Nominate Your Pastor

Pastors and missionaries spend so much of their lives pouring into others. This Clergy Appreciation Month, we want to pour back into them.

Be Still Retreats is giving one pastor or missionary a $1,000 cash gift - with the hope that it creates an opportunity to step away from the demands of ministry and everyday life, reconnect with the people they love, and simply rest.

We're inviting you to nominate someone who has made an impact on your life, church or community. 

From the nominations received, the Be Still Retreats team will select 10 Clergy Appreciation Honorees. We'll celebrate their stories throughout October and invite our community to vote for one honoree to receive the $1,000 gift.

This isnt about finding who is most deserving. Its about recognizing those who faithfully pour into others and reminding them:

You are seen. You are appreciated. And you need space to rest, too.

Nominations are open September 16-30, 2026.

We're looking to honor full-time lead pastors, full-time teaching pastors, and full-time missionaries sent through a church.

This is the heart of your nomination.

We aren't looking for the most polished answer. We simply want to hear about the person you're nominating and the difference their ministry has made. 

Before submitting your nomination, please review the following:

• I confirm that, to the best of my knowledge, the person I am nominating currently serves as full-time lead pastor, full-time teaching pastor, or full-time missionary.
• I understand that I may submit only one nomination during the 2026 nomination period.
• I understand that multiple people may nominate the same individual, but receiving more nominations does not increase their likelihood of being selected as a Clergy Appreciation Honoree.
• I understand that Be Still Retreats will review eligible nominations and select 10 Honorees, and that submitting a nomination does not guarantee selection.
• I understand that the final recipient will receive a $1,000 unrestricted cash gift of rest. While the hope is that this gift creates an opportunity for intentional rest and renewal, the recipient may use the funds however they choose.
• I give Be Still Retreats permission to use excerpts from my nomination in connection with the 2026 Clergy Appreciation campaign. I understand that my submission may be edited for length or clarity while preserving its meaning.
• I understand that if my nominee is selected as one of the top 10 Honorees, Be Still Retreats will contact them and obtain permission before publicly sharing their name, photo, church/ministry affiliation, or nomination story.

You're almost finished!

Please review the Campaign Details below, check the acknowledgment at the bottom, and submit your nomination. 

Thank you for helping us recognize and celebrate those who faithfully pour into others.

The Heart Behind the Gift

Pastors and missionaries spend so much of their lives pouring into others. In honor of Clergy Appreciation Month, Be Still Retreats wants to create an opportunity to recognize those who faithfully serve and remind them that their service is seen, appreciated, and worthy of rest.

Be Still Retreats will bless one ministry leader with a $1,000 cash gift, with the hope that the gift provides an opportunity to step away from the demands of ministry and everyday life, reconnect with the people they love, and experience intentional rest and renewal. 

The gift is unrestricted, and the recipient may use the funs howver they choose. 

Eligibility

Eligible nominees must currently serve as one of the following: A full-time or bi-vocational lead pastor, teaching pastor on staff at a church, or a full-time missionary (called to share the gospel full-time, sent by or connected with a verified church or missionary agency). 

Nominees must be 18 years of age or older and reside in the United States.

Nomination Period

Nominations open September 16th, 2026 and close September 30th, 2026 at 11:59 PM CST.

Each individual may submit one nomination.

Multiple individuals may nominate the same eligible ministry leader; however, the number of nominations received will not increase a nominee's likelihood of being selected as an honoree. Be Still Retreats will consider the content and stories shared through the nominations.

No purchase or donation is necassary to submit a nomination or participate in community voting.

Selection of the 10 Clergy Appreciation Honorees

Following the close of nominations, the Be Still Retreats team will review eligible submissions and select 10 honorees.

Selections may take into consideration the nominee's ministry impact, the story shared by the nominator, faithful service to others, the potential impact of receiving the Gift of Rest, and alignment with the mission and heart of Be Still Retreats.

Selection as an honoree is at the discretion of Be Still Retreats and is not based on the number of nominations received. 

Before being publicly announced, selected honorees will be contacted by Be Still Retreats and asked to consent to participation in the campaign and the sharing of their name, approved photograph, church/ministry affiliation, and portions of their nomination story. 

If a selected honoree declines to participate or cannot be reached in a resonable amount of time, Be Still Retreats may slect another eligible nominee. 

Community Voting

The 10 Clergy Appreciation Honorees will be introduced to the Be Still Retreats community on social media, and public voting will open from October 8th through October 28th, 2026 at 11:59 PM CST.

Each individual may cast one vote during the voting period. 

The eligible honoree receiving the greatest number of valid votes will be selected to receive the $1,000 gift. 

Be Still Retreats reserves the right to disregard duplicate, automated, fraudulent, manipulated, or otherwise invalid votes in order to maintain the integrity of the campaign. 

In the Event of a Tie

If two or more honorees receive the same highest number of valid votes, the Be still Retreats team will amke the final selection from among the tied honorees based on the original nominations and the purpose and heart of the Gift of Rest campaign. 

The $1,000 Gift

The slected recipient will receive a $1,000 unrestricted cash gift from Be Still Retreats.

The heart behind the gift is to make intentional rest more accessible - whether that means time away with a spouse or family, a quiet retreat, a getaway, or another opportunity to step away from the demands of everyday life. 

However, there are no restrictions on how the recipient chooses to use the gift. 

The recipient is responsible for determining and fulfilling any applicable federal, state, or local tax obligations associated with receiving the gift. 

Recipient Notification & Announcement

The selected recipient will be contacted privately by Be Still Retreats before a public announcement is made.

The recipient will be announced on or around October 30-31, 2026, as Be Still Retreats closes out Clergy Appreciation Month.

Social Media

This campaign may be promoted through Facebook and Instagram. It is not sponsored, enbdorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook or ant other social media platform. 

General

Be Still Retreats reserves the right to interpret these campaign details, determine eligibility, address unforeseen circumstances, disregard invalid nominations or votes, and modify, suspend, or cancel the campaign if circumstances beyond its reasonable control compromise the fairness or integrity of the campaign. 

Participation in the nomination or voting process constitutes acceptance of these campaign details.