Thessalonians 5:12-13

Each October, many churches designate a day to show appreciation to their pastor and church ministerial staff member.  Need fresh ideas?

One Fishing Lure

Determine one small item your pastor enjoys, such as M&Ms, fishing lures, popcorn, coffee, or golf balls. Ask each church member, including youth and children, to bring one of that item on Pastor Appreciation Sunday. For example, each family member will bring one bag, any size, of peanut M&Ms. Bring extras for guests and forgetful members. As your church thanks God for your pastor on Sunday, each member can walk to the front and place their token of love in a large basket.

The Church Building & the Church

Present your pastor with a beautifully framed photo or painting of the church building. Use an extra wide matting and ask all church members to sign the mat before adding glass.

E-Pounding

Distribute your minister’s e-mail address to all church or class members, asking each one to send an e-mail note, describing something specific that they appreciate about their pastor. E-mails should be sent one specific day or week, creating an e-pounding of blessings!

Text-Pounding

Use the same basic idea, but ask each member to send a text-message to the pastor or staff member.

Puzzle Gift

Order a jigsaw puzzle with a photo of your church family or church building.  Internet puzzle companies make 100 or 1000 piece puzzles from a photo.

Love Our Pastor

Take out a full-page ad in your local newspaper, featuring a photo of your pastor with each church member’s signature around it.  Include a declaration of your church’s love and appreciation for your pastor.

Lotsa Notes

Give each church member a stamped envelope that is pre-addressed to your minister’s home. Ask them to send a very specific, personal note of appreciation this week.

Make It a Month

As a church, deacon body, ladies group, choir or youth group, make October a true month of appreciation for your pastor. Ask individual volunteers from the group to write their name on one day of an October calendar. On the assigned day, that person expresses appreciation to the pastor in a unique way. Each day will be different. The pastor might receive a letter or gift. It could be a meal, a shoeshine or a “thank you” balloon bouquet. After a whole month of pleasant surprises, won’t your pastor feel appreciated? And won’t God be honored by your acts of love for His servant?

While You Were Out

Hanover Baptist in Indiana surprised their pastor with a gorgeous new home office. With his wife’s input, of course, they worked with a decorator and volunteers to turn a spare room into a home office while the pastor was out of town. They did paint, wallpaper, window coverings, shelves, desk, chair, computer, and decorator items.

Gift of Prayer

Give your pastor the gift of prayer. Create a chart, and allow members to choose a specific time that they will commit to pray weekly for the pastor this next year.  They do not need to come to a specific place—just pray on their way to work or pray each Tuesday at 2 PM. The project could be done by a deacon group, choir, class or the entire church. Present the prayer promise chart to the pastor as a gift. Then remember to pray!

A Class Idea

All the Sunday School classes of the church could pool their resources to purchase a full set of Bible commentaries. Every individual class could sign inside one of the books, then present it as a gift from their class.

Gift from Deacons

Each deacon purchases a gift certificate to a restaurant, carwash, coffee shop, or book store. He writes a personal note on the back, then all coupons are placed inside a card for the pastor.

Gift from Kids

Wouldn’t it be fun for every child at church to create a signed bookmark for their pastor or children’s pastor, using cardstock paper, crayons or markers?  Laminate the bookmarks, and then call all the children forward at the end of worship to put their bookmarks in a basket for the pastor.

Gift from Youth

Create huge poster board hearts and a giant love note for everyone to read. Place them on stakes in your pastor’s front yard during pastor appreciation day. You could add balloons, but not toilet paper.

More Ideas for a Gift from the Church

Restaurant certificates, magazine subscription, tires, Bible software, a trip, a book, theatre or sports tickets, flowers for his wife, babysitting coupons, a new car, a grandfather clock, a suit for pastor and a dress for his wife, a new car, a new desk, home landscaping.

© Diana Davis www.keeponshining.com 2011

(Most of these posts are ideas for churches, but I thought some of you might enjoy this one.)

Looking for a fun idea for a baby shower? How about a way to remind a new mom of God’s love for her and her newborn?  Here’s one you’ll enjoy.

My son and daughter-in-law are expecting a baby girl, and the baby shower is next week. It’s a double-shower, since Katie’s sister is expecting, too. Katie’s mom had a great idea. She would make a diaper cake for the sister and I could make a diaper cake for Katie as a surprise part of the shower decor.

Well, I’d never heard of a diaper cake, but after watching a couple of you-tube instruction videos, I got started.

Basically, you roll about a hundred baby diapers and use small hair rubberbands to tie them. Then you arrange a vertical row around a baby bottle, secure with a larger rubber band, then add two other rows around it. You continue making two more tiers of circles, then decorate the “cake” with baby supplies, ribbons and other cute things. You use baby wash cloths or bibs to make “roses.” Zoom in on these photos to see all the fun detail. And it’s simpler than you might imagine.

I added a twist to encourage the mom or dad as they use the diapers. Inside about half of the rolled diapers, they’ll find a tiny, flat gift–Scripture card, a chapstick, small perfume, earrings, bib, chocolate, and lots of other small tokens. I can just see them now, getting up at midnight to change a dirty diaper, taking one from the diaper cake, and discovering a little gift inside.  I hope they’ll know that “Grammy” is praying for them, and for that precious little girl.

