It's easy to talk about scheduling principles. Plan, structure, and prioritize. Build in margin. Carve out time for prayer, family, rest, and exercise. But how exactly do those values play out on a calendar? How can they survive the demands and distractions of the work week? We asked five pastors from different contexts and life stages to explain what a typical week looks like for them. We didn't want them to describe their ideal week; we asked for their real ones. We know you'll benefit from taking a peek into their lives.
God and Family
I'm starting to realize that the question of how you structure your day is a question of faithfulness. I think of Ephesians 5:1—making the best use of the time, because the days are evil—and that's what I try to do. For me each day starts and ends the same way. I start by spending time with God. I end each day by praying with my boys, tucking them in, and talking with my wife, Yvette. Between those two bookends, there's a lot of variety. No two weeks are identical, but here's what a typical week looks like for me:
On Sunday it's particularly important that I start the day alone with God. It's a huge day for me and it's essential I get my bearings. Then I participate in three services and spend the remainder of the day in fellowship with my church and family. Monday is my personal Sabbath. I spend the day reading, reflecting, and just being with my family. Tuesday is staff alignment and care day. I shepherd and spend time with staff members at various levels. In the evening I serve my wife and boys in practical ways.
Sunday it's particularly important I start the day alone with God. It's a huge day and it's essential I get my bearings.
On Wednesday I head to a local coffee shop for my official day of sermon prep. This is all-day exegesis, and usually the first stage of crafting the sermon. In the evening we have a life group meeting in our neighborhood. Thursday I spend the morning at home with the family—getting the boys in the Scripture with my wife. I walk to the church building, and shepherd and counsel all day, sometimes also mentoring our church planters. The work day ends with our elders meeting in the evening. On Friday I head out to the local coffee shop to finalize the sermon (and work on any current writing projects). After a day of research and writing, I go home, get pizza, and do a game/cartoons night with the boys. Saturday is family day. I spend time with the boys and—depending on babysitter availability—go on a date with my wife.
Eric Mason is pastor of Epiphany Fellowship in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Break It Up
As the lead pastor of a growing church and the father of five kids, it's perplexing to think about how I "organize" my life. I don't think "organize" is the right word to use, because what I do is something closer to surviving by the skin of my teeth. But what I have found most helpful in keeping chaos at bay is to break up my day into smaller pieces.
We have something of an obsession with unbroken spans of time that we can commit fully to one pursuit or another: nine straight hours of work in a day, five straight days of work in a week, two weeks of vacation a year. There is a cultural underpinning to this approach, and it is also convenient to schedule our lives in big blocks because it seems less hectic. But I have found that this principle is better on paper than it is in practice. When I work for nine continuous hours (with a 30-minute break in between), I spend at least an hour doing something completely unproductive like browsing the web.
A fellow pastor said he never took a day off, because Satan didn't. But the enemy seems like a bad role model to me.
Now I try to organize my day into smaller discrete chunks, where I am doing the same things I would be doing otherwise, just not in long stretches. My early morning is devoted to kids and family. My morning at work is focused on getting administrative tasks out of the way. Then I take a walk or get some exercise, because admin has a way of making me feel sleepy. During lunch I try to invest in a relationship, perhaps a phone call or having lunch with a parishioner. I return to church work after this, usually setting the framework for my sermon. The early night is for my family again, and then the late night is devoted to quiet work and writing.
There have been several benefits to working this way. First, I rarely get bored. The modern attention span being what it is, it is hard for me to focus on any one task for over two hours. Switching gears and doing something different is refreshing, and often gives me a new perspective on things. Also, it fosters a sense of flexibility that is necessary in life. When life is organized into long, unbroken segments, anything that breaks that flow is treated as an unwelcome interruption. But the reality of life is that something always comes up. And when it does, I feel comfortable putting down what I am working on and addressing it.
Peter Chin is pastor of Rainier Avenue Church in Seattle, Washington.
Provide Cushion
Pastors seem to fall into two camps about which day to take off: we either use Monday to recover or take a day off later in the week when we can truly enjoy it. I'm part of the latter tribe. However, as an introvert, Sundays drain me, so on Monday I typically do less demanding tasks and try to minimize "people time." Often I pull out the sermon text for the week and start to ruminate on it. Much of my sermon prep comes through thinking while doing mindless tasks or walking, so I like to get the basic idea of the passage in my head as early in the week as possible.
Tuesday I continue with sermon prep but also devote time to attending meetings, including meetings of the boards I serve. Wednesday night we have Bible study where we examine the sermon passage I will preach on the following Sunday. So usually before that evening I have studied the passage and written a rough draft of the sermon, as well as planned the worship. Thursday I finish my sermon, including incorporating any new insights that surfaced during the Bible study. Often I use Thursdays for visiting people in prisons or hospitals. That afternoon we have kids group. My goal is always to complete my work by Thursday, even if sometimes I'm up late trying to get it done.
