On Supporting Your Pastor

While I would never say that being a pastor is the hardest job in the world, I would certainly assert it is not an easy one. It is also one that, when done well, becomes a great blessing to many.

Hebrews 13:17 speaks about supporting your pastor.

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.

How might you support your pastor?

For a little experiment I asked some pastors I know what helps them. Here are the top three responses.

Send a note.

Drop your pastor a written note of encouragement. Pastors appreciate knowing that, by God’s grace, they are making a difference in the lives of God’s people. Send a note about how you have been blessed by the work of your pastor—maybe something that was said in a sermon, a point in a Bible study or some other specific action he took.

Offer up prayer.

No surprise, pastors said they appreciated hearing that their people are praying for them. This is actually a double action. It helps your pastor to be prayed for even if he doesn’t hear about it. Someone has said if you want a good sermon on Sunday pray for your pastor the other days of the week. Your prayers in a mysterious way make a difference. A double blessing occurs when you let your pastor know about your prayers on his behalf. That too helps in a mysterious way.

Show up.

A third response, which in a way caught me by surprise, revolved around the encouragement of presence. It brings supportive encouragement when you actually show up at stuff: worship, Bible study, assorted ministries and activities. I have often kidded that you are not a real church worker until you have organized something that nobody showed up for. That might make your pastor a real church worker, but it won’t encourage him much. Showing up for stuff will.

To these three supportive actions I would add a fourth. Once in a while say “yes” to something when you would rather say “no.” Trust me, your pastor is saying “yes” to lots of things to which he would rather say “no.” This is not to say that you always have to say “yes,” oftentimes “no” is the right response. But once in a while surprise him.

I should mention something that wasn’t. Not one of my friends mentioned that what would really encourage them was more money. While we are way past the days of keeping pastors poor to keep them humble, trust me, we aren’t in it for the money.

Making it an on-going aim to encourage and support your pastor, positioning him for joy and not groaning, will make him a better shepherd and speed you on your path toward significance.