How Do I Begin A Pastor's Appreciation Occasion For All His Spiritual Leadership And His Overall Ideas, Visions And Accomplishments Since Becoming Pastor?

I will give you an idea for an elaborate occasion and you can use all of it or just the parts that meet your needs.

• Contact as many people from his past as you can record or video tape fond memories they have of this pastor.
• Collect photographs from his past and have them put on a computer so they can be viewed on a screen. This may involve several laptops, or monitors throughout the area where this event is held.
• Find people on whom the pastor has been an influence in some special way and ask them to come and tell what he has meant to them.
• Have a booklet printed up that chronicles his history.
• Have someone design a mommento or momentos representing specific accomplishments.
• Perhaps someone could even write a poem about his accomplishements or his ministry in general.
• Invite a special guest to present the main speach or sermon lauding the pastors life.
• Present him with a very special gift [a trip for he and his wife, something you know he has always wanted, something special].
• This can all be centered around a very nice dinner.

You can adjust any or all of this to fit your churches budget. Even if you can't afford a lot you can impliment these ideas without going into debt. Your pastor will be most rewarded just to know that he is loved and appreciated. Good luck and God bless you.  Ken Qualls

You may also be interested in the book Just Thinking Out Loud availabel from book stores everywhere.  www.kenquallsjustthinkingoutloud.com