Part 2 – Master Schedule

When our kids were still home, I would schedule time with the girls. I would put Alison in on Mondays at 4:30 for a 90-minute appointment and Elise on Saturday mornings at 11:30 for the same. (Though I know finding such blocks of time with a large family can be tough!)

For me a study cycle meant reading a lot on Monday evening after the kids were in bed, working on the outline and some word studies on Tuesdays around staff meetings, and finishing the outline on Wednesday by 2:30, when staff wanted it to print for the bulletin.

Maintaining a schedule is vital even in a very small church, and it becomes even more necessary as your schedule gets busier. And it’s good to ask this of everyone on your staff—creative people don’t like the idea but type-A people usually do.

Scheduling in time for discipleship became the way I could meet with new men in the church. On the first Monday of the month, I used this time to keep in touch with new members and guests. The second Monday was with a pastor friend I met with for 35 years. The third Monday was with the worship pastor, so that we would have a few minutes each month when we weren’t planning a service or evaluating some need; and the fourth Monday was with a group of pastors I was mentoring.

Having a master schedule helped me to get more done and to stay on task. And I always liked that five times a week there appeared the obligation to jog or play basketball. I had to keep to my master schedule! More on that in the next blog but let think together about a couple of questions.

How could better time management allow you to be a better spouse or parent? Do you have regularly scheduled time with your spouse and kids? How do you make sure you connect with important and needy people in your life and ministry?