Busy is one of those words that can mean different things at different times. There has been times when I thought I was busy then later I thought “What was I thinking? I wasn’t busy then, I’m busy now.” In a few months I end up eatting my words because it just got busier. Why does busy change?
1. Your time management skills either need to improve or you are not practicing what you know about time management.
2. You’re not delegating to your team.
3. You’re having a hard time saying no.
4. “Your hummingbird butt overrode your alligator mouth.” Which means, “You bit off more than you can chew,” which means all of the above need work.
Archive for the 'Blog Updates' Category
Same action brings same results… I’ve found out these past 53 years on the earth you can’t keep doing things the same way you have always done them and get different results. For the last 12+ years I have been teaching a monthly audio leadership lesson that I call the children’s ministers leadership club or theClub for short. Every workshop, book chapter, magazine article and blog post I do has come from a club lesson. TheClub has been a blessing to me and the lifeblood of income and support for JWM. They have also blessed a lot of leaders. In January I made the Young Guns Program available to CM Leaders under 30 so they could get theClub lessons free. I’ve had a great response. But I feel led to do something crazy over the next 3 months I’m going to give my June, July, and August club lessons away free to anyone of any age who signs up for my newsletter on jimwideman.com. Call me crazy, call me generous, call me a nice middle age gentleman who looks a little like the guy on the chicken bucket. Hurry and sign up before June 15th so you won’t miss a single lesson. I’m excited to see the growth that will happen when you dare to expand how you think about leadership.
Now…”that’s the way I see it!”
7. Learn to be content where you are.
Paul tells us in Philippians 4:12 that there is a secret to being content. He tells us that he knew what it was like to have plenty and he knew what it was like to be in need. The secret to being content in any situation is to know that God is your strength.
Many times we look at circumstances and situations. If everything is smooth, then everything must be okay. But we cannot look at situations or people for encouragement. Our strength comes from the Lord. It’s by His might that you will overcome. It’s in Him that you are victorious. It is Jesus’ strength that will empower you to do all that you have to do with such a small amount of time.
If you cannot find contentment doing what you are now doing with part-time or less pay, you would not be content even as a full-time staff member. Contentment is a way of life. It’s a desire and attitude of heart that says, “No matter what, God is the source of my strength. I will stand upon His Word. I will trust and abide by His Word because His Word brings power and victory.”
It’s not the title that you have that makes you a minister. It’s not the fact that you draw a salary from a church or have an office that makes you effective and obedient to the call on your lives. It’s whether or not you get the job done that really counts. First Peter 5:23 tells you to be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers— not because you must—but because you are willing as God wants you to be. Not greedy for money, but eager to serve. Not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
You see titles are easy to get. Many people call themselves a youth or children’s pastor. It’s not the title that makes you a pastor. It’s not where you get your income or paycheck that makes you a pastor. The only thing that can make you a true pastor is when you obey these verses. When you feed and care for the sheep entrusted to you willingly, eager to serve, quick to love, quick to forgive, and are a true example, it is only then that you can be considered a pastor to them. It doesn’t matter whether you are full-time, part-time, or one-quarter time, What matters is that you are being obedient to the call and will of God in your life.
6. Be A Better communicator
Because you may not be able to communicate with your pastor or other staff members when you need to, learn to communicate by writing notes, emails or memos. Put up mail boxes or files for your key leaders and coordinators, have a worker website or use an email blast program. You’ll find that many things you usually have to have meetings about can be handled by putting the info in writing. Also whenever you do have a discussion in the hallway or in passing, followed it up with a memo or email. You’ll also find that written communications reduce the chances of things being forgotten or left undone.
Another tip is not to always approach your pastor with problems and questions, but rather share with him possible solutions and answers to the challenges you’re facing. Turn in a progress report to your pastor even if he doesn’t ask for one. Let him know your attendance, growth, number of salvations, and other things relating to your ministry. It’s always a smart thing to keep your leaders in the know!
5. Time management is a must
Because your time is shared between many different areas and because you want to maintain your priorities in the right order, time management is essential if you are going to see maximum results from the time you have to give. There are three basic steps to effective time management:
Make a list of things to do.
