Pastoral Productivity – Challenges

Pastoral Productivity – Challenges

by | Apr 6, 2010 | Featured Articles, Pastoral Ministry, Time/Life Management

Busyness is a given and is not unique to pastoral ministry. But make no mistake, busyness is often more of a problem, than more of a sign of effectiveness. I have always wrestled with personal focus, whether practicing my trumpet in high school band, or finishing a paper in college. Procrastination could be my first, middle, and last name. Time and life management has always been a struggle. But it has become a major pursuit as well; one in which I trust I am making progress. Challenges to Productivity Sin. Sin steals time. Whether misplaced conversation, inappropriate activities, or laziness in and of itself, sin steals time. When activities of life that are not faith-founded dominate the schedule, sin is present. Sin is never productive, not in the long run – rarely in the short run, never for things eternal. No real need to get too specific here. Sin steals time. You probably know how that shows up in your life. I am quite well aware of how it shows up in mine. Family. I don’t mean to suggest that productivity is more important than time spent with family. I don’t believe that and would never advocate it. However, I am quite sure that family requests, kid’s desires, and even legitimate, necessary family needs prove challenging to your being productive. Productivity may mean staying up later, or in my case getting up earlier, so that family is not inappropriately neglected. Nonetheless, family responsibilities are always a challenge to being productive in your work. Unintentionality. This may be one of the biggest challenges. Simply having no intentional plan regarding your...