October is an excellent opportunity for judicatory staff to encourage the pastors who are part of your charge through a simple act of appreciation.
A theological approach might offer a new awareness for your churches and your pastors. Begin by identifying at least five significant marks of faithful ministry in a congregation. For example, you might list quality experiences of worship, opportunities to grow discipleship among members, Samaritan like outreach among the needy of a community, Active programs that invite non-members to discover Good News in their lives; and opportunities to deepen one’s biblical knowledge as people seek to discern God’s will in their lives.
Now take one of those marks of faithfulness and identify some actions of a particular clergy and/or his or her congregation that testify to that sign of faithfulness. If you have a staff, this might be embellished by having the whole staff assist you in doing the identification.
Next, write a brief note to the clerk of session or lay leader of that congregation expressing thanks for the pastor’s ministry and inviting him or her to share your thanksgiving with the whole congregation.
Do the same for other aspects of congregational faithfulness and write similar letters.
What you are doing is expressing appreciation for a pastor’s ministry, doing it publicly in a way that strengthens his or her ministry in that congregation, and strengthening that congregations awareness of their connection with the presbytery in the process.
Two or three notes a week could have significant impact on the life of the whole presbytery. If more than one staff member does this, you would soon be reaching out to many of the clergy in your presbytery.
