I recently heard an interview with Cal Newport, author of the popular book on personal productivity, Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World. In this interview Newport mentioned that since publishing the book he was surprised to find the group he’s heard from the most are pastors. It was surprising because Deep Work is not a Christian book. If anything, the book is more aimed at professionals and academics.
But Newport’s comments did not surprise me. I run a ministry that helps Christians learn personal productivity from a Christian worldview for the glory of God. Our readers and members come from a range of vocational backgrounds. We have professionals, students, homemakers, academics, and entrepreneurs. But, just as Newport found with his book, by far the largest demographic who utilize Redeeming Productivity’s resources are pastors.
Why might this be?
Personal productivity is something every Christian should take seriously. We have, after all, been called to “bear much fruit” (John 15:5). But I’m convinced that pastors, more than any other group, should be especially concerned with productivity and time management. I’m convinced that it is vastly underappreciated just how much more attention to time management is necessary for pastors than for nearly any other profession.
There are at least two reasons pastors should care about their personal productivity.
First, pastors must care about productivity because theirs is a high calling. Pastors have been called to proclaim, expound, and apply God’s Word. The apostle Paul referred to himself as a steward “of the mysteries of God” (1 Corinthians 4:1 ESV). This is a high calling indeed! Pastors also keep watch over souls and “will have to give an account” to God for how they discharge this duty. (Hebrews 13:17 ESV). This high degree of accountability for the task is the reason James appends to his warning that “not many of you should become teachers” (James 3:1 ESV). Pastoral ministry is no light thing.
We gratefully admit that it is God who causes the growth in the people to whom we minister. But pastors must cheerfully take responsibility for their role in being the means for that growth. The aim is to be as effective as possible in your part of planting and watering (1 Corinthians 3:6). It’s a matter of stewardship.
But beside their high calling, there’s another reason pastors should seek to grow in personal productivity.
Second, a pastor’s schedule is uniquely self-directed. In most jobs the hours are somewhat fixed. There are daily rhythms, clear objectives, and a sense of regularity. You come to the office, you do your work, then you go home. Rinse and repeat. But apart from the weekly rhythms of Sunday Services, church programs, and meetings, a pastor’s schedule is highly variable. It can (and often does) look radically different from one week to the next.
And though it may not feel like it at times, a pastor has a high degree of freedom over how he spends large parts of his week. This temporal autonomy is a necessary feature of ministry. An over-scheduled pastor would not have the margin for responding to the personal needs of congregants which do not follow a fixed timetable. Nevertheless, time freedom can be both a blessing and a curse for pastors.
It’s a blessing because it means, when necessary, you have the freedom to drop everything and drive to the hospital to visit with a sick church member. It’s also a blessing because preparing a sermon can take much longer some weeks than others, especially when faced with a difficult text. So as in all creative and personal professions, schedule flexibility is a must for the pastor. Temporal autonomy is a blessing.
But having a highly self-directed schedule can also be a curse. The God who formed this orderly universe has created us to thrive under structure and clarity. But lacking such orderliness, pastors can fall into two equally harmful traps. Without that built-in structure there is a temptation to give into distraction—wasting hours on pointless tasks or social media scrolling, instead of focusing on the more important work of ministry. Conversely, a lack of structure can lead to overwork and burnout. Without boundaries in place, ministry matters will naturally balloon to eclipse a pastor’s entire life. On occasion family, rest, or even physical health must take a backseat to the work of ministry. The late-night calls are part of the job. But for many pastors “always on,” ministerial workaholism can easily become a permanent state. But this too is poor stewardship.
But what can pastors do to gain some sense of structure while ensuring that they are being as effective as possible in their calling, not wasting time but also not riding the edge of burnout?
I see no way around it: To have longevity and effectiveness in their ministries, pastors must take hold of common grace productivity strategies. There will always be surprise calls, crazy weeks, and last-minute deadlines, but for a long and fruitful ministry pastors must take responsibility to guard against that becoming the norm.
Here are some simple productivity strategies you can start employing today:
As finite creatures under a high calling, pastors must take seriously the call to be productive. Ultimately, it is God working in you to accomplish His ends through your ministry (Philippians 2:13). But simple productivity techniques can be the common grace aid you need to push aside the thistles and thorns inherent to the unique and blessed labor of pastoral ministry.
The post The Pastor & Personal Productivity appeared first on Focus on the Family.
