Valentine's Week Series: 10 Ways to Love Your Pastor

Our pastors. Oh, how we lean on them. We call them in the middle of the night to rush to the hospital with us. We e-mail them our prayer requests. We sic them on our unsaved loved ones. We go to them with head-scratching moral dilemmas.

If yours is anything like ours, he responds to all of these requests with a smile on his face and a response something to the effect of, "YES, and what else can I do?"

We can LOVE them. That's what we can do!

During this season of love, we're listing ways that we can love on our people, and our pastor is at the very top of our list. Here's hoping that you'll use these tips, add to this list, and then go bless your pastor.

1. Make him laugh. When his phone rings, he's probably getting a complaint or a request to visit someone in the hospital. Take a few minutes to tell him something hilarious that your child did or e-mail him a funny story. 
2. Pray for his wife . . . you'll probably never fully understand her stress and personal burdens. Pray that she'll have moments of pure joy even today.
3. Even if you aren't a note-taker, take notes from his sermon and then make him a copy of them. He will love a real-life example of what you took from his message and how his teaching is personal to you. (PS--If your pastor is a book lover like ours and if he recommends a book, read it and tell him what you loved about it.)
4. Make him a cake or some kind of special dessert one week before his birthday; that way you don't interfere with his private family time, but you let him know that you remember his special day. While you're at it, find out what his favorite snack is (ours loves black licorice) and bring it to him on random Sundays.
5. Tell him thank you! A note, a call, a text, or an e-mail just to say thank you means more than you know to those shepherding their flocks 24/7.
6. Find out when his study time is; then sneak in, put his favorite coffee or tea on his desk, and get out.
7. Ask him what he would be if he weren't a pastor. This question would be a great way to get to know him better and to realize that he has other hopes and dreams.
8. Buy him a gift card to a car wash--or, better yet, ask several families to chip in and have his house professionally cleaned.
9. Don't bother him with anything on Saturdays and Sundays that can't wait until later in the week. Most pastors' wives will tell you that these two days are mentally and emotionally intense for your pastor
10. Ask him to give you three of his prayer requests--and pray fervently for them daily!

 --Stacey and Andrea