It seems that there was an attempt to start such a month of appreciation back in 2015 and while it seems to have faded away a bit, I think it's still a great idea!
Perhaps I'm a bit biased because my wife is a Pastor's wife!
My mother was a Pastor's wife!
With the small slice of internet influence I have, I wanted to take a moment to write an article to encourage people in churches all across the world to celebrate and appreciate their Pastors Wife!
There are so many pressures in ministry life, and one might say that a Pastor's Wife has seen her fair share of them. While we could go on and on about some of those pressures she deals with (including encouraging the Pastor), I'd like to give 4 simple ideas of how to be a blessing to her.
1. Pray for your Pastor's Wife.
Hopefully, this is an obvious place to start, but without a doubt, it is vital to lift her up in your prayers daily. Even if it's just a few sentences in your prayer time, be sure you pray for her!
You may never see what those prayers accomplish because many of God's answers to our prayers that are unseen! Pray for her encouragement and protection. Pray that she can be the kind of support her Pastor/Husband needs her to be. Pray that he will be a blessing to her as well.
2. Connect with your Pastor's Wife.
Many people think that a Pastor's wife is so connected and loved by so many people who are surrounding her prior, or following a church service that she is “worn out” with so much attention. Rest assured, this is most likely not the case.
Some might see her listening ear as an opportunity to get to the Pastor's ear, so they begin to “share” with her just where he needs to focus more of his attention. She is often in a place where she hears so many of the needs of the congregation that people forget actually to ask her this question; “so how are YOU doing?” When (and if) you ask that question, why not take a few moments to hear her out before making sure she knows you had that “same problem” and as a matter of fact, your situation was much more severe than hers.
Connect with her without any strings attached. Just take time to listen, love and even if you can't do anything to “fix it,” then at least you can let her know you will be praying for her.
3. Bless your Pastor's Wife with an unexpected gift.
Who doesn't like an unexpected gift? Does your church have a Women's Ministry? Perhaps you can share with your leadership that March is Pastors Wife Appreciation Month and possibly the ladies can bless her one at a time.
Small things are often as powerful as the big things because it shows someone took the time to think of a way to be a blessing.
Taking her out for coffee would be a great way to minister encouragement to her while enjoying those delicious bottomless cups of coffee with a donut or two to go with it. If she is the Mother of small children, then why not offer babysitting services so that she and her Pastor/Husband can go out for the evening. The list could go on and on about ways to be a blessing in a practical way, but you know your Pastor's wife, so work on your list and check it twice!
4. Speak positively to others about your Pastor's Wife.
One of the significant challenges of this day we live is to be social but to do so in a positive way. Let's face it, a Pastor and Wife live in a “glass house,” and nearly everything they do is placed under the microscope. Quite often, she may be on the receiving end of some criticism and possibly, you may even feel it's valid, but don't “take the bait”!
The Bible tells us in Proverbs 26:20: Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down.
Here's a great prayer to pray: “Lord, please help me not be the wood!” Amen.
The bottom line is that we ALL have problems and issues in our lives. We ALL need encouragement now and then.
Some might ask why we should go “overboard” in being a blessing to a Pastor's wife.
Well, nobody is saying to go “overboard,” but to think of ways to bless the lady who is helping the Pastor to bless many people and their families as they go through a wide variety of situations and challenges.
Jeff Allen, the great comedian, often makes this profound statement; “Happy Wife, Happy Life.” I don't believe that ONLY applies to what the Pastor/Husband can do for his wife, but quite possibly, it could include ways that others are a blessing to her as well!
So, whether Pastors Wife Appreciation Month in March of every year is still “a thing” or not is not the point… blessing your Pastor's Wife is!
We lve our Pastors Wife
As a Pastor and and PK, I agree. There should always be a Pastor’s wife appreciation month. They do more than most people will ever know.