Themes for Pastor and Wife Appreciation

The Bible instructs readers to show appreciation for their religious leaders, as stated in Hebrews 13:7. Choose a theme for a daylong or week-long celebration of the dedication the pastor and his wife show the church community. A themed celebration helps direct the event and ties in all elements of the event such as colors, decor items and activities.

Take the time to show the pastor and his wife how much they are appreciated. Highlight the accomplishments and improvements they have made in the church. Look back at the time the pastor has been in leadership and focus on the positive changes he and his wife have instituted into the church family. Perhaps the pastor has been instrumental in remodeling a fellowship hall or added a midweek service. Create a bulletin board with photos showing the changes in which the pastor has been instrumental.

The mission of most churches is to reach out to the community. Show a pastor and his wife what effect their contributions and the contributions of the church have done around the world and in the community. Ask church-supported missionaries to send letters or video messages updating the pastor and his congregation on the work being done in the ministry and to detail current needs. Decorate the fellowship hall with flags from around the world and maps with pins stuck in areas to which the pastor and congregation have ministered. Have a buffet lunch and serve food from those areas.

The Bible says God appoints pastors to be shepherds over the people. Use this idea as a theme for a pastor appreciation day. Use lamb and sheep decorations. Use a clip-art picture of a lamb on all written materials such as the bulletin and any promotional material used to advertise an appreciation service. Involve Sunday-school children in creating lamb crafts to present to the pastor and his wife. A paper lamb with cotton balls on it and the statement "Thank Ewe" on the back is a nice way for kids to honor the religious couple.

As important as it is to look back, it is equally important to look to the future and formulate goals. Ask key members of the congregation to speak and tell the pastor how appreciative the congregation is for his leadership and to dream big about the future of the church and the effect the congregation can have on the community. Create charts and posters to hang in the church foyer to established future goals of the church, such as a building project or a missions-contribution goal.