Minister Appreciation Month Go’s and No’s

“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.” (Hebrews 13:16–17, ESV)

Fall is upon us and that means there are many things to celebrate. One of the things to celebrate this fall is minister appreciation month in October.

As a church member I’m sure you'd want the minister or ministers who serve at your church to know how much you appreciate their labors in the Lord. It’s better to show appreciation as early as possible.

So, to help you in showing appreciation to your pastor, and if you have more in your church, like an associate pastor, adult minister, student minister, etc. I have concocted a quick and easy guide to help.

This guide will help determine if an idea is a “go” or a “no”. Hopefully this will provide some clarity for how you express your appreciation. Often, from the church members point of view, an idea that they think is fantastic, could also be a flop from the perspective of the minister.

I’ll give you an example, one that has happened to me several times. A well-meaning church member will think to himself or herself:

• To express my appreciation to my pastor, I think I’ll give my minister a King James study Bible.

So, what do you think? Is a Bible generally a good gift? Yes. Does your minister already use a Bible and reference the Scriptures in his or her ministry? I hope you can say “Yes”. If you can’t say “Yes”, then perhaps the gift of a good Bible is in order. But otherwise, I’d say it is a “No”.

Think of it this way; a Bible, commentaries, ministry leadership books, a computer and even subscriptions to some ministry services are tools of a minister’s trade. Giving one of these to them in appreciation is like giving a cake pan to a baker or a wrench to a mechanic. It may help them do their job, but it doesn’t enrich them as a person.

Okay, you got the message.

So, with that, I’ll throw out a few more and you decide if they are “Go’s” or “No’s” for minister appreciation:

• To express my appreciation, I’ll buy a devotional by Oswald Chambers and put $20 in it to give to my minister.

Is this a “Go” or a “No”? Well, since it is a devotional, that would put it in the realm of commentary and since Chambers hasn’t written anything new for over 100 years, (died 105 years ago) it should be a very easy answer. The one caveat is the $20. However, it is only $20. If it were $100 or more, I’d say “Go.”

• To express my appreciation, I’ll invite my minister and his family over to our home to eat a fried chicken dinner with us.

Is this a “Go” or a “No”? Sorry, but I’m going to have to give this a hard “No”. Now don’t be offended. I’m sure that your minister and family would love to spend time with you and your family. You may even be very close to them.

You may have the best fried chicken this side of the Mississippi. But I promise you this, as much as they love you, this will keep your minister “on the clock”. It is simply because conversation will stray to “church” things. It is also another night away from home or taking away from their own rest and family time. Inviting them over for a meal is a great gesture and you should do that, but don’t assume that it is something that will be viewed with full appreciation. It will be appreciated but not as much as you might think.

• To express my appreciation, I’ll give my minister a $50 Starbucks gift card.

Is this a “Go” or a “No”? It depends. Does your minister love Starbucks coffee? If he or she does, then by all means, give them the gift card. This boils down to knowing what your minister likes and does not like. One pastor made the statement in a sermon how much he liked Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. He received bags of Reese’s Halloween candy that October.

It’s important to know what your minister will like. Here’s another example; I know that Pastor Josh Saefkow of Flat Creek Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Ga really likes to collect neckties with biblical scenes on them: Noah and the Flood, David and Goliath, for example. Of course, he loves any tie that has a big cross on it with Bible verses. (Josh, no need to thank me, just being able to share what you like is enough thanks for me.) Just remember, the gift should match their taste and interests.

• To express my appreciation, I’ll write a note to my ministers to let them know how God has used them to bless my life.

Is this a “Go” or a “No”? This one also depends. If you write the note by hand and you mention something specific to them that has made a difference in your walk with God, then it is a “Go”. I believe that the more specific you make it, the better. Make it specific in how you have been blessed by them both in their actions and in your reception of it. If it was something they said, tell them what it was and how it made a difference in your life.

If you are going to buy a “Thank You” card and just sign it, then I’d have to give a “No”. You can put some cash in the card or a gift card and that can turn it into a “Go.” But I must say, the handwritten note with a specific appreciation is better than the gift card, but a gift card in a “Thank You” card is better than nothing at all.

