Pastor Appreciation Day

October is Pastor Appreciation month. I had the joy and privilege of helping our church surprise my husband/pastor this past Sunday. They presented him/us with a gift certificate for a night away. We are so excited as we are using it to go visit our close friends in Pennyslvania!

I had been asked by our church leadership if I would preach and give him a break on his special day. I prayed and thought about what to share and a passage that came to mind was the passage in Exodus about the battle that took place between Israel and the Amalekites. As long as Moses held up his hands, Israel prevailed. But...Moses hands became tired. Aaron and Hur stepped in and came to his aid and began to lift his hands up, one on one side, one on the other. There is a lesson to be learned by that story related in the Bible. When we hold up the hands of our pastor, not only are we aiding him but we are aiding the church and we are aiding Christ! If we would only keep that focus in mind, many battles would be won in our churches.

5 ways we can hold up the hands of our pastor:
1. Partner with him in doing the work of the ministry.
2. Participate by being involved in activities in the church
3. Promote - show enthusiasm and pride in your pastor and church
4. Practice - what he preaches
5. Pray - for your pastor and his family. He prays for you!

It's the small things that will encourage your pastor. Make a photo album with index cards where members of your congregation have written notes of encouragement and appreciation. Buy him his favorite chocolate. If they have small children, offer to babysit. The list is endless!

So...I want to encourage all your women's departments out there to bless your pastor this month of October and send me a note letting me know what you did! Email it to nywomenofpurpose@gmail.com. Blessings to you as you bless your pastor!

Women of Purpose Conference 09

I had a date with my "honey" today! We went to the mall to pick up a birthday gift for one of the teen girls from our church. In perusing through the mall, I discovered a wonderful coffee shop and it's aroma drew me in. The pumpkin latte was calling me! As I savored the fragrance of the spices and pumpkin, I was reminded of the sweet savor of last weekend's Women of Purpose Conference. The blend was just right! Dr. Eve Fenton ministered the Word powerfully! Elisabeth Burns heart spoke abundantly through the lyrics and melodies of her music. My wonderful team of representatives and assistant director "ground" together a fine packet of activities and displays. They are Starbucks personified! And just as you can go to a coffee shop and get a gift card that can be reloaded for future use, so the ladies at the conference were at the altar "reloading"in the gifts of the Spirit for future battle. God was faithful!!! To my fellow coffee lovers and New York Women of Purpose - may God continually give you a fresh brew each day as you spend time in His Word perkin up!