How to Write a Thank You Note to Your Pastor

Pastors are often underappreciated. Don't believe the old joke that pastors only work one hour a week on Sundays!

Could you take a moment to thank him or her? Don't wait for pastor appreciation day (second Sunday in October) or month (all of October).

Thank them throughout the year to let know their efforts are appreciated.

​Your pastor or clergy has numerous responsibilities and supports the congregation in many ways. They perform weddings, speak at funerals, prepare sermons, visit you when sick, provide prayer, and much more. Perhaps, the pastor preached a meaningful, life-changing message.

I suggest thanking them with a thank you note. If you want to do a pastor appreciation gift, here are some ideas

• Gift cards to Starbucks, restaurants, bookstore, or other gift cards to place you know what they like. My current pastor loves Fricker's!
• Ordering pizza for their family or providing another meal (organizing a date in advance).
• If they have children at home, you can offer to babysit so the pastor can have a date night! This is an excellent idea for pastor and wife appreciation (or pastor and husband).
• Note: A thank-you note is not a replacement for the pastor's fee for performing a wedding, funeral, or another type of service.

• Thank you note format
• Pastor thank you note examples for a hospital visit, counseling, new baby, prayers
• Thank you note to the pastor for funeral service examples
• Thank you note to the pastor for wedding examples
• Thank you to the pastor for leadership or service examples
• Thank you letter to the pastor for preaching
• Short appreciation quotes for your pastor

Thank you note format

Dear [Pastor's Name]

Thank-you message (2-4 sentences). This can include a compliment.

Sincerely (or another closing)

Sign your name

Notes:

The examples below will only include the Thank-you message. They may inspire wording for your appreciation card to your pastor.

For more help with the layout of a thank-you note, check out these 5 easy steps.

Bible verses for pastor appreciation day (or month) can be found here.

To thank your pastor for a baptism service, please review the examples in the baptism post.

Pastor thank you note examples for a hospital visit, counseling, new baby, prayers

1. Thank you for visiting me in the hospital after I had surgery. Your presence was a comfort. I appreciate the prayers. And thanks for bringing me some snacks!
2. We are thankful for the prayers and visits with [child's name]. The car accident was devastating. His broken bones are starting to heal and should be able to come home soon. Thank you for being there for him and us.
3. Your prayers and hospital visit after my knee surgery were appreciated. I was comforted by your presence. My new knees are less painful every day. I will be back to church soon.
4. Thank you for bringing me lunch at the hospital. Visiting with you helped past the time and kept me distracted from the pain. The cancer treatment is working. Thank you for your prayers as well.
5. I appreciate the time you have spent counseling me this last month. Going through this unwanted divorce has been hard for me. Your words and prayers have been helpful.
6. You've been a wonderful blessing to me. I appreciate the time you have dedicated to giving me counseling. I wasn't sure I could trust anyone with my story. Being able to share with you has helped me tremendously. Because of your support, I feel comfortable enough to join the Celebrate Recovery group. Perhaps, my story will help others in some way.
7. I am grateful for your counseling hours once a week. Having to make an appointment felt like too much and I was glad I could stop by for an unplanned visit. I am feeling better about my situation now thanks to your prayers and encouragement.
8. Thank you for coming to the hospital to see [new baby's name]. Your prayer of blessing on [him/her] was meaningful to us. We hope [him/her] grows up to honor our Lord.
9. Your visit to see [new baby's name] was a pleasant surprise. And we are glad [pastor's wife/husband name] was able to come with you. We enjoyed the visit. Thank you also for bringing us dinner! The casserole was great, and we had leftovers for the next day.
10. We are grateful for your prayers during the delivery of [new baby's name]. Thank you for coming to the hospital right away when alerted to the problems with the delivery. The entire family appreciated your prayers and support.
11. Thank you for the prayers and support for my family and for other families in the church that have families serving in the military. We've started a group that meets twice a month to support each other. Your welcome to visit anytime.

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Thank you note to the pastor for funeral service examples

The examples below are for pastors. Other thank-you note examples for after a funeral are listed here.

1. Thank you for talking at the funeral service for my aunt. The entire family appreciated your message, and we're happy that it included accepting Jesus as our Savior. [Aunt's name] was friends with many unsaved folks that came to the service. I hope your message had an impact on them.
2. We are grateful that you were available to perform the funeral when [person's name] died unexpectedly. We understand now why the funeral home recommended you so profoundly. Thank you for handling the situations with the family with grace and kindness.
3. Thank you for doing the funeral service for my grandma. I know you didn't know her for long, being new to the church. She liked your sermons and requested that you perform her service in her final days. The family is grateful for your support as we continue to process Grandma's passing.
4. I appreciate all you did for [person's name] funeral. The family wasn't sure how to do anything for it and appreciated your advice and guidance on the service order. And thank you for having all the verses sung in the hymns. That detail was important to [person's name].
5. Thank you for your beautiful words sharing the life of [person's name]. She loved the Lord and hoped your message inspired at least a few people to take a closer look at how they are living. Thank you for being there for the family.
6. We appreciate the time you spend helping us plan [person's name] funeral. Also, thank you for delivering the message and sharing stories about [him/her]. Having you as the pastor for his funeral meant a lot to [him/her] and to the entire family. You were his favorite pastor.
7. The entire family thanks you for conducting the funeral service for [person's name]. We appreciated the message and that you were able to say the prayer at the meal held afterward. Thank you for being there for us.