The purpose of minister appreciation month is to remind us as church members the sacrificial nature of ministry and our gratitude to these special people in our lives. All of us have been through a tough, even very tough couple of years. When you bless your ministers, you really are doing yourself a favor. You are honoring God by honoring them.

Encouragement works both ways. When you encourage someone else, you are encouraged as well. The Lord Jesus sees it all and when you do good to His servants, you will not lose your reward.

The Ripple Effect for Evangelism

When I think about a ripple effect, I think about the effect a rock has when it is thrown into the calm waters of a pond. The energy released by the initial splash disturbs the stillness of the water as the ripples travel out, some even touching the shore. But eventually these ripples dissipate and the waters retreat back into a calm. The only way to keep the waters stirred is to keep splashing, to keep the energy going.

Evangelism in a church is often like splashing water in a pond. For evangelism to keep its proper place there must be continual evangelistic ripples in the church. The ripples spread in all directions transforming lives as they go.

In looking at evangelism in the body of Christ, there are at least six ripples that need to be energized continually. Let’s look at each of these along with some recommendations for ways to keep the ripple effect going.

At the end of this blog, I'm making available a free download: Suggestions for an Annual Evangelism Strategy. Even if you only get one idea from it, it will be worth it.

1. The first ripple is the pastor.

He is the initial splash in the waters of evangelism. According to the Scriptures, he is one of those charged with the responsibility to equip the church for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12). Certainly a huge part of that work would be evangelism. What can a pastor do for himself and the church that will keep evangelism stirring on an annual basis? Here are some ideas:

• Be challenged intellectually in evangelism. The pastor should read 2 or 3 good books a year on the subject of evangelism. These should both be intellectual and passionate.

• Pastor should schedule weekly evangelistic visits.

• Meet weekly with another pastor friend and share not only personal and church items, but hold one another accountable in your Christian witness.

• Plan and calendar a yearly evangelism strategy through church leadership. (see Suggestions for an Annual Evangelism Strategy button at end)

• Mentor one or two new believers each year. This will help you to see a renewed perspective of newfound faith. It will keep you fresh.

• Establish a seasonal church-wide need-based evangelism and outreach ministry.

2. The second ripple is the staff.

Many churches have paid ministerial staff. While the pastor touches these, they will touch many more of the leaders in the church as well. What can the church staff do on an annual basis?

• At staff meetings make pastor and staff’s personal witnessing a topic of conversation and prayer.

• Assign staff to read exceptional books on evangelism and/or important articles on evangelism. Subscribe to Outreach Magazine.

• Encourage staff to mentor a new believer each year. Make this a topic at staff meetings.

• Make participation in the evangelism/outreach ministry mandatory for staff.

3. The third ripple is the volunteer church leadership.

In most Baptist churches this will be Deacons and the Church Council (Chairpersons of committees or teams). Ministry decisions are made by these two groups. Deacons are an example of active ministry. The Church council is the planning and implementing of ministry. What can be done in these two groups to continue the ripple of evangelism?

• At each meeting, pray for the lost.

• Develop the church evangelism strategy with Staff, Deacons and Church Council.

• Talk about the church evangelism strategy and update its status.

• Appoint and empower an evangelism leader to be on the Church Council.

• The evangelism leader should attend and report on the church evangelism strategy.

• The evangelism leader should form a church evangelism team from every major ministry area in the church to help implement the strategy.

• Establish an intercessory prayer ministry for the lost.

4. The fourth ripple is the Sunday School or Small Group Ministry teacher.

Make evangelism a regular part of this ministry. The group teacher or leader has an important influence. Here are some ways to continue the ripple effect of evangelism out to your Sunday School or Small Group teachers:

• At each meeting, ask for specific requests for the lost to be saved. Challenge members to find lost people in their networks and take their requests as well. Pray for them.

• Challenge members to share with the lost.

• Periodically have an outreach fellowship. Holiday times are a good time to invite those who are spiritually lost.

• Participate in a servanthood evangelism project as a group.

• Take evangelism training as a group. Learn how to share a salvation testimony in a relatable way. Learn a simple presentation of the gospel, such as the Roman Road.