I was just thinking what a meaningful gift a diaper cake might be as a gift from the church for a new mom. Several ladies could work together, and inside each diaper, they could place a prayer, an appropriate Scripture, and other small encouragements from their church friends.

I’ve attached photos of the front and back of my diaper cake. It’s going to be a fun decoration, but more importantly, I’m hoping it will be an ongoing way to remind the new parents of God’s love.  And mine.

Thanking God for His great blessings!

“Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly, and the pride of sons is their fathers.” Proverbs 17:6

(Back side of Diaper Cake)

I am a 44 year old Deacon wife, … that said, your book “Deacon Wives” has become a spiritual guide to me not only as a Deacon wife, but more simply as a Christian in such a way that nothing else in my life could even begin to compare. I think the truths in this book are something not just for Deacon wives but also for Christian women as a whole. May God continue to bless your ministry and give you the direction to do His perfect will!

Here’s a new Fresh Ideas article on Baptist Press:

Fresh Ideas

4 Steps to Encourage a Church Planter

By Diana Davis

It can be lonely out there. When a new church is begun, its pastor may sometimes feel isolated, especially during the initial months.

Planting new churches in North America is a high priority of Southern Baptists. As a member of a Southern Baptist church, you’re already involved in church planting! Your church’s contributions through the Cooperative Program and Annie Armstrong offering help support hundreds of new church plants every year.

Would you go a step further, and personally encourage one church planter? Here are a few tips:

Find One. Intentionally befriend a church planter and his family, whether he lives across town or across the country. If your church sponsors a plant, encourage that planter. Otherwise, ask your pastor to recommend one, or search the online church plant map at namb.net or meet planters at your association, state or national Baptist convention.

Be an Encourager. Give relational and prayer support. Study their newsletter, blog or website. Send email encouragements. Ask how things are going and how you can pray. Take him to lunch. Listen well. Praise God for blessings. Pray weekly at a specific time, i.e. Mondays at 9 p.m.  Send a note to remind him you’re praying. Your small encouragements make a huge difference.

Share Your Resources. Share monetarily. Your tithe is given to your local church, but God may prompt you to give additional weekly or monthly offerings to the church plant, such as $20 or $200. Contribute a one-time offering for a specific need, like a coffee pot, a down payment for land, Bibles, sound equipment or furniture. Organize a garage sale to fund a church sign. Bless the pastor with bookstore gift-cards or scholarship to attend a conference, convention or seminary class.

Share Yourself. Visit their worship service, constitution or groundbreaking event.  Organize a mission trip for a building project, survey or event. Offer your skills and contacts. Can you teach, clean, organize or paint? Design a website, build a wall, play guitar, make outreach visits?

A new church needs a quality core group. If God leads, would you relocate to the church plant area to help for a few years or months? If God calls you, He’ll provide a way.

As your church and denomination send new planters, will you personally encourage just one of them?

©Diana Davis is an author, speaker and wife of North American Mission Board’s vice president for the Midwest region. She and her husband have helped plant several churches. Visit her website at www.keeponshining.com

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Longer version of same article:

Fresh Ideas

4 Steps to Encourage a Church Planter

By Diana Davis

It can be lonely out there. When a new church is begun, the church planting pastor may sometimes feel isolated, especially during the initial months.

Planting new churches is a high priority for Southern Baptists. As a member of a Southern Baptist Church, you’re already involved in church planting. Your church’s contributions through the Cooperative Program and Annie Armstrong offering helped support 750 new church plants in North America just last year! Would you go a step further, and personally encourage one church planter?

Find one.

Be intentional about knowing and befriending a church planter and his family. If your church sponsors a new church, intentionally get to know that planting pastor. Otherwise, ask your pastor or a denominational leader to recommend a church planter you can encourage. You can meet planters face-to-face at your state or national Baptist convention. Click “mobilize me” or study the online church planter map at www.namb.net, then prayerfully select one, and initiate a friendship by email.

Be an Encourager.

Whether that new church is across town or across the country, faithfully demonstrate your personal interest and support. Study their newsletter, blog or website.

Give relational support. Let the church planter and his family know that you care. Send email encouragements. Take him to lunch. Ask how things are going and how you can pray for him. Listen well to discover needs and opportunities. Offer practical advice when asked. Be available if he needs you. Brainstorm with him. Enthusiastically praise God for blessings and pray with the planter about challenges.

Give prayer support. Pray for the planter weekly at a specific time, i.e. Tuesdays at 8 a.m.  Inform him of your prayer commitment. Send a note to remind him that you pray. Your personal encouragement may be the fire that reignites a church planter’s joy.

Share Your Resources

Has God gifted you with things that could be shared to help the church? Could they use your home for a Bible study? Your pool for a fellowship? Your lake home for a planning retreat or pastor getaway? Loan your tent or trailer for an event. Connect Christian friends who might offer aide, such a banker, carpenter or CPA.

