Gift Ideas for Pastors

When buying Christmas presents for family and loved ones, don't forget to include your pastor and his family. It's especially during this time of year that they reach out, not only to their congregations, but to the community, meeting needs. But before rushing out and getting useless gifts, such as gadget he'll never use, put some thought into your present.

Practical Gift Ideas for Ministers

Gift cards - Because ministers and their families spent a lot of time away from home helping others, a gift card to a favorite restaurant, especially during the holidays, is bound to be appreciated.

Handcrafted gifts - If you cross stitch, stitch a bookmark that you know would be cherished, such as a favorite Bible verse. Stitchers who have photo-to-chart computer software can import any picture to be stitched. If you knit or crochet, why not make a bookmark shaped as a cross.

Books and periodicals - Most pastors are avid readers. Take inventory of your pastor's library to see what kind of spiritual books he enjoys. Ask his wife if he has a favorite author or topic. What's more, find out the kind of books and magazines his wife and children enjoy reading. Find out if there's a particular version of the Bible he'd like to have. You could get together with others in the congregation to go along with you so you wouldn't have to pay for the entire Bible. Then have everyone who helped donate money sign the Bible with encouraging notes and scriptures.

Photo album - Again, send out letters to members of the congregation asking them to send in a photo of their families, along with a personal note of what the pastor and his family mean to them. Then, have someone gifted in scrapbooking assemble all the pictures in a photo album.

Monetary gift - Weeks before Christmas send out letters to everyone in the congregation, excluding the pastor and his family, asking to contribute to a love gift. Type an appreciation letter and have everyone sign it. Better yet, ask each member to include a special Christmas card where they cite a particular deed that the pastor did to show God's love to them this past year. Then surprise him at the end of the Christmas Eve service.

Personal well - Does your pastor love to garden, but there's a drought in the area? Why not band together with other members of the congregation and buy him his personal well?

Gift basket - Rather than buy a gift basket, make your own, filled with homemade jellies, Christmas cookies and other delectables you can either make yourself or buy at holiday bazaars.

Invitation to dinner - Give him a calendar for the upcoming new year and have him circle a date he and his family are free to come to your house for dinner. On a return envelop have him mail the date back to you. Because pastors are such busy people it works better for them to tell you when they're free rather than you set a date.

Service certificates - Volunteer yourself. For example, if your pastor has small children, offer to babysit. Give a certificate to mow his lawn or tend to his plants and pets when he's gone.

Personal well for a gardening pastor - Does your pastor love to garden, but there's a drought in the area? Why not band together with other members of the congregation and buy him his personal well?

Finally, don't overlook the best gift. That's your willingness to serve. Besides offering to help him, personally, offer your time to serve on a needed church committee for the coming year.

Originally published on Suite 101.