By Michael C. Mack
1. Pray for him daily.
2. Encourage him with notes, tweets, or in person (but not right before the service begins).
3. Help him focus on sermon prep by limiting interruptions during the week or giving him announcements shortly before he preaches.
4. Take on pastoral care responsibilities. A class or group should be the front line of pastoral care.
5. Be a minister. You are part of the priesthood of all believers, a minister of reconciliation, an important part of the body of Christ.
6. Treat him as a person and as an individual. Remember that he has feelings like everyone else, but don”t compare him to every other minister. He is unique.
7. Give him space. He needs a vacation and he doesn”t need to be at every church event. Allow him to have a life outside of church stuff.
8. Help him put his family first. His priorities are (1) God, (2) his family, and (3) his ministry. Help him to keep those priorities in the right order.
9. Allow him to be real. Lay aside your unrealistic expectations of him. He is an imperfect person just like you. Give him grace and lots of it!
10. Love him and his family. Love them genuinely, from the heart; love them unconditionally and sacrificially.
Author: Michael C. Mack
Michael C. Mack is editor of Christian Standard. He has served in churches in Ohio, Indiana, Idaho, and Kentucky. He has written more than 25 books and discussion guides as well as hundreds of magazine, newspaper, and web-based articles.
