This year has been a tough year for pastors and church leaders. The pandemic has changed almost everything we do, but pastors have pivoted quickly and worked hard to make adjustments. If ever they have earned appreciation, it’s this year. Here are some ways to show your gratitude during this Pastor Appreciation Month:

Meet a missionary, Chuck Lawless suggests, because nothing carries the impact of "a live person who's giving his or her life for people who need Jesus."

If you're not familiar with a song at church -- or not enamored with it -- Chuck Lawless suggests why you might join in singing it anyway.

Chuck Lawless writes about heroes who have planted their lives in places few people have heard of, yet they are the spiritual shepherds of their communities.

God's discipline has great value, Chuck Lawless writes, noting that "repentance today can strengthen us for the temptations of tomorrow."

Southern Baptist missionaries are a source of hope amid controversy within the SBC, Chuck Lawless writes. They reflect the convention's foremost calling: "They're laser-beam focused on lostness."

For Chuck Lawless, "seeing the look of absolute joy on a new believer who has just been baptized" and "telling Bible stories to children who hang on every word" are among the many joys of ministry.

RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- It's a new year -- a time when many of us make resolutions. If you're like I am, those resolutions are often self-focused. We plan to exercise more, eat less, save more dollars, take more time off, accomplish some long-delayed goals, and generally make this year more productive than the last one. These resolutions aren't wrong, but I'd like to challenge you to think more externally and globally with your resolutions this year. The new year is not only an opportunity for a new start. It's another opportunity of grace to be part of reaching the nations.

For those who seldom, if ever, share their faith with others, Chuck Lawless suggests ways "to deepen your burden over those who are without Christ."

Could this be you -- a believer who perseveres? Chuck Lawless lists key characteristics of those who stay the course amid life's challenges and difficulties.