It is October which means it is "Pastor Appreciation Month"! As the daughter of a former Pastor, I saw a little bit behind the scenes of all that goes into serving a congregation. The preparation, the tending to the needs of the church body, pastors truly are never off the clock. We can always show our appreciation to our pastors, but this month in particular let's champion our pastors for all they bring to our lives. But just like anybody else, there's Do's and Dont's when it comes to gift buying. Let's start with things we should steer clear of when it comes to buying a thank you gift for your pastor.

1. A Tie. I know it goes along with the church attire but they may be thinking, "how many times or how soon do I have to wear this to show enough gratitude?"

2. A Leadership or Church Book. Know your pastor on this one. If he is super into reading and leadership, this may not be the worst gift you could give. But use discernment because it could leave your pastor wondering if you were trying to hint at any deficiencies as he's reading through it.

3. A Bible. Trust me, they already own one. And if not, maybe think about switching churches haha.

Now on to the things that you can give your pastor for Pastor's Appreciation Month that will almost certainly be met with a heart of gratitude and may earn you an extra hug when we can get back to doing those things.

1. A Hand-Written Thank You Note. It's heartfelt, meaningful, and free. I think sometimes we just assume that they hear or recieve these all the time, but they don't and your words of encouragement could mean the world to them.

2. A gift certificate for their favorite local restaurant or coffee shop. It's an easy gift and food is a universal love language.

3. Something to encourage them in their role as a parent or spouse. They spend so much time away from their home serving us in our needs and in the needs of the church but just like us, they face the same stresses that come with being a spouse and a parent.

If you have any suggestions on ways we can show appreciation to our pastors, send me a text in-studio through the KCBI App!