Thank You Pastors
To Pastors Everywhere:
Thank You
In honor of Pastor Appreciation Month, we at Mutual Aid Agency wanted to take a moment to thank the pastors, reverends, ministers, priests, and other faith leaders who have made such a difference in our lives.
Dear Pastors,
In times of both sorrow and joy, your presence has been a reassuring constant. Yours is a job of late nights and early mornings, of hearing troubles and shouldering burdens, of labored prayer and selfless sacrifice. It's more than a Sunday morning job: it's a calling.
Thank you for always extending a warm welcome.
Throughout our lifetimes we change ages, homes, towns, and churches, but wherever we end up, it's our pastors who give us a sense of belonging. Thank you for putting us at ease, greeting us with a smile, and making us feel at home—even if we've been away for a while.
"I attended a college away from my hometown, so couldn't regularly attend the church I grew up in. But, whenever I had a chance to visit, my pastor would welcome me back without missing a beat." —MAA Staff
Thank you for welcoming others as Christ has welcomed us, for the glory of God. (Romans 15:7)
Thank you for bringing out the best in us.
There are few people in our lives that can encourage, challenge, and correct us in the kind and patient way of our pastors. We appreciate the way you drive us to become the best version of ourselves, cheering us on to act as compassionate children of God.
"I appreciate my pastor for getting me involved in my community, which, in return, is so fulfilling." —MAA Staff
It might be a generally thankless job, but not today: thank you for inspiring us to let our lights shine, that we may illuminate our Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)
Thank you for encouraging our discipleship.
Serving as a spiritual guide is not a role to be taken lightly. We are thankful to those who are willing to shoulder that responsibility and take a personal interest in our faith formation.
"When I was young, my parents became good friends with a priest in our parish, having him to our home for Sunday dinners. I think this was the first time I realized that priests were real people, just like us. Because of his influence, I finally began to feel a connection to my faith." —MAA Staff
Thank you for making faith real, rather than abstract, and serving as a living imitator of God, walking in love. (Ephesians 5:1)
Thank you for putting our needs before your own.
For nearly every significant occasion—from birth, to marriage, to the grave—pastors provide compassion and support. But they are present in many of life's small moments, too, when we are anxious about a relationship, sickness, or unexpected loss. Despite what may be going on in your own life, you always prioritize those in need.
"Pastors put others before themselves, selflessly bearing the burdens of others by tending to our needs, hearing our challenges and problems, and continually serving and praying for our needs." —MAA Staff
Thank you for humbly serving, counting the needs of others as more significant than your own. (Philippians 2:3)
Thank you for being tired... all the time.
Being a pastor is far from a nine to five job. It requires long hours, constant prayer, diligent study, wise counsel, and a ceaseless reliance on God's strength. You have made a difference in our lives, and we represent only a fraction of those you've shepherded throughout your career.
"There have been many times when pastors have played a significant role in my life. All I could think was: if they were doing this for me, they were doing it for countless others, too." —MAA Staff
Thank you for never growing weary of doing good. (Galatians 6:9)
Happy Pastor Appreciation Month to our spiritual leaders past and present, near and far. We are grateful for your presence in our lives and for the way you show God's love.