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RENDEZVOUS

A Pastor's Wish List for Christmas

by Dave Simmons, Executive Director

If you were Santa, what would be a nice little gift to put in your pastor’s Christmas stocking hanging from the fireplace mantel? What does your pastor secretly desire and need?

Of course, it goes without saying that he wants peace, good will towards all men (Luke 2:14) and return of the same good will towards him and his family. And if he has a son or daughter or close relative serving in the military, the gift of frequent prayer for them is valuable in a sadly war-torn world. But since nearly all of you reading this are not pastors, maybe the pastors I work with would appreciate my showing a little more specificity on this "wish list" theme.

On my travels to see churches and pastors in western Montana and northern Idaho, I pick up on certain things. One of them is that even though nationally October was Pastor Appreciation Month, not every church observed it. Pastors are not going to ask their church about it, but if you missed it, don’t lose the opportunity. Why not promise to pray for your pastor at least once a week for a year—and let him know! Don’t wait until next October.

Other pastors yearn for a blank check to purchase badly needed books—or at least a little book that would fit in his Christmas stocking! Continuing education, like the ability to go to a week long modular course at a Bible college somewhere is a need that rural/small town pastors have. That is not always recognized, either by the local church or by the pastor.

It is commonly accepted that in almost any profession that continuing education is necessary to stay fresh and up-to-date in your field, not to speak of continuing to be proficient in your task.

Why should it be any different for sometimes reluctant pastors? Your pastor may be reluctant to leave on such a trip, being conscientious about his work; but with a little honey you could make it go down easier, seeing to it that there is help with tuition, transportation expenses, meals, and things being adequately handled while he is gone.

Stocking stuffers for pastors might also include such needful things as the ability to be creative in sermon preparation with just the right illustration to use at the right time (the pastor may wonder how he could use visuals in the pulpit like a painting or a brief video clip or music to make a striking point); a curiosity about how to attack a thorny problem in a new way; stamina for making house calls when it isn’t convenient; and courage to speak the truth boldly in love.

As I visit with pastors and their wives in the Mission, I seek to know their hearts. I know one of their greatest desires is to further unwrap the greatest gift of all, the gift of God’s Son Jesus, not only for themselves but for their people. Like Paul they feel like crying out to their people, "My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, how I wish I could be with you now . . . "(Gal 4:19).

Your pastor relates to Paul’s feelings when he writes, "Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith" (I Thessalonians 3:10).

Yes, these yearnings are on your pastor’s wish list too. What could you add to your pastor’s stocking that would make his Christmas just a little brighter?