5. The fifth ripple is other ministry volunteers.

This would be anyone who has a position of any responsibility in the church.

• Make personal evangelism training a part of that position.

• Consider making every area of ministry represented on the evangelism team.

• Periodically have all ministry volunteers fill out a “Who Do You Know” questionnaire to discover possible prospects for prayer and evangelism.

6. The sixth and last ripple is the general church member.

These are not serving in any official capacity in the church. Here are a few things to help involve them in the ripple effect of evangelism.

• Offer church wide evangelism training at least on an annual basis.

• Structure Sunday morning worship to make it easy for church members to invite the lost.

• Do a felt needs series and print high quality promotional resources church members will be proud to use.

• Have a yearly or bi-yearly “Friend Day” emphasis.

• Don’t over program your church. Members need time to connect with people outside of church.

• Have an annual or semi-annual special evangelistic event that involves all ages of your church. Many who will not commit to a long-term ministry will do something that is a special event.

Two things to keep in mind when thinking about the ripple effect, like that of a splash in the water: First, the ripples closest to the splash are the greatest. This means the pastor should carefully consider who he is pouring his life into for evangelism. The pastor needs to be strategic in staffing and leadership. Second, the greater the impact, the further the ripples go. The pastor, whether he likes it or not, is the one who can make the greatest impact. The pastor cannot abdicate this to someone else. There is no one else.

Implementing one or two of these will not have much impact for evangelism in your church. Doing all of them for a short time will likewise have a minimal effect. But utilizing all six and doing it over time will establish a ripple effect that could grow into full waves of evangelism. These waves will have crest and trough, but they will stir the waters of evangelism in your church and change lives for eternity.

Annual Evangelism Strategy

FIVE WAYS TO GAIN AND MAINTAIN MINISTRY VOLUNTEERS

7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:7-10, ESV)

Volunteering is Good for Everyone!

God’s economy of giving is wonderful news for you and your ministry volunteers. By volunteering, you and your church members are setting into motion God’s spiritual law of success. This has also been called the spiritual law of sowing and reaping. The basic biblical foundation is found in Galatians 6:7-10.

When a believer volunteers their time, talent, effort, and resources to the Lord, they are giving an offering of themselves to God and God promises to reward them. Lest you forget, Jesus himself talked about rewards as a motivation for serving the Lord. Jesus said:

“For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.” (Mark 9:41, ESV)

“And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”” (Matthew 10:42, ESV)

“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.” (Luke 6:35, ESV)

At the very least, Jesus promises a reward for things done in service for Him. There’s no better place to serve Jesus than through a ministry of the local church.

The apostle Paul also writes to church members and shares with them how their service to Christ will be tested. If they pass, there will be a great reward for them.

“Each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” (1 Corinthians 3:13–15, ESV)

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” (Colossians 3:23–24, ESV)

Rewards can be a great motivator. Jesus used it and so did Paul. There’s no reason why you couldn’t use the potential blessings given to a volunteer as motivation to join your ministry.

Some rewards for volunteering are found immediately. Here are a few:

• A volunteer will build a stronger sense of community. Volunteers rarely, if ever, suffer from ongoing loneliness.

• A volunteer’s self-esteem is improved. Helping others boosts your view of self. It gives a feeling of accomplishment and purpose.

• A volunteer will likely live longer but will also live healthier. Research done by AmeriCorps (americorps.gov) reveals that people volunteering over 100 hours a year are some of the healthiest people in the United States.

• A volunteer is happier. Contemporary social neuroscience research shows that donating to charity and volunteering fires off feelings of reward, the feel-good chemicals in the brain, which spurs them to do even more volunteering.

• A volunteer has more resources for fighting the effects of stress, anger, anxiety, and depression. Having meaningful connections with others mitigates against all these negative forces. There is a comradery built among volunteers that forms a support system, increasing their psychological well-being. This protects against the effects of anxiety and depression.

Wow! As you can see, encouraging people to volunteer in a ministry for Jesus Christ is good for the church, good for them, and good for those who receive the ministry. It is a full-circle blessing!

Ways to Gain and Maintain Ministry Volunteers

I’m going to give you five ways to get and keep your volunteers. I hope that as you read this, you will think of other ways in addition to these basic five that you could use in your ministry context.

