Pastoral Response Versus Project Time

by Rev. Mark E. Tidsworth, Founder and Team Leader

We live in the tension.

We live in the tension between responding to people and situations which arise in the moment – AND – the need to accomplish projects, like sermon and teaching preparation, meeting preparation, and administrative tasks.

Both are valuable ministry.

How many times have those “drop-in” conversations in the church office turned into holy moments, meeting needs or stoking epiphanies? Also, crises come to peoples’ lives when they come, far beyond our control. Most pastors see responding to crises, or simply tending to the flock when needs arise, as valuable ministry.

Yet, we live in the tension.

Project time is necessary for effective ministry, just as valuable. Sure, we can do Saturday night specials when it comes to sermons, yet we know it’s not our best offering to God and God’s church. We can show up to meetings unprepared, yet we know we are wasting the time of multiple people. We can push off administration onto others, or delay deadlines, yet we know we are missing the mark.

So, how do we manage ourselves in the tension? If we become too self-directed, too project oriented, our people get the distinct impression that we don’t care, unavailable except for the most extreme emergencies. We might accomplish many hard tasks, yet the soft parts of ministry, people connection, will suffer. On the other hand, when we become too accessible, our work environment becomes a place where project work (think sermon prep, for example) can’t happen.

Here are five suggestions for managing ourselves well in the tension between these polarities.

Accept this tension as inherent in church ministry.

By doing so, we stop expecting the tension to be resolved. Sure, we can lower the tension, yet these are polarities, made to suspend tension between them. Accepting this as normal, redirects our energy toward managing ourselves well in this very tension.

Know yourself and your motivations.

Some clergy who don’t much like project work or administration, will allow response time to grow and take over their days. This is not because they are actually needed to respond, but is actually a delaying tactic around unpreferred work. Other clergy who love projects, may erect such defenses against response time that they are unreachable. Knowing our tendencies, fueled by motivations, empowers us to make better choices in each moment.

Establish routines and rhythms.

Some clergy designate certain days and times each week for project work, like sermon preparation. Others designate places for project work, like home or coffee shops. When others in the church office know these routines, they can reinforce them, minimizing responses needed during those protected times. Healthy lay persons in churches rather know when not to drop by, rather than left guessing if the moment is good.

Learn to value yourself, your personal life, and your family’s well-being.

By finding our rhythm and routines as well as knowing our motivations, we become more effective in our ministries. Often this makes us more efficient, too, giving us back our time off and weekends. We, like the people in our congregations, deserve to have a personal life and family time. This is good and right. Working smarter honors these realities.

Stay flexible within the routines and rhythms.

Sometimes clergy go too far, growing rigid about their boundaries. Sometimes this is a stage of professional growth, moving from no boundaries to awkward boundary management. On the other hand, some clergy turn boundaries into golden calves, honoring them above all things. This, friends, will undermine otherwise effective ministry.

Response time versus project time… we live in the tension. AND, we can live fairly balanced pastoral lives when understanding this situation. May we manage the polarities well, responding with a resounding YES and accomplishing tasks in proactive and effective ways.