Congregation Appreciation Month
 

When is Congregation Appreciation Month? And will the pastor be buying everyone Sunday afternoon lunch and giving everyone cards and gifts in appreciation of their service and dedication to the house of God?

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

In our church we do volunteer and worker appreciation in the month of September,which is the close of the church year for us. Our volunteers and workers make their commitment on a church year basis, so we have a big banquet paid for, cooked, and served by the ministers to the volunteers and workers... a long with a little gift paid for by the ministers. It's a special time the leadership ministry of the church can acknowledge all those volunteers and workers that fill in the gap and that we could not make it without.

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

And that is better than a stick in the eye :heeheehee

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

Oh please... :foottap

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

Is this like employee of the month?

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

LOL! I get so tired of all of this. Why don't we just come to church, minister there and in our community and stop looking for accolades and pats on the back? If the Spirit of God had not drawn any of us, we wouldn't be where were are today - in the body of Christ.

One time the ministry was furious we wouldn't sit at head table during a Christmas banquet. Well, we had invited quests who ended up being elected as mayor of the town. How in the world does acting important minister to people?

I doubt Mother Theresa looked for personal praise. We should take a lesson.

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

Well, in the first place we are supposed to be honoring God. In the second place our reward is in heaven. In the third place, we honor each other daily, not just once a year. And that goes for our Pastor's, saints, etc.

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

:thumbsup :thumbsup

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

I'm waiting for Randy Appreciation Month. I have a feeling I will be waiting a very very long time. A long time......

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

I appreciate you, Randy. You bring a lot of humor to the forum. :thumbsup

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

Yeah I've been missing Randy Wayne's humorous input these days.

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

RW! Been missing you!!! I even posted a couple of lame comments and a funny pic or two in your honor while you were gone :)

Yes, let's declare Rocktober Randy Wayne appreciation month... Lot's more fun then BC awareness... although some of those bumperstickers are right up your alley.:heeheehee

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

We appreciated you while you were gone................:happydance

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

:toofunny

We do appreciate his professional photography! :thumbsup

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

Yes, we do. :highfive

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

I appreciated it while you were gone too! :happydance What? What?!

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

:toofunny

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

I didn't know Mother Theresa, but I can tell you that when I was in India and visited her center there, the nuns made it a point to tell us that they were the real ministers because of where they were ministering, and what they did every day.

I walked away saddened that they completely missed the point of ministry.

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

If you're pastor is anything like mine, then he gives to the members of the church on a daily basis.

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

Oh Dante, didn't you know! There is a day to celebrate the saints.... it's called All Saints Day, celebrated on October 31...

:heeheehee

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

Ya! I second that! Missed you, and your wacky humor!!! :)

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

:nod

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

THANK YOU! Apostolicman, Give your pastor a pat on the back for me!

Been Thinkin

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

My former pastor has bought various auxiliaries in the church including the youth dinner numerous times. Just this last year he bought all of the college students leaving for college dinner at olive garden. Being that he was the pastor of a 1500 member church he couldn't do that regularly, but I don't think this thread is actually about pastors doing nice things for their congregants...:icecream

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

Ha... I've heard this one MANY many many times... the pastor "takes" people out to dinner, and "pays" for it himself. Funny. Don't you realize that either the church members paid for this, or the taxpayers did! He did not do this out of his own pocket, I can assure you. Either he paid with the church credit card, or if he used his own, the church reimbursed him, or if neither of those things happen, he will keep the receipt, and send it in to the IRS to get reimbursed from the taxpayer for this lovely dinner using charitable donations tax exemption.

Feel better?

I know this is how it works, because I have worked as a church secretary, have family in the ministry, and I do not speak out of ignorance. Ask him for yourself if you don't believe me. LOL.

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

You sho is smart...

...when was the last time you took a whole congregation to dinner there buddy?

Or anybody for that matter?

