Pastor Appreciation Sunday is an opportunity for local congregations to give thanks for their pastors. It is a time to esteem the role of the vocational Christian ministers who provide churches with spiritual direction and to stress the need for others to answer God's call to full-time ministry.

Planning is the key that will make your church's Pastor Appreciation Sunday successful. The ideas shared here are not a rigid outline. The purpose of this planning guide is simply to start your own creative juices flowing. Adapt what you read and tailor it to your local situation. Use your imagination and do things that will genuinely honor those whom God has called to lead ministry in your church.

With effort and organization, Pastor Appreciation Day at your church will be an inspiring and memorable occasion for those honored, and also for all who take part in the celebration. Select a planning committee to oversee preparations for the event. The committee is responsible for organizing the various elements that make up the day.

The committee will likely include the vice-chairman of the Local Board of Administration, the church secretary, Sunday school superintendent, Wesleyan Women International director, and Wesleyan Men president. However, it will by no means be limited to these persons.

There are several things you should hope to accomplish by sponsoring a pastor appreciation event. A few objectives include:

To inform the church about the pastor's scriptural role and to increase their support for him or her in fulfilling those responsibilities.

To honor unselfish service modeled by the pastor.

To provide an opportunity for church members to tangibly express their love and appreciation for the pastor.

To offer individuals in the community an opportunity to convey their respect and appreciation for the pastor's community contributions.

To inspire youth and adults to obey God if they sense His call to the ministry as their life's vocation, too.

To recruit prayer support for the continuing ministry of the pastor.

To strengthen the unity of the church and the mutual love between its members and leaders.

Choose a theme and plan a program that supports it. You may like a theme such as "Celebrating the Call Sunday," "Pastor's Anniversary Sunday" (if the appreciation day is also the date your pastor began serving your congregation), "Shepherd's Sunday," or "Partners in Ministry Day." Of course, simply calling it "Pastor Appreciation Sunday" is a worthwhile idea, too.

The section entitled "Program Pointers" offers several suggestions for activities and services. Follow the outline given, adapt it to your local situation, or develop your own ideas. But by all means, plan to make this special day a memorable event in your church's life.

Many elements combine to make an inspiring and enjoyable Pastor Appreciation Day. Someone must be responsible for each one. For instance, who will be responsible for publicity? Who will order materials? Who will coordinate the service? Who will speak Sunday morning? Who will supervise meal functions? All these questions, and more, must be answered. That is the role of proper planning.

Soon after its formation, the planning committee should use the planning outline to designate persons who will be responsible for each element of the observance. Every church may not use all the activities listed. Some churches will add others. The planning outline is intended only as a starting point for organizing Pastor Appreciation Sunday. It may be adapted for the type of program your church will have.

Meet with each person individually and thoroughly discuss the task—what is expected, required deadlines, and the results desired. It may be helpful to put everyone's duties in writing for future reference.

Prepare a list of assignments and responsibilities and circulate a copy to everyone involved. This will reduce the possibility of misunderstandings, overlapping responsibilities, or omissions.

Responsibility for organizing a successful Pastor Appreciation Sunday rests ultimately with the planning committee. Establish a check list to ensure all assignments will be ready at the designated time.

Plot the progress being made by checking periodically with the persons who are assigned responsibility for various elements of the event. Contact individuals and groups at regular intervals to discuss special needs and to offer encouragement and assistance.

Inform the people of the local church and the community about all the activities associated with your pastor appreciation event. Use the church bulletin, posters, media releases, newspaper ads, and personal contacts as elements of the promotional strategy. Of course, you will need to save a few surprises for the celebration. But don't let who, what, when, and where be one or more of those surprises.

A practice session with all the persons involved should be held before the actual event. This will ascertain that everyone understands their role in the total program. The rehearsal will eliminate uncertainties and relieve nervousness and tension.

Stress the value of everyone enjoying themselves, and each other, while honoring the pastor. Create a "ministry mood" toward the program, so everyone can participate with a relaxed spirit and a positive attitude.