by Rev. Benjamin Chung
It may come as a surprise to some, but October is Pastor’s Appreciation Month. And upon reviewing the details, more surprising to me is 10/13 is Pastor’s Appreciation Day! (I don’t know why there’s both a month and day.) This said, the purpose is not to be self-serving by asking for money or gifts but to let the church be aware of the work that a pastor has to handle. The origins go back to 1992, when a group of pastors established the month to honor those who serve in ministry. They grounded the Paul’s words to Timothy: “the elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching” (1 Timothy 5:17 NIV84).
As I consider the passage, it appears that this ought to also apply to the deacons and some church leaders in the church who have also blessed our church by preaching and teaching throughout the years. These individuals are also ministers of the ministry. For SFCBC, our deacons abide by and are the overseer and deacon as described in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and vv.7-13, respectively. Our deacons are the description of elder and overseer are also defined in Titus 1.6 and vv.7-9, respectively. They should be acknowledged and appreciated. Again, the purpose is not to receive gifts, even for the deacons who serve on our church’s board.
This is a reminder of how important it is for us show our appreciation for those who are obedient to the Word of God and seek to guide the sheep of this church in the ways of Christ. Even the teachers should be acknowledged too! (This, we annually acknowledge and do.) This is encouragement. This is the “Forever Changed” of our church’s theme for the year—in ACTION. Let us “be transformed renewing of our mind” by encouraging one another through an acknowledgement—a verbal appreciation, or even a card. It shows that as others care for you, you also care for them.
This is also why we plan to acknowledge those who serve as officers of our church by hosting a meal for all the officers for the 2019 calendar year on 11/13 (Wednesday) @ 6pm. The plan is to have a meal together, where even the Food Service Committee doesn’t even need to lift a finger. If you are one of the officers, then you are cordially invited to come to our SFCBC Officer’s Appreciation Dinner. (Keep an eye out for your formal invite!) And don’t forget, there’s Chinese Prayer Meeting @ 8pm @ church!
Translation:
也許有些人會感到意外，十月是感謝牧師月。在查看細節後，令我驚訝的是10/13是感謝牧師日！ （我不知道為什麼有月同時又有日。）這樣說起來，目的不是為了要索取金錢或禮物，而是要讓教會意識到事工需要牧師去處理的。此起源可以追溯到1992年，當時一群牧師設立了這個月來紀念在神職事奉中的人。他們以保羅對提摩太的話為基礎：「那 善 於 管 理 教 會 的 長 老 ， 當 以 為 配 受 加 倍 的 敬 奉 ； 那 勞 苦 傳 道 教 導 人 的 ， 更 當 如 此 。」（提摩太前書5:17）。
當我思考這段話時，這也可以適用於執事和教會中的領袖，他們多年來一直透過傳道和教導來祝福我們的教會。他們每一位都是各事工的領導者。對於三藩市浸信會而言，我們的執事都遵守提摩太前書3:1-7和7-13節中所述的監督和執事的職份，我們的執事符合長老和監督的描述，分別在提多書1:6和7-9節中有詳盡的陳述。他們應該得到確認和感謝。重覆再說，即使是對我們教會執事部的執事們而言，這樣做的目的不是為了索取禮物。
這是提醒我們對那些順從神的話語並仿效基督如何牧養羊群的教會領袖表示我們的感謝是多麽的重要。甚至連老師也應該被確認和感謝！ （這是我們每年對他們的肯定並應該做到的。）這是一種鼓勵。今年教會的主題是 「不再一樣」，讓我們以「改變思維的方式」，透過口頭表達或以一張卡來互相鼓勵。以表明當別人關心你時，你也關心他們。
這也是為什麼我們計劃於本年11月13日（星期三）下午6時為所有教會職員舉辦餐會來感謝他們的原因。該計劃是一起聚餐，就是膳食服務部也不需要動手。如果你是其中一位教會職員，我們誠意地邀請你參加這個感謝晚宴。 （請留意你的邀請函！）另外別忘了當晚在教會8時有中文祈禱會！