I'm glad you had it so rough as a church secretary. Many of us that have been called one day to pastor and have worked and labored tirelessly in the ministry of reconciliation will understand why this statement is foolish at best. I've fixed vehicles free of charge, I've helped my past pastors repair and restore saints houses free of charge. I've watched my pastors scrub the church floors, cut saints lawns, etc. I've helped pay individuals rent. I've helped pay for gas. I've filled tanks of strangers while I was witnessing to them, bought them food, and prayed for them. I've watched the men of God who have trained me in the ministry do this. I wake up at 2 in the morning for saints who need random assistance. At the same time I'm expected to go to work, go to church on time, pay my bills on time, tithe, and keep a strong relationship with God and prayer life. I can't imagine being a pastor on top of all this. It's not a calling that any sane man should want, especially with people like yourself constantly attacking and accusing pastors, and I find what you said to be an attack, unwarranted on someone who I've watched grow old with a genuine burden for the souls he oversees and a man I respect and revere. The ministry is not "easy", nor is it "fun and games" and some of us spend our lives on reaching out to others trying to see God's plan of salvation fulfilled and people's lives changed. Now... what are you doing?

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

Thank you trialedbyfire. Couldn't have said it better myself. I know there have been men who have taken advantage of saints, churches, and people. But when you broad brush this subject there are a lot of Pastors who are unjustly accused and slandered! This just shouldn't be! What if I said every poster on AFF was just like Tangible! They have to be!!!! They're on the same forum as Tangible. That makes them just like Tangible! ..... Lord help me! with my righteous indignation. I hope it's righteous!

Been Thinkin

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

Y'all have sure been going to a different church than me... I would bet my rock bottom dollar that my former pastor has probably never mowed his own lawn let alone anyone elses, LOL! I know he does not wash his own car... hired folks clean the church, and his wife has a maid although she does not have a job. As a matter of fact he can not even live in the same town as his church because it does not include a 'master planned community' like the one he lives in.

I am not slamming anyone but I am saying that one's experiences color how one sees things... and my experiences with the pastorate has not been one that makes me believe that most have a servants mentality but rather that most have a king's complex.

Still I can see that it would be possible for some to be as you say and I am remembering to say my prayers for them this month. :)

That pastor is in for a wake up call.

NEXT!!!

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

Thanks Titus2Woman. I believe you. I guess I just didn't pastor the right church. But, I'm happy to be real, to be human and not put myself up on a throne. I put my pants on one leg at a time just like everyone else. And I do wash my pickup on occasion...... wait, it's been a while. To easy to take it to the car wash. Wish you hadn't mentioned the yard work. Mine needs mowing and it looks like I'm gonna have to do it....(on my riding mower, of course), maybe tomorrow after I finish with a funeral service.

One of these days, when fresh vegetables are coming in, I'm going to pm you and find out where your garden is and come and get me a hand full of tomatoes, with salt in the other hand, and just eat as many as you'll let me eat. Salt in one hand, tomato in the other, wipe off the tomato, take a small bite, then dip the tomato in the salt and have at it!!!! Mmmmmm. :thumbsup

Been Thinkin

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

I guess you just had a load to get rid of, and I was a likely target :) That's okay. Had a rough day?

Here... :dogpat

Seriously, I hear what you are saying, and I know that you probably have given 150% working in the ministry. :thumbsup

My point was this... you are claiming that this pastor took these people out on his own dime, and I was just making the point that more than likely it wasn't his dime... it was the church's dime, or the IRS at some point was going to reimburse him for it. That was the point I was making...

And... we are all called to minister to each other, and it shouldn't JUST be the pastor's job.... every single believer is called to minister to each other. Not just one man trying to minister to ... did you say 1500 people in that church? Yikes!

So my point is... yes, I know that pastors like Been Thinkin, and perhaps the one you mention have given their all, 150% more than likely.... but what if they had stopped and realized that all the body of belivers were to minister to each other, and taught their congregants so... all of us ministering to the needs of each other.... truly that is the way the early church was set up.