1. Enlist Them

Information should come before enlistment. Let them know there are opportunities open to bless and be blessed as a ministry volunteer.

A Wide Net

You can share these ministry opportunities in multiple ways: Announcements, newsletters, church bulletins, website, and social media channels. Get creative in how they are presented. Use images and video to capture their attention and imagination.

A Personal Touch

Calling for volunteers in a blanket format and in a general way usually attracts very few volunteers. Many assume that someone else will step up. When you approach someone and ask them personally, your chances of success are much higher.

Made Clear and Accessible

People like to know what they are getting into. Provide specific information: What is needed, how long a commitment and how often. It’s the simple who, what, when, where, and how. If you have a church website (if you don’t have a church website, you have other issues that are bigger than this), create a section that is for volunteer opportunities.

Once prospective volunteers find opportunities they’re interested in, they should be able to register for your church volunteer ministry painlessly. If there are too many hurdles as part of church volunteer application, you may accidentally discourage future volunteers. Respond promptly when members express interest in your ministry. Send a thank you message with details on clear, actionable next steps, so they know exactly what to do to participate in your ministry. Remember to not skip any of the important vetting and background checks when volunteers are working with children or youth.

2. Train Them

I’m an advocate for training. Many churches do little to train the people they enlist for volunteer positions. For example, if you enlist volunteers to work with elementary age children, train them in the best practices for working and teaching them. At this time, your association is offering a free training, based on the latest brain science, as to how to best work with children suffering from trauma and how to recognize it. I’ve been through the training, and I recommend it to anyone who works with children. It’s here: Connections Matter, deadline to register is September 8, 2022. Click on the image below.

Many people don’t know what they are good at or even what their gifts are. Help members of your church identify their spiritual gifts, talents, skills, and passions. This will be a great help to them personally and to your ministry as well.

3. Motivate Them

When your members learn about spiritual gifts, they will also learn about the diversity of the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 paints a powerful picture of the diversity of the church. They will learn that each member of the body of Christ has a different gift-talent-skill mix and a different function in the church.

They are important because each member of the Body is important. We would not be all that God wants us to be without them and their ministry. This is a great motivator. Pair volunteer enlistment with a message series on the Body of Christ. Whether they are a hand or a foot, they are needed and they need the rest of the body to function well.

4. Honor Them

Volunteer appreciation is one of the most important things you can do to maintain healthy and happy ministry workers. Think about it. Your current volunteers will be the best recruiters for ministry or the worst advertisement, depending on how they feel valued. Make sure they are happy and valued.

Public appreciation of volunteers goes a long way. You don’t need to buy a gift or do something extravagant. What you need to do is to have the church publicly express to their volunteers how important they are and how much they are appreciated.

One way to show public recognition is to feature volunteer testimonies. With video creation so accessible, even on your phone, you can place a volunteer’s testimony of service and what they get out of it on video. That can be shown in your worship services and posted on your website and social media. I’ve found that personal testimonies are more powerful than anything I could say as a pastor.

It should go without saying but part of honoring volunteers is to honor their time. Your volunteers are sacrificing other activities and rest to serve. They could be with their families and friends or enjoying a favorite hobby, but instead they are serving the Lord in His church. Appreciate them by honoring their time. Don’t waste it and don’t take it for granted.

5. Rest Them

Volunteering does not mean they are in that role for years. They need to be released to rest just like anyone else. Many ministry teams and committees in church have a rotation. Most churches I know of have a Deacon rotation. Allow your volunteers to rotate off. If someone has been serving for several years, don’t be afraid to ask them how they’re doing. You don’t want to give them the impression that they are not needed anymore, but that you want them to be fresh and energized in their ministry. After all, God may have someone else he is raising up to take on that assignment. Elisha took over for Elijah and Joshua took over for Moses. A good way for rest is to have someone else helping them the load and being trained for the future.

The last thing I want to give you about volunteers is to encourage you to apply at least one of these soon. You are busy, just like most everyone else, and the best way to make sure you gain and maintain great volunteers is to calendar a few of these five ways on your church calendar. You and your volunteers will be glad you did.