The month of October has been designated by Christians worldwide as Clergy Appreciation Month to honor pastors and those who perform ministerial work. The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists has set October, for this well-deserved tribute to our pastors.

God has entrusted the care of His Church into the hands of pastors and their families. In this context, the pastoral family has a great responsibility before God and the church(es) they serve. The church, on the other hand, needs to pray for pastors and support them in their work.

On Pastor Appreciation Day, church members from more than 168,000 congregations in 215 countries around the world have the opportunity to express gratitude to God and their pastors. On this Sabbath, pastoral recognition should be done before and/or after the sermon, instead of during the sermon, for the worship service should always focus on the Bible and our Savior Jesus Christ.

Many church leaders ask how they can appropriately honor their pastors on this day. Here are some suggestions:

1. Download (at eldersdigest.org/pastors’ day) and post the suggested poster on “Pastor Appreciation Day” in your church or institution to create awareness beforehand.
2. Include in the bulletin or send an email to church members, information about the special day so that the members are informed beforehand.
3. Choose two or three church leaders to publicly share a short word of appreciation for the pastor(s).
4. Dedicate a special prayer for the pastor(s) and their family/families.
5. Interview the pastoral family to find out more about each family member.
6. Perform a song that the pastoral family would appreciate.
7. Write a letter or prepare a special card signed by church members/officers.
8. Offer small tokens of appreciation to each family member or a modest gift to the family in the name of the church.
9. Invite the pastoral family to be guests at a meal.
10. Call, text, email, or send messages through social media to your pastor on that day.