November 6th, 2024
by Matt Townsend
by Matt Townsend
Pastors are tired. One article I read recently blamed the decline of organized religion in
America, the aftermath of a worldwide pandemic, political polarization, and the burden of
caring for people as just a few of the reasons listed as to why pastors are tired.
As a pastor, one thing I know that puts wind in our sails is a heart-felt “thank you.” Thank you is a simple way to express our gratitude for the many long hours, sleepless nights, and unseen little things pastors do to serve their people both publicly and behind the scenes. And since October is Pastor Appreciation month (yeah, I know this is a week late but stay with me), I want to express my gratitude to our pastoral staff.
So, with that in mind, I want to use this Wednesday Word to publicly thank our pastors, Jem,
Jake, and Steven. I’ve seen first-hand how all three of these men work tirelessly behind the
scenes for God’s glory and your spiritual good. They wear so many different hats, it’s hard to remember them all. Here are a few of them: prayer, discipleship, administration, budgets,
message preparation, teaching, counseling, missions, equipping and leadership development, prayer, audio and visual, technology, cleaning (when needed), organization, crisis care, communication, oversight, prayer and much more.
To Jem: You and Sue are new to our fellowship. You’re still finishing up your master’s work in counseling, but you have already demonstrated such a humble and servant-oriented spirit. You selflessly offer your gifts to the church to help further Christ Church’s mission with honor and integrity. You are passionate to serve and help any way you can. We are blessed to have you on our team, thank you!
To Jake: You and Alexa have only been here about six months, but you’ve already won the
hearts of so many. You’ve been through some deep ministry waters, yet you’ve allowed the
Lord to use those deep waters to mold you for His glory. You possess a wisdom and depth of character I wish I’d had at your age; you are mature beyond your years, and we are blessed to have you, thank you!
To Steven: You and Maddie have crested the one-year mark, and our body is all the richer for it. Your joyful and gregarious spirit is infectious, your laugh is contagious, and you are a delight to be around. You’ve poured into all our teens, whether it be through teaching on Sundays, or showing up at soccer games or hanging out playing Roblox. You’ve taken our worship ministry to a new level, and we are blessed to have you here, thank you!
Christ Church, pastors don’t do what they do for the money or recognition, they do it for the
Lord’s “well done.” But I want to encourage you to take a moment out of your busy schedule, to send them an email, a text message, a phone call and say, “thank you”. These words mean a lot to those who serve. So, guys, thank you, for all your hard work and dedication to the Lord and to us, we are grateful!
America, the aftermath of a worldwide pandemic, political polarization, and the burden of
caring for people as just a few of the reasons listed as to why pastors are tired.
As a pastor, one thing I know that puts wind in our sails is a heart-felt “thank you.” Thank you is a simple way to express our gratitude for the many long hours, sleepless nights, and unseen little things pastors do to serve their people both publicly and behind the scenes. And since October is Pastor Appreciation month (yeah, I know this is a week late but stay with me), I want to express my gratitude to our pastoral staff.
So, with that in mind, I want to use this Wednesday Word to publicly thank our pastors, Jem,
Jake, and Steven. I’ve seen first-hand how all three of these men work tirelessly behind the
scenes for God’s glory and your spiritual good. They wear so many different hats, it’s hard to remember them all. Here are a few of them: prayer, discipleship, administration, budgets,
message preparation, teaching, counseling, missions, equipping and leadership development, prayer, audio and visual, technology, cleaning (when needed), organization, crisis care, communication, oversight, prayer and much more.
To Jem: You and Sue are new to our fellowship. You’re still finishing up your master’s work in counseling, but you have already demonstrated such a humble and servant-oriented spirit. You selflessly offer your gifts to the church to help further Christ Church’s mission with honor and integrity. You are passionate to serve and help any way you can. We are blessed to have you on our team, thank you!
To Jake: You and Alexa have only been here about six months, but you’ve already won the
hearts of so many. You’ve been through some deep ministry waters, yet you’ve allowed the
Lord to use those deep waters to mold you for His glory. You possess a wisdom and depth of character I wish I’d had at your age; you are mature beyond your years, and we are blessed to have you, thank you!
To Steven: You and Maddie have crested the one-year mark, and our body is all the richer for it. Your joyful and gregarious spirit is infectious, your laugh is contagious, and you are a delight to be around. You’ve poured into all our teens, whether it be through teaching on Sundays, or showing up at soccer games or hanging out playing Roblox. You’ve taken our worship ministry to a new level, and we are blessed to have you here, thank you!
Christ Church, pastors don’t do what they do for the money or recognition, they do it for the
Lord’s “well done.” But I want to encourage you to take a moment out of your busy schedule, to send them an email, a text message, a phone call and say, “thank you”. These words mean a lot to those who serve. So, guys, thank you, for all your hard work and dedication to the Lord and to us, we are grateful!
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