Time – It’s a nonrenewable resource. It is absolute in its essence. You can measure it yet, and most don’t know how much of it exists. Many waste it, and few invest it. You can’t control the amount of it, but you can bend the influence of it. This is all true about time. That is why time management is essential to each of us.
And it’s true about your time. Once that hour is gone, it’s never coming back. 60 minutes for you is 60 minutes for me, the president, and the kid at school. You get 168 hours weekly, and if you’re like most pastors I know, you often wonder where they all went!
Managing time is sometimes a hassle and a pain to so many pastors. In your next 10 minutes of reading, you’ll discover 9 errors every pastor makes with time management and what to do about it.
1. “60 Minutes is Always 60 Minutes” Mirage
That is true, essentially. An hour is always an hour. Yet, they don’t all have the same value. Thinking about time management with only “time” value in mind is an error. You must add the “energy” value as well. If you watch 60 minutes of video on your cell phone, your battery will deplete quickly, but your battery will be fine if you text for 60 minutes. The same 60 minutes are not used in the same way.
As you may have noticed, some hours seem to be more productive than others during the day. I can write a lot of stuff in the evening but don’t ask me to write this article at 8AM. I’m at my best later during the day. Bending time is about using your best hours to do your best work.
Are you efficient at sermon preparation? Use your best hours to do that, and all of a sudden, you accomplish more!
2. “The Energy Tank” Hole
In the same line of thinking as above, many pastors make the error of forgetting that some parts of their work demand more energy, which will affect your time. When you’re tired, you don’t minister as efficiently as when you replenish yourself and rest.
Time management is also about energy. The two are tied together. If meetings drain you, account for it. I recommend you count those draining events for 1.25 of their initial value. For example, if writing reports drains you and it takes you 60 minutes, account for 60 X 1.25 in time, so 75 minutes total. This allows you margin to recoup and reset.
3. “The 2-Minute” Lie
You know what I’m talking about. “Pastor, do you have 2 minutes?” That NEVER happens. It’s like a pastor’s conclusion of a message. It never really ends!! “Can you help me? It’ll only take 2 minutes?” Lie. “It’ll take no time, maybe a couple of minutes.” Lie. Barely anything takes 2 minutes to accomplish.
Stop believing the 2-minute lie and assess how much time it will really take. A conversation? Minimum 15 minutes, more like 30 to 45 minutes. I know, out of your love for people and willingness to help and care, you will take the 2-minute-turning-into-30-minutes-of-listening! If the conversation needs to happen, plan it during the week and let people plan their meeting on your calendar!
4. “Ministry is a Full-Time Job” Fallacy
Full-time meaning your time is full of ministry, all the time, each day, no break. The error of believing that “no break=full-time” will bring any pastor down and burn them out. A full-time job should mean working hard and producing great work and fruit. But it should never be understood as working every day. A rested you is a better you. Always.
5. “Elastic Time Frames” Hypocrisy
This one is common to just about everyone I know. Similar to the “2-minute lie,” yet, different. Pastors are specifically good at this. Their generous spirit wants to make sure their time is well invested…and often ends up being wasted or overextended.
The overdue board meeting will take more time than expected. The counseling meeting will take more time than expected. Unless you’re one of these time management experts, it will often take more time than expected. (Did I say more time than expected?) To counterbalance that, first, note down how long the event really took in real-time. Secondly, add more time to what you planned!
6. “The One Evening” Falsehood
As a pastor, you’ll be asked or tasked to meet with different people for diverse responsibilities and at various times. Board meetings on Tuesday night, prayer night on Wednesday or Sunday, and dinner with church members on Thursday. Maybe you can add to that…which I hope you can’t and won’t.
The repeated falsehood of this belief is to assume it’s only one evening. Yes, of course, each item is one night, separately. All of these events may need to occur, yet not necessarily during the same week. To prevent this, note on your monthly calendar (more on point 9) each night that requires your attention. All other nights are off! Unless there is an emergency like the passing of a loved one.
7. “It’s Only a Season” Exaggeration
I used to joke around, saying, “Busy day, busy week, busy month, busy year, busy decade, busy life.” I know. It seems exaggerated. Yet, without throwing stones at anyone, I am convinced you’ve said (or believed) something similar.
When you keep repeating the “busy” line, you find yourself in a lifestyle, not in a season. Seasons begin, and seasons end. They blend into each other. They morph from life bloom to rest, from heat to cool or cold. If your season of ministry is crazy busy for more than 3-4 months, it’s time to reevaluate. Even God took some time off.
To change what might come up later, make a yearly calendar of events (more on point 9).
8. “The Holy Spirit Is My Message Prep” Deceit
This deception lies in misplaced priorities. As a pastor, your priority is your message. No one will keep coming to your church if your messages begin to lack life and content. No one at church means many things, and most of them you wouldn’t appreciate.
Everything else is submitted to that priority. There will be weeks when unexpected events will happen and majorly disrupt your planning. But those rogue weeks occur once or twice a year.
You must depend on the Spirit’s inspiration to communicate to your congregants, yet, He must not become a pillow of laziness. Plan your prep like this or if your week is too full, try this one efficient method.
9. “Which Calendar” Misinformation
Many pastors I know don’t run a tight ship, calendar-wise. They have a few occurrences on it but most of their work time is “implied” and not noted. You will be surprised if you get up one morning and you’ve got a flat tire that takes 3 hours to change. You cannot expect the passing of a church member on that specific week. You’re inexcusable when you forget to plan that your Easter or Christmas weeks will be busier or when your habitual first Monday of the month is ALWAYS crazy.
Here are some easy solutions. Note down the yearly calendar events that will keep you busier, like holidays, serve weekends, back from vacation, back-to-school projects, conferences, etc. Make sure you note them in your calendar, whether virtual or not.
Each month, write down your monthly calendar events like board meetings, special prayer nights, and Next Step dinners. These will start filling your calendar and will add occurrences to it. You’ll discover if you have any evenings available (or not!) for a church member’s invitation for dinner.
Here’s the thing: your calendar won’t lie to you. It will be honest with you. And you know that honesty is the best policy.
Rule Your Schedule
You can start making many of these suggestions today. Don’t wait. Remember, time won’t be waiting for you! Instead of letting your schedule rule, you begin ruling your schedule. You’ll be surprised at how much you can do with some healthy time management skills.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How can pastors delegate tasks effectively to avoid being overwhelmed?
Pastors often try to handle everything themselves, leading to burnout. Delegating tasks to staff, volunteers, or ministry leaders allows pastors to focus on their core responsibilities, like preaching, teaching, and pastoral care.
2. What tools or apps can pastors use to improve their time management?
Tools like digital calendars, task management apps (e.g., Todoist, Trello), and scheduling software can help pastors track commitments, set priorities, and ensure they stay on top of both personal and ministry tasks.
3. How can pastors communicate healthy boundaries to their congregation?
Pastors can set boundaries by being transparent about their availability. This includes defining office hours, setting communication policies, and teaching the importance of rest and sabbath through their example.
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