That leaves me Friday to really refresh. Over the years I have kept my Fridays as sacred and protected as possible. I believe this has helped me maintain almost 30 years of ministry in the urban church I planted. Knowing I have that day off really pushes me on Thursday to finish. With a tendency toward procrastination I need that kind of motivation to get everything finished. The other beauty of taking Friday as my day off: when a crisis intervenes, or travel interrupts, I have this day of cushion to be sure I'm ready for Sunday. Thankfully I've needed this back up plan seldom, but what a blessing when it's necessary!
Saturday can be a work day for a special event, or it can also be a second day off. My Sundays include morning worship and afternoon ministry to youth, with a nap in-between when possible. Daily I try to take a walk or a Pilates class for my physical health. Keeping these rhythms helps me stay healthy in all areas. Years ago a fellow pastor said he never took a day off, because Satan didn't. The enemy seems like a bad role model to me, God taught us to honor the Sabbath. Part of Sabbath for me is being able to sleep in and allow my body to recover.
Katherine Callahan-Howell is pastor at Winton Community Free Methodist Church in Cincinnati, Ohio.
What Works for You
As our church has grown, I've needed to adapt my schedule. A fast-growing church may be praised in Christian circles, but it challenges every area of your life. I've learned through trial and error what I personally need in order to maintain a healthy schedule. I've learned not to try and copy another leader's life; you must find what works for you. These are the weekly commitments I've made to guard the health of my ministry and personal life.
- Exercise 4-6 times a week.
- Eat healthy and get sufficient sleep.
- Get alone time to refill my emotional tank.
- Spend quality time with my family.
- Teach in only two different settings per week (like Sundays and our college ministry). When I teach more than this, which I did for many years, my health suffers.
- Leave margin in my schedule for people in the body.
- Spend time in the Bible and prayer every day.
This is how my weekly schedule looks. On Sunday I teach at three gatherings: two gatherings at our main campus and one gathering at another. I travel between the campuses so I can teach live at both. After, I stay at our main campus to talk and pray with people. I then usually have one or two meetings with people in the afternoon. Monday and Tuesday are days off for our staff. On Wednesday I meet with our central staff for two hours. Then I meet with individual staff to answer questions and just invest in them. Sometimes I spend time developing projects for future ministry opportunities. Every few weeks I teach in our leadership development program. On Thursday I focus on studying for Sunday. I'm also available for staff questions and a meeting with someone in the church. On Friday I continue studying for Sunday. I also spend two to four hours studying for our weekly college ministry that gathers on the University of Oregon campus. Saturday is completely dedicated to finishing up my preparation for Sunday.
Wesley Towne is pastor of Ekklesia in Eugene, Oregon.
Choosing What's Best
"You are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed" (Luke 10:41,42). Jesus spoke those words to Martha, but he might as well have said them to me. As a pastor of a church with a large staff and multiple ministries, projects, and worship services (not to mention an active building campaign) I am tempted daily to be worried and troubled about many things. Fighting that temptation has meant acknowledging that I can't do everything on my own. I need to focus on three responsibilities: cast vision, train leaders, and teach God's Word. Those responsibilities—along with an unwavering commitment to my family—take priority over other tasks such as administration, counseling, visitation, etc.
When I train new leaders, I tell them that the church is a sponge: it will suck up every minute you give her. You have to know how to say no. I have set boundaries for my schedule and rely heavily on my assistant to ensure my schedule reflects my priorities. That starts with making sure I have a Sabbath day. Sabbath is not only about worship; it's about rest. Mondays are my Sabbath and nothing gets scheduled on Monday—no funerals, no meetings, nothing! I jokingly told my assistant, "If Jesus comes back on a Monday, tell him to come get me at home."
Monday, Thursday, and Friday evenings and Saturday mornings are family time, and Daddy Duty trumps all church needs. I need time to pray. My office time begins with an uninterrupted hour of prayer and devotional time. I also take seriously the need to stand prepared to preach. So Thursday morning and all day Friday are dedicated to sermon preparation. My physical health is important too, so I have learned to block off time for lunch and to work out. On Wednesdays I visit the sick and meet with members. I also schedule myself to be present on campus when members are there volunteering. I talk with them or drop by their meetings just to say "hello" and "thank you." My hope is that when my ministry and life conclude, I will hear what the Lord told Mary: "You have chosen what is best."
Howard-John Wesley is pastor of Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia.
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