October is Pastor Appreciation Month, a great time to honor your pastor and include your children.

A good way to begin is by having a chat about what a pastor does. Make a list of all your pastor's duties. It's unlikely that your children are aware of all he is responsible for.

You might also do a bit of word study. Have your children write down their definition of "pastor". Now look up words like pastor, minister, priest, clergy, etc. in the dictionary. Are they all the same? Do you agree with the definitions. Which best fits the leader at your church?

Brainstorm some ideas that your children can do to surprise and uplift your pastor this month (and don't forget his wife!). Here are a few to get you started.

* Rake his leaves or mow his lawn.

* Make bookmarks for his Bible.

* Make him a card or write a note sharing, specifially, what you appreciate about him.

* Make a small sign that says "We Love Our Pastor" and stick it in the back of his car window.

* Make a pie, cake or cookies.

* Make and deliver a special dinner, complete with candles.

And if that doesn't get your juices flowing, HERE's a list of 101 ideas. Enjoy!

Dena Wood is co-owner of Trigger Memory Systems, producer of Times Tales and the Clean N' Flip and other non-traditional educational products. She also does freelance writing and manages the Schoolhouse Store for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. She resides in eastern Washington state and homeschools the three youngest of her five children. You can contact her at triggermemory@charter.net.

Related Tags: education, homeschool, home school, home education, imagination, mind, pastor, appreciation, month, October