Christmas gifts from your ministry or church

[Bob Evans]

I really don't want to sound ungrateful because I know I have never worked for any place flush with great deals of cash but I recieved my annual Christmas gift from the ministry tonight. It was a blanket with the ministries name printed on it. This is my third ministry blanket in 7 years of working at the mission.

I am not sure whats up with blankets. I am several pounds overweight so I seldom get cold even in winter. My wife loves them because she keeps them in our cars to wrapp around her legs. She is always cold.

The worst one I ever got was from one of my churches. I really could have used the money but they got the great idea one year and bought me this huge tapestry blanket with the word Pastor in the middle of it. I accepted it graciously but did not realize it said pastor on it until I got home that morning.

I guess I am asking what is an appropriate non cash Christmas gift for a pastor or ministry worker at a rescue mission. I am a sports fan and I live in a town full of great Christian an secular bookstores. Yet I get blankets.

Is there something wrong with me?

[Cindi Hammons]

Our church always gives a gift of one week's salary to paid employees (including the pastor).

Having said that, a gift is a gift. It doesn't have to be given and it can be whatever the giver chooses to give.

Maybe you look cold! :)

[Mark Doble]

Our church always gives a gift of one week's salary to paid employees (including the pastor).

Having said that, a gift is a gift. It doesn't have to be given and it can be whatever the giver chooses to give.

Maybe you look cold! :)

FOFLOL! hahahahahahahahha...

[Gary Swartzlander]

Our church also gives everyone on staff one weeks (additional) salary or pay as a Christmas gift.

[Jim Franklin]

Back in the days of my dad's ministry a weeks pay would have been some where between $7.50 to $25.

[William Hunter]

My youth pastor and I receive an extra week's salary, (including the increase in SS to cover that for it has to be reported on income tax), and then personal gifts, and often they are cash and not checks.

[Barb Bouldrey]

Bob,

Some people just have no imagination. They get into a routine and never think about change.

It is nice that you get something. I know working in a mission has to be very difficult, sacrificial work.

What I would suggest is that you or your wife casually hint to a board member, or wife of a board member(lol) that you have plenty of blankets now, so maybe they can think of something else next year.

John gets an extra pay check plus gifts from individual families. He has gotten that as long as we have been on this district.

In our first pastorate, his salary was $10 a week. In the second pastorate it was $52 a week. He was bivocational.

In our third pastorate, someone made a Christmas boot out of felt and inserted a one pound coffee can. They would place it on the altar and everyone would march by and drop in a love offering for the pastor for Christmas. John was getting $125 a week there and most of the time got less than $30 in the boot.

But at least they did not "give him the boot." LOL

During pastor's appreciation month, our church here waits until the last Sunday to do anything. They keep us in suspense as to whether or not they will remember to do anything.

Some churches show love. Some churches "do their duty."

Barb