(Editor’s note: In an earlier column, H. Dale Burke described how he apportions his time into four categories: rest, results, response, and refocus. By doing this he keeps his work on track and his spiritual life in balance. In this column, Dale explores the critical distinction between results time and response time.)
When I was in my first church, a young plant with no office, and I had three small kids at home, I’d go to a restaurant, sit in a corner booth and get to work. I got more done than you can imagine because I wasn’t surrounded by distractions and unfinished business. Yes, there was noise in the room, but none of that noise had to do with me. I could tune it out, get creative, and get it done.
That corner booth was my “results place.” There I discovered the value in reserving time for specific types of work. I set aside large chunks of uninterrupted time for rest, results, response, and refocus. Doing this, I can better keep other people’s not-so-urgent problems from becoming my own. And by dividing my work and my time into these four categories, I can protect my ministry priorities. I must, because I am surrounded by so many attractive interruptions. I’m not planning to look at those unread magazines and catalogues, and I’m certainly not planning to spend an hour and a half talking with the custodian or a drop-in visitor, but sometimes I do, and the morning is gone!
Best results come from a set schedule.
One key distinction leaders should make is between results time and response time. Results time I dedicate to doing my “main thing.” These priorities may change as our churches grow, or if our job descriptions change, or as God begins new things. But whatever they are at a given time, main things are defined by three characteristics.
- 1. My main thing is mission critical. What is it that I do that is essential to the health and growth of the ministry? It must be done well if the mission is to move forward. for me, sermon preparation is one of my main things. Before the week begins, I set aside sufficient chunks of results time—preferably half-day segments—in order to do this with excellence. I take most of the day Wednesday, Thursday morning, and Friday morning for prayer, study, and prep time. It’s blocked out on my schedule every week from now till forevermore, amen. Knowing that these large chunks are protected and dedicated to my main thing allows me to be more productive during the other times of the week. I don’t stress out on Tuesday when I’m busy with meetings and administrative demands. Knowing my results time is coming allows me to relax and enjoy the other stuff that also needs my touch.
- 2. Others recognize my main thing as top priority. Though a church’s top priorities will change as the needs of ministry shift over time, it is important to prayerfully set priorities and have them affirmed by the leadership team or board. I’ve known some pastors who, in retreat with God, have decided to change their priorities, and then they implemented the changes without consulting their leadership. There is a word for such leaders: unemployed. I have learned to ask the church leadership to affirm priority adjustments. They serve as a buffer between me and the members who think my adjustments are out of line. Then with integrity, I can say (for example), “My priority right now is preaching and leadership. The board has asked me to limit my counseling in light of the growing needs and to use our referral network instead.”
- 3. Main things grow out of unique abilities. Over time, I have reduced the scope of my responsibilities to focus on my zone of unique abilities. That zone can be found by identifying and concentrating on three areas: God-given gifts, passions, and experiences. The convergence of these three areas is a leader’s “unique ability zone.” It’s important to structure our schedule around our “main things.” When we serve in this zone, and give our best, most creative part of the day and week to it, we will produce our best stuff. Apart from an occasional crisis, there really is no excuse for pushing our main things into our least productive times.
Response time is reserved for others.
I define response time by two terms: clean-up and follow-up. I tackle all the stuff that is still important, just not critical to the mission.
As a servant-leader, I realize that the people I serve have their own agendas, their own needs. I want to be responsive to them, as long as I first protect the rest and results times.
In ministry, stuff happens. It’s a lot like debris. We may be tempted to pick up a little here or there, but if we sweep it together into larger piles, then attack the piles in a good-sized block of response time, we’ll knock it out faster and more efficiently.
I set aside most of three afternoons per week for responding to e-mail, voice mail, staff issues, counseling, and the other work that flows from the well of ministry.
Serving the needs of others is always important, even vital, to humble servant-leadership. Meeting those needs, however, is not a leader’s main thing. It is important that we never allow them to control those all-important rest, results, and refocus times.
Sometimes it’s best to institute new structures or ministries to cover these response needs. The selection of the first deacons in Acts 6 is a good example. The needs of the widows were certainly important, but they were not the main thing for the apostles. So they established a new ministry, led by other gifted servants, in order to break free and restore quality time for the teaching of the Word.
If I mix response time with my other categories, I feel frustrated and I begin to resent the people and projects that need my touch. But if I first set aside blocks of uninterrupted time for rest and results, then I can give myself with joy to responding to other people’s stuff.
H. Dale Burke is pastor of First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton, California, and author of Less is More Leadership (Harvest House, 2004). His article,”How to Overcome Overload” appeared in Leadership.
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