October 23, 2018
Pastor Appreciation Month
Thank You!
We want to say a big THANK YOU to all the Pastors who work so tirelessly for your congregations. Sometimes you might feel always on-call. You may feel you have an abundance of staff and volunteers, or sometimes a deficit. Or you might feel the weight of the world on your shoulders. Whatever your case, we want to provide some encouragement to you in whatever season you may be in right now.
Our staff put together a short video to show our appreciation, we’d love for you to check it out here:
Click on the picture above to view a short video from the Miller Management staff.
Statistics
- 1500 pastors leave the ministry every month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout, or conflict in their church.
- 90% of pastors work more than 46 hours per week.
- 81% suffer marriage problems due to insufficient time with their wives.
- 80% of seminary and Bible college graduates will leave ministry within the first 5 years;
- 80% of pastors believe their ministry affected their families negatively;
- 70% of pastors don’t have someone whom they consider a close friend – someone they can confide in.
- 60% of pastors’ wives hold full-time jobs or are involved in careers to meet family needs.
- 50% of pastors would leave if they believed they could make a living doing something else.
- 33% believed ministry was a hazard to their family.
In the face of all of these statistics, the question that begs to be asked is, “Why would anyone enter into a vocation with so much adversity against them from the start?”
The answer is clear: it’s their calling. It’s their passion. Seeing lives changed because of Jesus Christ’s redeeming work on the Cross drives them to persevere another day. And at night, most pastors don’t lay their head on their pillows and ask themselves, “Was today too difficult?” Instead they ask, “Was it worth it . . . was one more life changed today?” The resounding “yes” is what keeps them going. Although some may classify it as a tough, thankless job, most pastors would undeniably admit that it is definitely the most rewarding.
Source: SeedTime
Oxygen Masks
When you have a flock to take care of, it’s important to remember to take care of your own health first. There is a reason the flight attendants tell you to place your oxygen mask on BEFORE assisting others.
You know what fills your bucket, what makes you feel refreshed and ready to take on the day. Give yourself permission to do those things – regularly. Schedule it into your calendar to make sure it gets accomplished.
Resources
Miller Management is here to take the administrative burden out of ministry. Towards that end, we’ve created a few resources specifically for pastors. Free to download and use. These forms can also be found on our Resources page under the “Resources for Pastors” filter.
Accountable Expense Reimbursement Plans
Annual Ministerial Housing Allowance
FICA as a Part of Pastor’s Compensation Package
Ministerial Compensation Package Worksheet
Also, we’d love for you to follow us on Pinterest where we share book recommendations, training + culture ideas, and funny quotes – whatever you may need to get though your day.
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