Be sure and put them in order beginning with the most important or critical to the least important.
Mark off the things you’re accomplished..
Then all the things that you did not get around to doing will be the first things on your list for tomorrow. This leads to the final step.
Keep accurate records of how you spent your days.
When I started writing down how long it took me to get a task done, I saw what I was going to have to delegate. I also started to see if I spent the time that I had wisely. By reviewing how you spend your day, you can see what adjustments you have to make to get the job done.
I’m in the habit of reviewing my day and making a list of what I need to accomplish tomorrow before I go to bed. This helps me sleep better because I know what I need to get done when I face the new day. It’s easier for me to rest, knowing l’ve got a plan for accomplishing what’s required of me.
The next priority is your family
If you reach every child or young person in your city and your own children’s needs are being overlooked, you’re a phony and a hypocrite. We must do all we can to make sure our family comes before our ministry. When you’re at your busiest is when you probably need to get away for a day or so.
Have a date with your spouse and do something with just you and your children. Your children have to share you with the entire church, but they won’t mind it as much if you make special times to be with them, even if it’s just a special lunch or dinner.
Don’t ever forget that Father God established the home as the first institution—even before the church. Part of this priority is providing for your family. Two things all families have to do are eat and pay bills. If you have to work outside the church to do this, then you are not doing something bad. Your ministry comes after you have worked to provide for your family.
You may ask, “But how can ministry advance if it’s third?” Remember, it’s not your ministry, it’s the Lord’s ministry. He is also the one who causes it to advance.
You also have to face the fact that you just can’t do everything. If you are not on full-time staff, you must learn to delegate. The more people you get to help you carry a heavy object, the easier it is for each person. As the ministry grows and calls for a bigger demand on your time, you must learn to recruit and delegate.
Moses found himself in the same dilemma. In Exodus 18:17-26, we are told of the godly counsel that Jethro gave his son-ill-law Moses. Jethro advised Moses to appoint trustworthy, godly men over the people. He also told Moses to recognize their abilities. Some could handle 10, some 50, and some many more. But he instructed him to spread out the load and not to try to carry it all himself. You must also learn to delegate and find help so that you can keep your priorities in the right order.
“Oh, if I were only full-time at the church, then I could accomplish great things in ministry ” This has been, and still is, the cry of Christian workers all over the United States as well as the world. But being full-time in the ministry just might not be what you always dreamed it would be.
Let’s stop for a moment and take a realistic look at the ministry. A pastor once told me, “things are never as bad as you think they are and you’re never as Wonderful as you think you are, either .” At my very first ministry opportunity (it was not a full-time position by the way), I learned right away that if I was going to make it in ministry, I would have to learn to look at challenging situations realistically. It didn’t take me long to learn that when someone told me half the church was upset with me for something 1 had done, I needed to find out for myself the accuracy of their statements. Most of the time “half the church” translated to “three people ” This meant there were 197 in the church who were not mad at me.
In other affords, compare apples to apples. In doing this, you may just find out that you don’t have things as rough as you think. I remember another time shortly after accepting a new position that I became very frustrated because my last church seemed so much more organized than the first one. Then my wife reminded me what it was like at my old church after the same amount of time and I saw that rather than being behind, I was really ahead. Looking at things realistically will keep you from falling into the traps of the devil. You see there’s really no such thing as a part-time Christian leader. What that really means is that you work for the Lord full time but you have to depend on something other than the ministry to make a living
In the days to come we’ll look at seven keys to keep you out of the “I’m-just-part-time” trap.
We have a winner in the Way We See It Blog’s first-ever giveaway! Also, we’ve got a special discount for those who didn’t win the contest. All of that right after you click the link below…
If your 30 or under and in full time ministry you can get theClub monthly audio leadership resource at no cost.
Log on at www.jimwideman.com/theclub for more information
For those of you who aren’t aware, The Way We See It is holding it’s first Children’s Ministry Giveaway! You can receive over $290 worth of valuable prizes just for sending us an email. To find out more, just visit the giveaway page. You’ve only got 2 days, 8 hours, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds left to sign up, so get going!