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But Newport’s comments did not surprise me. I run a ministry that helps Christians learn personal productivity from a Christian worldview for the glory of God. Our readers and members come from a range of vocational backgrounds. We have professionals, students, homemakers, academics, and entrepreneurs. But, just as Newport found with his book, by far the largest demographic who utilize Redeeming Productivity’s resources are pastors.
Why might this be?
Personal productivity is something every Christian should take seriously. We have, after all, been called to “bear much fruit” (John 15:5). But I’m convinced that pastors, more than any other group, should be especially concerned with productivity and time management. I’m convinced that it is vastly underappreciated just how much more attention to time management is necessary for pastors than for nearly any other profession.
There are at least two reasons pastors should care about their personal productivity.
1. The Pastor’s High Calling
First, pastors must care about productivity because theirs is a high calling. Pastors have been called to proclaim, expound, and apply God’s Word. The apostle Paul referred to himself as a steward “of the mysteries of God” (1 Corinthians 4:1 ESV). This is a high calling indeed! Pastors also keep watch over souls and “will have to give an account” to God for how they discharge this duty. (Hebrews 13:17 ESV). This high degree of accountability for the task is the reason James appends to his warning that “not many of you should become teachers” (James 3:1 ESV). Pastoral ministry is no light thing.
We gratefully admit that it is God who causes the growth in the people to whom we minister. But pastors must cheerfully take responsibility for their role in being the means for that growth. The aim is to be as effective as possible in your part of planting and watering (1 Corinthians 3:6). It’s a matter of stewardship.
But beside their high calling, there’s another reason pastors should seek to grow in personal productivity.
2. The Pastor’s Self-Directed Schedule
Second, a pastor’s schedule is uniquely self-directed. In most jobs the hours are somewhat fixed. There are daily rhythms, clear objectives, and a sense of regularity. You come to the office, you do your work, then you go home. Rinse and repeat. But apart from the weekly rhythms of Sunday Services, church programs, and meetings, a pastor’s schedule is highly variable. It can (and often does) look radically different from one week to the next.
And though it may not feel like it at times, a pastor has a high degree of freedom over how he spends large parts of his week. This temporal autonomy is a necessary feature of ministry. An over-scheduled pastor would not have the margin for responding to the personal needs of congregants which do not follow a fixed timetable. Nevertheless, time freedom can be both a blessing and a curse for pastors.
It’s a blessing because it means, when necessary, you have the freedom to drop everything and drive to the hospital to visit with a sick church member. It’s also a blessing because preparing a sermon can take much longer some weeks than others, especially when faced with a difficult text. So as in all creative and personal professions, schedule flexibility is a must for the pastor. Temporal autonomy is a blessing.
But having a highly self-directed schedule can also be a curse. The God who formed this orderly universe has created us to thrive under structure and clarity. But lacking such orderliness, pastors can fall into two equally harmful traps. Without that built-in structure there is a temptation to give into distraction—wasting hours on pointless tasks or social media scrolling, instead of focusing on the more important work of ministry. Conversely, a lack of structure can lead to overwork and burnout. Without boundaries in place, ministry matters will naturally balloon to eclipse a pastor’s entire life. On occasion family, rest, or even physical health must take a backseat to the work of ministry. The late-night calls are part of the job. But for many pastors “always on,” ministerial workaholism can easily become a permanent state. But this too is poor stewardship.
Bringing Order to the Chaos
But what can pastors do to gain some sense of structure while ensuring that they are being as effective as possible in their calling, not wasting time but also not riding the edge of burnout?
I see no way around it: To have longevity and effectiveness in their ministries, pastors must take hold of common grace productivity strategies. There will always be surprise calls, crazy weeks, and last-minute deadlines, but for a long and fruitful ministry pastors must take responsibility to guard against that becoming the norm.
Here are some simple productivity strategies you can start employing today:
- Keep a consistent bedtime and morning routine
- Start each day with prayer and writing out a brief plan for the day
- Identify your highest priority task and determine to get it done even if other “urgent” things are left undone
- Create a normal working schedule—deviations from it will be inevitable, but you need some sense of regularity to return to when the emergency passes
As finite creatures under a high calling, pastors must take seriously the call to be productive. Ultimately, it is God working in you to accomplish His ends through your ministry (Philippians 2:13). But simple productivity techniques can be the common grace aid you need to push aside the thistles and thorns inherent to the unique and blessed labor of pastoral ministry.
The post The Pastor & Personal Productivity appeared first on Focus on the Family.
Continue reading...