October is a month for thanking pastors. We also know that a congregation’s ministry can be carried by many hands: the pastor who preaches, the secretary who answers the phone and knows where everything is, the visitation pastor who sits at a bedside, the deaconess who walks with the grieving, the DCE who forms young disciples, and the lay workers who keep the work going without much notice.

Here are some ways to say thank you to those who serve in various ways and capacities in the church.

And we thank you for all that you do to serve the church!

Words that mean something

     - Write a handwritten note naming one specific thing: “When you sat with my mother, I saw Christ’s care.”
     - Share a story of how their work reached you, in a card or in person. Workers rarely hear how it landed.
     - Thank them in front of others, such as at a council meeting, in the bulletin, or at a church supper.

Time and margin

      - Cover a task for a week: a meeting, a mailing, an errand, or a shift.
     - Give a day away: encourage a day off with no phone calls and no guilt.
     - Offer to staff the church office for an hour so the secretary can take a real lunch.

Practical gifts

     - A gift card for a favorite coffee shop, restaurant, or bookstore.
     - A meal delivered to the family, since a worker’s family serves too.
     - Help with something at home, like yard work, a car wash, or a ride to an appointment.

Appreciating each other as colleagues

     - Pastors: thank your secretary and your lay workers by name, in front of the congregation.
     - Secretaries: tell your pastor what you’ve seen him do well, because he often can’t see it.
     - Visitation pastors and deaconesses: share one story (with confidentiality kept) with the staff, so they see the fruit of the ministry.
     - Everyone: write a note to a retired worker who still prays for you.

Don’t forget the quiet servants 

Altar guild members, ushers, custodians, volunteer musicians, and Sunday school teachers all serve faithfully. A simple thank-you from the pulpit or a card from the congregation goes a long way.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You gave Your church shepherds, teachers, and servants. Bless those who labor in Your name, renew them in Your Word, and help us to honor them with joy and gratitude. Amen.