Dear Church Family,As it is Pastor Appreciation Month, and I happen to be married to the pastor, I’d like to share some things about your pastor that you may, or may not know. Mostly, I’d like to encourage you to pray for my husband. He has been hard at it for over 33 years now. We’ve raised our four children and other’s children during these years. Raising our kids, learning how to do ministry, continuing our education, working other jobs, being involved in community and church life… it all adds up to a heap of experience, heartache, challenges, disappointment, loss, friendships, farewells, and abundant joys. As a pastor in a rural community with only one church, Hans has been called upon to do an assortment of things over the years. Many of these activities would never be on the resume of a typical city pastor, however, Hans has been called upon as a pastor to do:
- Mechanic work
- Garbage pick-up
- Yard work
- Handyman
- Counselor
- Personal shopper
- Local park security watch
- Recycler
- Mover
- Clean-up after a move
- School Teacher
- Coach (basketball, soccer)
- Painter
- Animal control (wild Bobcat kittens, dying goat, etc.)
- Conflict Manager
- Song writer
- Musician
- Property repossession
- Driver
- Academic tutor
- Rattlesnake exterminator
- Community meeting facilitator
- Gardner
- Tree faller
- Wood cutter
And, of course, his normal pastoral duties: preach, teach, counsel, administrative, hospital visits, jail visits, youth work, worship, service planning, write pastor’s note, funerals, missions, camp, VBS, baptisms, and weddings. Hans does all these things well, humbly, quietly, sincerely, without fan-fare or needing recognition. He loves God’s work, God’s church, and God’s kingdom agenda. You and I are beyond blessed to have him as our pastor. And my encouragement to you, as his church family, is to pray for him, remind him to take time for rest, share your blessings with him, and let him know you appreciate him. Not just during the month of October, but when you find yourself needing your pastor and he’s there, as he has been for 33 years.Grace be with you,Susie Frei