Appreciation is powerful in the life of a church. For givers of appreciation, it fosters gratitude, turning their focus away from their own expectations, and instead to the God who provides all things. For receivers of appreciation, it reminds them that their acts of service make a difference and encourages them to keep on serving.
Of course none of us should serve with the expectation of appreciation. We should work heartily as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23) and be careful to do our good deeds before God rather than men (Matthew 6:1-18). But appreciation is still valuable. We honor God when we choose to thank and encourage others (Colossians 3:15-17).
In a church context, I have experienced two types of appreciation. One type is directed “up” to our church leaders, and the other is directed “down” to the volunteers we oversee. For both types, some expressions of appreciation are simple and small, and sometimes they are grand, coordinated efforts. Through success and failure to express appreciation to my church family, I have learned to vary my approach.
In my experience, appreciating “up” to church leaders with a grand, coordinated effort has been a great success. Most congregants are happy to contribute, and most pastors are good sports.
Of course, over-the-top grand gestures of appreciation require work. I was involved with Pastor Appreciation for several years at the church where I was raised. So, I recruited teens to wash the pastors’ cars, coordinated testimonies on their ministries, and collaborated on celebratory events. Yes, I am that enthusiastic, creative lady who enjoys rallying her church family in appreciating “up.”
On the other hand, appreciating “down” with grand events has been harder. Over seven years directing the children’s ministry at my medium-sized ethnically Chinese church, I struggled with the annual appreciation dinner. It went like this:
- Year #1: Confusion over the guest list. It was called “Christian Education Leaders Appreciation Dinner,” but half the congregation was invited. It felt awkward.
- Year #2: More specific guest list. We could be more specific in our appreciation, but I still heard the word “boring” from honest feedback.
- Year #3: Skipped the meal and just had a presentation. It was very boring. Imagine the part of a graduation ceremony when all the names are called.
- Year #4: Dropped the word “appreciation” and rebranded it “Year-End Celebration.” It was a casual backyard barbecue. People brought their kids, so it was a little wild and lacking in ceremony.
- Year #5: Finally struck the right balance between fun and ceremony. I arranged child care at church while we went out to lunch. We returned to church where the kids joined us for dessert and a few (very few) words of appreciation.
- Year #6: Repeat of Year #5. Unfortunately the restaurant over-salted the food.
- Year #7: Tacos in my backyard after church with a few words of appreciation.
After all the changes, I felt it was still a meaningful event to appreciate the wonderful volunteers who served the children and teens at our church. But attendance was only around 50%, and I felt the sting of failure. Slowly I came to understand that people are different. While some folks would enjoy attending an appreciation event, others would not.
Annual attempts to appreciate “down” with a grand, coordinated effort ultimately showed me the power of simple acts of appreciation. Just say thanks. Say it in person. Say it in a text or through social media. Point out what is special about the person or their act of service. Let them know how they have made a difference. You might embellish your simple “thanks” with cookies, a card, or a handshake. If you oversee many volunteers, you might make a checklist of folks to thank throughout the year so you don’t forget anyone.
One of the most powerful gestures of appreciation I have ever received came from a preteen with a loud voice and a strong will, who always seemed to be challenging authority. She gave me a folded sheet of scratch paper and told me not to open it until she was out of sight. On the paper she had written in pencil, “Dear Mrs. Lisa, You’re a great leader. Love, (her name).” After reading that sentence, my heart just had to praise the Lord.
Simple gestures of appreciation are so effective whether directed “up” or “down.” You can give them all year long, you can be sure to reach the individual you intend, and your gesture can be specific. Grand, coordinated appreciation efforts are great too. But in my experience, they are most effective when directed “up” to our leaders. So as you seek to honor God and care for all of your co-laborers in Christ, I encourage you to vary your approach in expressing appreciation.