Posts Tagged ‘time management’

focusing on a new season

// April 24th, 2009 // No Comments » // Self-Development

We’ve had a great Easter in church – exciting to see so many new faces around. One of the best things has been hearing about people who have literally walked in off the street because they have seen the huge billboard / sign that is hung up over the front of our building. One of the benefits of having a front that faces directly onto a busy dual carriageway!

The Big Getaway was fantastic as usual… even more so this year as everything just felt a little bit easier and more familiar at good old Cliff College. It probably also had something to do with the fact that we were sleeping in one of the Conference dorms near to the Conference Centre and I didn’t have to trek up the huge hill 10 times a day to the Main College complex. Not only that but all the memories of spending 2 years of my life in the college… kind of scrambles your brain. So this year I didn’t go anywhere near the College part and it felt like I was somewhere else completely!

But Easter is over for another year and now I’m looking towards the new season in the run up to our summer. There’s plenty to pack in from new Connect groups to relaunching our Friday night Youth at the Megacentre. Plus there’s the bLink Summit coming up, a special tour with Steve Kennedy from Australia and finally as we hit the summer – Summerfest is back!

If you’re not careful you can blink and miss plenty of stuff that is happening – which is why I’m really hoping to take some time this next week to get my head round everything and make sure that I’m fully focused and covering all the bases. That can be hard sometimes in leadership because there is SO much to consider as well as SO much needing to be done – but I guess the key to it all is MAKING the time to think and plan. It can’t just always be do, do, do – work isn’t just about being able to say you sat at the computer all day, or managed to paint the loos (which need doing when I think about it!). Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is actually to stop… and take stock. Make some plans, write some to-do lists, make a few phone calls and get everything clear and in order – and then get on with the do-ing!

What do you need to stop and take careful consideration of today? What’s crying out for some thinking time? Don’t put it off as often these things are the most important things to be considered!

Take time to think! Take time to focus on the new season!

return to normal

// September 11th, 2008 // 4 Comments » // General, Self-Development

The last few weeks seem to have been absolutely rammed with work so huge apologises for not blogging. I am just about getting back into the swing of things as deadline after deadline begins to pass by – having been finally accomplished. This is indeed the life of a Pastor / Graphic Designer!

My youth pastor asked me the other day “how on earth do I manage everything?” after I’d made some comment about being run off my feet but still going. It’s an interesting thought – but I guess the answer is I don’t really think about it. Thinking about it would lead to such dead end cul-de-sacs of stupid questions (or whinges) such as “am I really coping?” – “should so much be expected of me?” – “my senior pastor doesn’t care enough for me and my family?” – “I don’t think I’m being paid enough to work so hard…?” – etc. after stupid etc.

The real answer I’ve found is to stop asking questions and get on with what you’ve been called to do! My passion is to build God’s church and so that will require me to do whatever it takes. The great thing is I have a God who cares about my family, who cares about my health, who cares about how I am doing and who cares about how much I get back from what I do… so why not leave those things in His very capable hands. That doesn’t mean I leave my brain at the door when planning my time… but it does mean that I know that for everything there is a season. Right now we’re in that pioneering and launching season till you drop… and my wife appreciates it and releases me to it – but October will soon swing round and we’ll start riding the wave of momentum that we created during the last season!

So – if you’re wondering how to cope with everything – stop wondering, stop wasting thinking time on it and just get on with it!

(If you’re married – pop into the Co-op on the way home, buy your wife some flowers, have dinner and then make sure you switch the channel to a good chick flick before you make your excuses and disappear into your office for a late night!)

Anyhow – back to work… I can’t spend all night blogging… (not just yet anyhow!)