It’s Clergy Appreciation Month! This means it’s time to show minister support our pastors, apostles, bishops, and other clergy members our appreciation for all they do. In honor of this special month, I started thinking about not just ways laity can appreciate their leaders, but ways Christian leaders can support one another. Here we will discuss seven things Christian leaders should do for each other.
A note: none of these things may seem extraordinary. Actually, they are all very practical, purposeful things any leader can do for another. This Clergy Appreciation Month, let’s make a point to appreciate one another through minister support.
Nobody understands the stress, frustration, and difficulties of ministry better than another minister. It’s a shame to say that ministry is often a competitive game. There are often more interested people than positions, and as a result, ministry can be very cutthroat. The problem with such is that ministers really do need one another, especially with the level of competition that exists. As a result, Christian leaders should take the time to listen to each other, especially when minister support is needed.
The statistics are out on how frequently church leaders pray daily. Perhaps the most overwhelming one states 80% of church leaders pray less than 15 minutes daily. In real time, I can see where this statistic is likely accurate. In the hustle and bustle of ministry life (and the work-life balance), I can see where ministers might think prayer can slide, time and time again. The problem with this logic is that it grows dangerous after awhile. If leaders let communication with God slide, they’re eliminating a major way they experience God’s revelation to them.
Ministers shouldn’t skip prayer for several reasons, but one of the most important is the bond it creates for us in the Kingdom. Prayer unites us to God as well as to the Body of believers. As Christian leaders, it’s vital we pray for ourselves, for one another, and with each other for minister support.
One thing I miss from earlier times are leadership-themed Bible studies. There was a time when local church leaders would get together for regular Bible studies with one another. While obviously, these meetings were about spiritual pursuits, they also offered an important social component that ministers today often lack. Whenever you have a diverse leadership group, you have the opportunity to meet different leaders, make friends, and develop connections that go beyond a study session. In learning things you have in common through study, you also make new ministry friends.
I recognize the extremely fast pace most of our lives function, but there’s something special about taking the time to slow down and study Scripture with other leaders. Maybe this is one of those things we need to revive in our busy world.
We live in an overly critical world. It’s common to see ministers gossip and backbite with the best of them. Those who might be great leaders, but don’t fit in with the existing circles often face isolation. It’s not uncommon for feedback to come disguised as judgment, thus leading us to reject all feedback in every form.
There’s a difference, however, between someone overstepping bounds, gossiping, being critical, and offering feedback. it’s to our benefit to learn the difference. Receiving feedback – whether positive or negative – about situations, events, hard times, circumstances, or leadership calls can make a huge difference in the way we minister. It’s not always easy to identify what we are doing well – or not-so-well – when we assess ourselves by personal standards.
While I don’t recommend accepting every word of input that comes along, having trusted leaders in your life to provide essential feedback is crucial. Within context, be open to receiving feedback as part of your spiritual and ministerial growth.
When it’s time to host an event, it’s common for leaders to immediately consider those within an association or organization. Sometimes this is done for financial reasons. Most of the time, it’s because leaders don’t interact with other leaders enough to know their suitability for an event. Ministers are often looking for different opportunities to present the Gospel, and special events are a great way to handle this. If having outside speakers is an option for your event, consider having someone different speak for it, breaking from your usual patterns.
Encouragement is hard to come by in ministry support. Those we lead often take our presence for granted. It’s hard to find encouragement in difficult times from people who don’t always appreciate what we do for them. Knowing what Christian ministry is like, Christian leaders should be the first to help one another find encouragement. Whether it’s praise for a great job or something more serious to encourage in the continuation of the work, encouragement makes a huge difference in ministry life.
We often don’t experience, nor find support because we tend to look for it in the wrong places. For example, a burden to attend one another’s events in the name of “support” isn’t always practical. For example, leaders are often swamped and going out of their way to attend a conference or event that’s not their own isn’t always feasible. There’s nothing wrong with doing it when we can, but there are many other ways we can extend support for one another. Filling in when someone else is sick or otherwise unable to be somewhere, making an occasional phone call to check-in, discussing challenging passages of Scripture together, and having an occasional coffee date or meal together all go a long way to encourage a leader with small signs of minister support.
How are you displaying minister support during Clergy Appreciation Month?
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