Our pastors are the spiritual leaders God has placed over us in the church. They captain the church administration and ensure that the work of God goes smoothly.
We should however remember that although they are our spiritual leaders, they are also as human as we are and as such need and desire the support of their congregation. No matter how anointed pastors are, they still need people. There is no leader that can exist without followers. The church isn’t made up of the pastor alone, this is why the church is commonly referred to as the body of Christ. And just as the body has different parts, each contributing its support to the smooth functioning of the body as a whole, so also does the church need the support of its members to function well.
That being said, here are a few simple ways to love and cherish your pastor:
Live a life of holiness: I know this may seem surprising but it is indeed true. An amazing though indirect way to show your pastor that you love and cherish them is to live a life of holiness. It is indirect because the primary reason for living a holy life isn’t to please your pastor or any man but rather, to please God. In addition to this however, imagine how happy and pleased your pastor would be when they discover that their sermons aren’t falling on deaf ears. That the Word which God has sent them to preach is actually being heeded by their members, that people are turning away from their evil ways and committing to holy living. The pastor in charge of a church whose members are heavenly minded and given to pleasing God, is sure to feel loved and cherished.
Pray constantly for your pastor: Much as pastors are our spiritual leaders who pray and intercede for us, it doesn’t derogate from the fact that they also need prayers probably even more than most of their members. This is because they face many attacks, spiritual and otherwise by reason of the fact that they are in the front lines of the battle to depopulate hell and deliver God's people from spiritual bondage.
Remember that ordinarily, Christians face persecution because of the name of Christ. How much more those who are in charge of a population of Christians. There have been true life stories of countless and varied assassination attempts on pastors, kidnapping, physical attacks, among others. And how about the spiritual attacks that we don’t even get to hear about? Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown, pastors bear a lot of burdens, even beyond attacks, financial burdens, the burdens of their members, mentees and spiritual children, their own family burdens and so much more. They need our constant prayers. James 5:16b (KJV) says “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” If the prayer of just one person is this powerful, how much more the prayers of a righteous congregation for their pastor.
The more we pray for our pastors, the more able they are to bear our burdens—it will even be highly beneficial to us, as they benefit from our prayers, we benefit much more from theirs.
Support church projects financially: Many Christians do not like to hear about giving, sad but true. Whether we like it or not, as long as we are in this world, the church will continue to have financial needs. There will always be ongoing projects in the church ranging from providing for the welfare of the needy, to expansion of structures to accommodate more people, to financial support for evangelism outreaches, and so much more. The pastor can’t provide for all these alone. A good way to show that you love and cherish your pastor is to throw in your financial support in the capacity that you can. This way, they know that they aren’t alone in this, you show them that you also care about the work of God and the progress of His people. There’s no amount that’s too small or big. Everyone knows that all fingers aren’t equal, no one is compelled to give beyond what they can afford. Just give as much as you can, the gesture is much appreciated by your pastor and more so, noted by God Himself.
Spontaneously send airtime of any amount to your pastor's phone: This is another simple way to show your pastor love. Send any amount of airtime to your pastor. Beyond the amount, this gesture shows our pastors that they are never far away from our thoughts and they can count on us to support them both in big things and little things. Such reassurance can bring an immense sense of peace to the hearts of our pastors.
Attend weekly activities: After Sunday, can our pastors count on us to show up on other days of the week? As earlier stated, leaders don’t exist on their own. For there to be a leader, there has to be a follower. Our presence at church services on any given day serves to encourage and uplift the spirits of our pastors. It tells them that we value them and recognize that they are doing the work of God. We should therefore endeavour to make more effort to attend weekly services. True, it may be impossible for everyone to attend all services all of the time due to work, emergencies and other engagements but on days when we can make out time to attend, we should strive to do so.
Transfer seed money to your pastor’s account as often as you are led by the Holy Spirit: It is highly noble to collect and store our pastors' account numbers. And as often as the Holy Spirit leads, we should pay in seed money into our pastors' accounts. As earlier stated, no amount is too small or big. Not only does this support the work of Christ and benefit us, it also shows our pastors that we don’t have to be compelled or cajoled to give. We recognize firstly that it’s a Bible principle and we also recognize that our pastors need our support and we are there for them.
Don’t be satisfied with only being a member, become a worker in the church: The church has many departments. The pastor can’t function as a chorister, an usher, a technician, all at the same time. They need us. When there are people to work in the various units, services are sure to flow smoothly.
Evangelize liberally: Go ye into the world and preach the Gospel (Mark 16:15 KJV). This command was given to all Christians, not just the pastors. Though they are our spiritual leaders, it doesn’t mean that they are solely in charge of spiritual matters. The pastor isn’t omnipresent, and even if he so much loves evangelism, he can’t reach all places. But having a congregation that is given to evangelism means more seeds sown within a shorter period of time and more souls won. This shows our pastors that we are united in going about the Kingdom business.
Adopt the Bible teachings as your lifestyle: There are many pastors who spend a lot of time settling family quarrels among their members. It shouldn’t be so. If we are careful to adopt the teachings of the Bible, a lot of problems in our homes wouldn’t even arise. Where we all strive to emulate Christ in our homes, we are firstly, pleasing God and secondly, easing the burden on our pastors. Trust me, the pastor of a congregation that is made up of happy homes, is relieved of a great burden.
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