New Year’s Resolutions
“Seven Habits of Highly Organized Ministers”
Habit one: Find a calendar that fits your lifestyle.
Find a date book that fits with your ministry life. For instance, if you have a lot of appointments, get an hour-by-hour date book. If you’re at the computer a lot, get a PalmPilot. If you lead worship daily, find a lectionary calendar.
Habit two: Block off time.
Write down in that lifestyle-appropriate calendar when you plan to accomplish big tasks. Block off time for sermon writing, visitation, and errands, even when you know you will often have to move things around.
Habit three: Remove obstacles to self-care.
Put a strategy in place for taking care of yourself. Keep your gym bag packed and ready so you can work out without a fuss. When leaving a massage or spiritual direction session, make your next appointment before walking out the door. (Personally, I set up the coffee machine the night before… does that count?) Considering how easy it is to put off self-care, good organizational habits make it easier to follow through.
Habit four: Create good systems.
I once worked with a minister who always carried large-print calling cards with his name and phone number. Whenever he went to pay a hospital or nursing home visit, but found his parishioner asleep, he would leave a note behind and let the parishioner know when he would be back, and that he was praying for him or her. When you detect any recurring dilemma in your ministry, create a simple system to address it.
Habit five: Pull out the “little daggers.”
The expression “little daggers” is used in Bridge for low trump cards that can foil a player’s strategy if left in her opponents’ hands. In the minister’s efforts to stay organized, “daggers” include quick emails, two-minute phone calls, and annoying insurance or flex-spending claim forms. Before tackling big projects, like talking with someone who is upset or designing a major worship service, remove the distracting “little daggers” so you can stay focused.
Habit six: Consolidate errands.
It is amazing to me how much time pastors spend running errands! To the printers, the religious supply shop, the grocery store for a meeting’s refreshments! Keep a list of errands to run and take care of them all at once every week or two.
Habit seven: Protect your privacy.
In some clergy circles, it is de rigueur for pastors to publicize openly when they will be working on their sermons, when they will be out visiting, and other ways in which they organize their time. This is fine. But ministers also deserve their privacy. Pastors who reply to unrealistic invitations with a warm-sounding, “I cannot make it, as I have a prior commitment,” are in most cases met with understanding (I’m thinking of invitations like, “Pastor, please come to my niece’s ballet recital.”). The fact that the prior commitment is that carefully-planned massage? That’s your business!
Sarah Drummond, Director of Field Education and Assistant Professor of Ministerial Leadership
Habit one: Find a calendar that fits your lifestyle.
Find a date book that fits with your ministry life. For instance, if you have a lot of appointments, get an hour-by-hour date book. If you’re at the computer a lot, get a PalmPilot. If you lead worship daily, find a lectionary calendar.
Habit two: Block off time.
Write down in that lifestyle-appropriate calendar when you plan to accomplish big tasks. Block off time for sermon writing, visitation, and errands, even when you know you will often have to move things around.
Habit three: Remove obstacles to self-care.
Put a strategy in place for taking care of yourself. Keep your gym bag packed and ready so you can work out without a fuss. When leaving a massage or spiritual direction session, make your next appointment before walking out the door. (Personally, I set up the coffee machine the night before… does that count?) Considering how easy it is to put off self-care, good organizational habits make it easier to follow through.
Habit four: Create good systems.
I once worked with a minister who always carried large-print calling cards with his name and phone number. Whenever he went to pay a hospital or nursing home visit, but found his parishioner asleep, he would leave a note behind and let the parishioner know when he would be back, and that he was praying for him or her. When you detect any recurring dilemma in your ministry, create a simple system to address it.
Habit five: Pull out the “little daggers.”
The expression “little daggers” is used in Bridge for low trump cards that can foil a player’s strategy if left in her opponents’ hands. In the minister’s efforts to stay organized, “daggers” include quick emails, two-minute phone calls, and annoying insurance or flex-spending claim forms. Before tackling big projects, like talking with someone who is upset or designing a major worship service, remove the distracting “little daggers” so you can stay focused.
Habit six: Consolidate errands.
It is amazing to me how much time pastors spend running errands! To the printers, the religious supply shop, the grocery store for a meeting’s refreshments! Keep a list of errands to run and take care of them all at once every week or two.
Habit seven: Protect your privacy.
In some clergy circles, it is de rigueur for pastors to publicize openly when they will be working on their sermons, when they will be out visiting, and other ways in which they organize their time. This is fine. But ministers also deserve their privacy. Pastors who reply to unrealistic invitations with a warm-sounding, “I cannot make it, as I have a prior commitment,” are in most cases met with understanding (I’m thinking of invitations like, “Pastor, please come to my niece’s ballet recital.”). The fact that the prior commitment is that carefully-planned massage? That’s your business!
Sarah Drummond, Director of Field Education and Assistant Professor of Ministerial Leadership
posted by Andover Newton News at
11:56 AM
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