Ingredients of Your Master Schedule

What are the ingredients of your master schedule? It sounds like a recipe when you see it in that way. Maybe it is—a recipe for a good pastorate and loving leadership.

Here is what one veteran pastor of 43 years thinks ought to be included in your ideal week. At least these are the things which helped me attack my week rather than have it attack me. Your ingredients may not be exactly like mine, but here are some ingredient ideas from my master schedule to get you started.

1. Worship` God by yourself. Some say it has to be in the mornings, but you know what’s best for you.
2. Family time. I scheduled a “date” with my wife each week and a one-on-one “appointment” with each of my children. Take time to have fun with your family.
3. Exercise. I found that this relates directly to energy level and lasting health, and so it comes under “stewardship.” I found that three or four times a week was needed, with a vigorous 35 to 50 minutes each time.
4. Sermon prep, prayer, and practice. I would write it in at my best time for emotional stamina. Most national surveys of pastors show 8-12 hours a week dedicated to sermon prep. Some give less. I prefer 15 hours or more. Of course you would interrupt any of this for a family need, tragedy, or crisis.
5. Leadership time. This is time with staff, including individual meetings with those who report to you, with general staff, with the leadership team, and with the chairman of the church board, and time to develop leadership.
6. Your discipleship group. Everyone on staff should have one and that includes the Sr. Pastor.
7. Vision and goals. This is the time I would use for reading and planning.
8. Other ministries you lead. You must make time for minor challenges for which you are “point person” on staff. I had outreach basketball. (Take your hobby and combine it with mission and reaching others where you live.)
9. MBWA. I would take time to, “Manage By Walking Around,” which is informal time with staff and volunteers. Get to know about them and their families and personal likes and dislikes—for example, do they like the office coffee? Yes, even this can be in your master schedule.
10. Time to meet unbelievers—a club or gym?—and to be in your community or city. It was the only way I knew to make myself get “outside the walls” of the church building.
11. Administration, answering mail, writing publicity. This should not be at peak times. J
12. Sleep! You probably do not need to write this in but it is vitally important that you get plenty of rest.