Read this passage where Paul was addressing this very issue: 1 Cor. 12

In particular this verse stands out in regards to this discussion: 1 Cor. 12:25-27 "That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. "

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

:thumbsup

It's not about "dump on the pastor". It is about defining pastor duties scripturally and all the people share in the ministry instead of being the 20-30-40+ year old spiritual birth baby still sitting on the pew expecting the CEO of the corporate church system to tell him/her what to do....or what not to do so as not to bring reproach upon the church.

I was told I could not share the word with people. I was told by the pastor (at that time) my job was to bring them to church so he can preach to them. How does one make somebody else go to church?

If I am a born again believer filled with the Holy Ghost, why then am I not scripturally correct to share God's word with people? Must one be a pastor to share some scriptural verses with another?

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

You'll never understand until you're there. I won't bother to respond, I don't have a load that I expect you to carry. Christ has it, and while your criticizing these pastors many of use are just doing what God has told us to do and relying solely on his grace.

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

I'm glad you said Christ is carrying the load. That makes all the difference in the world. For a minute there... after all you said you were doing... I thought you were carrying it all.

And I have never said that there weren't pastors out there doing wonderful things. I have never said that. I have said many times, that there are great, and wonderful men out there doing all they can for the kingdom. I don't have a problem with the men... I have a problem with the church system as a whole that has pagan roots all the way back to the RCC that sets one man up as higher than the rest of the congregation, which is unbiblical. Paul always wrote of ministry in the plural.

All my original post did was to make the point that many times pastors do things for the congregation that are tax write offs. If a saint should do the same thing, it would literally come out of his pocket, for he has no 501-c3 set up. Yet, the pastor gets the credit for taking the whole group out to eat, and yet really the church paid for it, or the IRS reimbursed it. That's all.

I was just challenging you to think about this point, and not trying to downgrade any of the work that you or any other pastor/minister is doing for the kingdom of Christ.

God bless you, and I pray that the Lord will continue to bless the ministry he has called you to.

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

Isn't this just a bit like saying "Obama bought me my phone! Glorrreeee!" all the while hating me for being able to AFFORD to pick up the tab? (tithes.... taxes... ect..)

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

If you're not too far off I'll pack you up a big box of fresh veggies. Whenever I pick the garden I come in stuffed... maybe not quite pick one, eat one but I'm plenty guilty of getting my veggies extra fresh...

Don and I were laughing once on how a real tithe of our 'first fruits' would have been received if we'd brought it 'into the storehouse'... For some reason, known only to him, our pastor once said during a sermon that he would NEVER milk a cow when he can just get milk at Kroger... My husband was so insulted for me that he went up after service and said "If you tasted that fresh milk just once you'd milk a cow'... i thought they were both silly but sure enough the next service my husband carted an ice cold gallon of milk to the pastor... I'm sure they probably poured it down the sink... I never asked and they never said. Kind of the farm version of don't ask, don't tell ;)

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

Sounds like an offer BT shouldn't pass up!! I know I sure wouldn't, if I lived closer to you! As for the taste of raw milk versus the version you buy in the stores, there is no comparison! Richy, creamy, thick.... yummmo!

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

Milk bought in the store is dead milk after pasteurizing to death (by law) all the beneficial enzymes the human race needs.

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

Yeah... but a lot of those dairies are so dirty and the cows so sick... that milk NEEDS to be pasturized... ewww....

Gotta know milk is from a healthy cow and very carefully handled before I want to drink it... That's why I do it myself :)

Re: Congregation Appreciation Month
 

Sometimes when I'm reading a thread I have to go back to the top to see what the name of the original topic was .... just because we get so far off topic, and I just had to do that for this thread... :heeheehee

We were talking about.. let's see.... congregation appreciation month, and now we are talking about pasteurized versus raw milk....

Love the diversity that we can find here on AFF :chat :happydance :winkgrin

Shall we show appreciation to the local pastor with a donation of a gallon of raw milk.... :killinme