Time Management Advice

Michael Berens
Week 6
February 17, 2009

Time Management Advice

Chris Demarse
February 11, 2009

Boundaries
1.Chris mentioned that he has certain days where he can meet with people. When someone asks him to meet he brings up those two days and gives them a time within that structure. This helps with sporadic meetings and also helps create freedom on other days. Sometimes on the days he meets with people he becomes over booked and figures out another time if it is pertinent, otherwise he sticks to the two-day rule. Being bi-vocational is a time nightmare if he is not careful. Besides meeting with people, he does random things for the church that a normal church staff would have other pastors do. So he does not plan as well at nights, other than having set times throughout the week to especially be with his wife. Wednesday night is staff meeting, Thursday night is bible study and Sunday night is either board meeting or prayer at the church. Other than that he tries to keep free for his wife, if he can. The church does call at odd times. If a pipe bursts or a wall needs to be mended he goes. So these boundaries are more for meeting with people rather than small church tasks that continually need to get done.

Two pieces of Advice
2.The first is that you need to have a plan and try to stick to it as best you can. It can be tentative, but when you make it, say I am going to stick to it. The second is; learn to say no. The problem with new staff members is that they don’t understand that they cannot handle taking every project the pastor throws out at staff meeting. Take only what you can and say no to the rest until you get what you said yes to, done. New staffers can get lost in the sea of jobs and responsibilities right away. Ease into understanding the new schedule and work load.