Thank you note to the pastor for wedding examples

More wedding thank-you note examples to people other than the pastor can be found here.

1. Thank you for performing our wedding ceremony. We were honored to have you as part of our big day. The short message was touching, and everyone liked your jokes.
2. We are ever so grateful to you for officiating our wedding! Thank you for keeping it short and to the point. You have an excellent way with words. Many family members told us later how much they enjoyed you as the pastor.
3. Thank you for helping us plan the order of service for our wedding. It turned out just how we wanted it. We are thankful once again for your guidance!
4. We want to thank you for being the pastor at your wedding. Thank you for agreeing to marry us even though we haven't known you for long. We will always remember your joyful attitude.
5. We are thankful for all the time you spent with us for pre-marital counseling. We enjoyed getting to you know better. And thanks for a wonderful wedding ceremony!
6. We are thankful for your experience with weddings! Thanks to you the ceremony was perfect. Thank you for your recommendations and guidance. Everything was just how we wanted it.
7. Thank you for being a part of our wedding day. The ceremony was beautiful, and we appreciate your words during it. Thank you are for your contribution to our special day.

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Thank you to the pastor for leadership or service examples

1. Thank you for all you do for the church and helping people behind the scenes. Many people have a crisis that they don't share with the entire church, and you have provided support for them. Your ongoing dedication is appreciated.
2. I want to take a moment to recognize your leadership within the church. You are great at keeping everything organized and delegating tasks that are better done by others. Thank you for keeping us on track with God's mission for our church.
3. We are blessed to have you as the pastor our church. Because of your example, many others are getting involved in our service programs. We are helping many in the community thanks to your guidance. The free food program is assisting hundreds not to struggle as much each week!
4. Thank you for being a wonderful example of how church members should serve each other. Your kindness and generosity are a blessing to everyone. I'm looking forward to seeing who the church with help next.
5. You are an inspiring leader! Thank you for taking our church and our mission to serve the community to the next level. I hope many in the congregation will follow your example.
6. Thank you for being so generous with your time. The way you quietly lead is inspiring. Because of you, I'm living a more Biblical life.
7. We are thankful for your leadership and service. So many young people have been helped learn more about Jesus because of how well you can relate to their generation. [Child's name] has been different since the mission trip. He's much more generous with his allowance and looks for ways to help others.

Thank you letter to the pastor for preaching

1. I want to thank you for your message last Sunday. I will be taking action and making some changes in my life. Your words were meant for me.
2. Your messages in the current series on [topic] have been excellent. I have been looking for ways to implement the ideas. Yesterday at work was a start when I told a friend about [topic]. Thanking you for sharing your inspiring words.
3. ​Your sermon last Sunday was just wanted I needed to hear. Thank you for preaching in a way that I can relate to. I'm learning more about the Bible and Jesus than ever before. And I'm excited to share my faith with others.
4. You are a wonderful preacher. Thank you for sharing God's Word with us each week. I can tell that you spend a lot of time preparing. The lessons on Jonah challenged me.
5. Thank you for your sermon last week. It was a refreshing way to hear about [Topic from Bible]. I will be memorizing the verses that you pointed out.
6. I am excited to attend church every Sunday. The way you tell stories is relatable and funny. I am sharing them with my coworkers on Monday and hope that one day they will decide to follow Jesus too. Thank you for sharing with the church every week.
7. I am grateful for your preaching. I am growing closer to God because of what I'm learning on Sundays and studying during the week. Keep up the great work!

Short appreciation quotes for your pastor

Thank your pastor for something specific is usually better as it feels much less generic. But one sentence is better than none! Or you could add one of these sentences into a thank-you note to help make it a bit longer.

• Thanks for you all you do!
• You are the best pastor ever.
• Thank you for serving the flock so well.
• We appreciate your messages every Sunday.
• I enjoy your preaching.
• Thanks for being a fabulous preacher.

Related Posts

• Thank you note examples for post surgery/hospital stay meals
• Church volunteer appreciation ideas and thank you notes
• Thank You to a Church Musician (organist, praise band member, etc.)

About The Author
Heidi has been writing thank you notes for more thank 30 years and is the author of A Modern Guide to Writing Thank-You Notes. Her goal is to help people write better thank-you notes by providing tips and examples.

How to Write a Thank You Note to Your Pastor

Source: https://tonsofthanks.com/pastorthankyounoteexamples/

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