Share monetarily. Your tithe, of course, is given to your local church, but God may prompt you to give an additional monthly offering to the church plant, such as $20 or $200. Consider a one-time offering for a specific item, like a coffee pot, advertisement, or a down payment for land. Do they need Bibles, audiovisual equipment or furniture? Could you organize a garage sale to fund a church sign or musical equipment?

Encourage the planter pastor with a bookstore gift certificate or scholarship to attend a conference, SBC convention or seminary class. Do something for his family.

Share Yourself.

Show your personal support by visiting their worship service occasionally. Make a special effort to attend their constitution service or groundbreaking event.

Offer your skills and talents. Can you design a website, build a wall, make outreach visits, repair a toilet? Are you a gifted musician or an experienced Vacation Bible School teacher? Can you clean, organize, paint or type? If the church is in another state, can you organize a mission trip for an outreach event, survey or building project? Could your vocation or hobby be used to help the church?

A new church needs a quality core group. If God leads, would you relocate to the church plant area to help for a few years or months? If your employment can be done from any location, could you serve as a Bible teacher or greeter or technical support person? Could you invest retirement years there? If God calls you, He’ll provide a way.

As your church and denomination send new church planters, will you personally encourage just one of them? Your small encouragements could make a huge difference to a church planter in North America.

©Diana Davis is an author, speaker and wife of North American Mission Board’s vice president for the Midwest region. She and her husband have helped plant several churches. Visit her website at www.keeponshining.com

Take a look at my article on Baptist Press today: CLICK HERE

Over half of our nation lives in multi-housing residences–condos, apartments, highrises, mobile homes and so on. Is your church reach them for Christ? I’ve also pasted the article below:

I’m looking forward to sharing a few ideas with Nebraska church planter wives in a couple of weeks up in Omaha. What a delight it will be to share encouragements with those precious servants of God! I have a question for you blog-readers…

I’m also finalizing an article of ideas about how to encourage church planters. If you’re a church planter, or if you’ve even participated in a church plant or encouraged a church planter, I’d love to hear your suggestions and thoughts! The article will concentrate on practical, personal ways that an individual Christian can show God’s love and encourage/uplift/cheer for church plant pastors and their wives and their planting team members.

So if you’ve got anything you’d suggest, or even a comment on the topic, just reply here or email me at Jesuslivesindiana@gmail.com this week.

My husband, Steve, and I planted a church in San Antonio decades ago. University Baptist Church is still a vibrant church impacting the west side of that city. Each church where we’ve served has planted multiple churches. Steve’s served in Indiana for these recent years, concentrating on planting churches, and now working with Midwest states. We’ve known so many amazing church planters, and have observed how small acts of encouragement can be a huge bonus as they take on that huge task.

So if you’ve ever been a long-distance cheerleader for a planter or have a unique idea of ways to hearten God’s laborers, email me! Thanks, friends.

Here’s an article I wrote for Baptist Press with some ideas for a special graduate gift:

http://www.bpnews.net/BPFirstPerson.asp?ID=35314

If you can’t open the link, I’ve pasted the text below.
FIRST-PERSON: Uplifting gift ideas for your graduate
Diana Davis
Posted on May 16, 2011

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)–Someone you love is graduating? For a gift to encourage a Christian student, try one of these fresh ideas:

– A very personalized Bible. Select a nicely bound copy of God’s Word, such as the NLT slim line leather or HCSB Study Bible. Some bookstores imprint the graduate’s name on the cover while you wait. Prepare a list of influencers — people who’ve made a significant Christian impact on the graduate’s life, such as relatives, school staff, Sunday School teachers, church members, coaches, pastors, youth leaders, neighbors, parents, and so on. Ask each person to select and highlight a Scripture or passage for the graduate, signing their name and a short note in the margin. On a back page, create a handwritten index of friends with the Scripture and page numbers.
This can be a loving gift from parents, youth workers or an entire church. The personalized Scriptures will challenge the graduate to lean on God’s Word for answers and encouragement, remind him or her of your faithful prayers, and even open doors for a Christian witness to others.

– A Blessing Book. Purchase a beautiful blank journal book and a jar of rubber cement. Decorate the cover with these words: “Blessing Book for Blake Matheus — Do not open until May 1, 2015.” (Change the name, of course.)

Pass the book to all of the graduate’s Christian influencers (see above), asking each to write a one-page note. It might include Christian encouragements, funny predictions, touching stories, prayers, distant promises, or mushy compliments, and conclude with a Scripture. The writer seals the right edge of his page with a thin line of rubber cement. Here’s the unique twist: the graduate will not read the sealed notes until four years from now. Attach a note of explanation and tie it with a lovely ribbon for a great future blessing! We did a blessing book for our daughter’s high school graduation. Four years later, just before completing college, she opened the messages. What an enormous encouragement for a young Christian!

Graduation represents a huge life accomplishment. A turning point. And a great opportunity to “encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). Graduation Day is approaching. Encourage a graduate you love.
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Diana Davis is author of “Fresh Ideas” (B&H Publishing) and wife of the North American Mission Board vice president for the Midwest region. Visit her website, www.keeponshining.com.