A Week in the Life of Tim

Do pastors only work on Sundays?

​I could write a book with that title.

While Sundays may be the most visible part of a pastor's work, being a Senior Pastor (or any pastor) is a full-time calling. Notice I said "calling," not a "job." It is as much a spiritual experience as it is a human one. That's why I believe that the call seeks the person… the person doesn't seek the call.
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From my perspective, a calling is different from a job in that being a pastor is much more than a means of paying the bills. Being a pastor is a complex collision of purpose, personal values, passion, fulfillment, and internal and external motivation (specifically, the Holy Spirit).

Without sounding hyper-spiritual, pastoral leadership is so humanly crushing that I don't believe you can do it without God's Spirit leading, guiding, strengthening, and sustaining you. A community of leaders is also essential to shepherding and leading well.

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And here's why: not only is the Senior Pastor the human-organizational leader of the congregation (which is a full-time job itself), but the role is also responsible for spiritual leadership. This spiritual leadership includes preaching and teaching God's Word, becoming aware of and ministering to the needs of the wider community, seeking God's direction and vision for His church, ensuring people are shepherded and spiritually cared for, partnering and mutually supporting other pastors in their ministries, and carrying the burdens of people as their pastor.

Here are some "sneak peeks" into my week as your Senior Pastor…

Every morning, I wake up and recenter myself as a child of God. Reading a passage of scripture (I'm currently in the Psalms), I remember that I'm a baptized child of God. Whatever happens throughout the day, I am His. I believe that God's forgiveness is mine through Jesus and that the Holy Spirit is constantly at work in my life. I started this "habit" early on in ministry, which fuels my daily prayer. I physically feel different on the days when I short-sell this time with God.

Before I leave for the "workday," I kiss my wife (TMI?) and hug my kids. I am the only person who can be a husband to my wife and a dad to our kids. Throughout the year, we shift evening schedules to make family time work. Sometimes we get it right… other times, we don't. We live in a never-ending ocean of grace and learning together.

Driving through my neighborhood or dropping kids off at school, I often wave to or briefly talk with my neighbors. We love our neighbors. We believe God has put us together on our street with and for each other.

If you've read this far, you might think, "This is what you do for work"?

While I don't get "paid" to follow Jesus, love my family, or be a good neighbor - I don't believe I can be an influential pastor or leader without continually growing in this way of life.

During my "work week," I facilitate conversations, learning, discernment, and decision-making. Whether preparing for or leading a meeting, phone and email conversations, face-to-face visits, or community gatherings, most of my time is spent with people.

Mondays typically begin with a video conference call with other Large Church pastors. We spend time in prayer, personal sharing, and mutual encouragement and support. I then connect with our ministry staff for a daily prayer time. I'll then connect with my assistant to review the week and our Operation Director to coordinate on anything urgent. The rest of the day is spent preparing sermons, responding to emails, and writing my weekly email and blog. I will sometimes grab lunch or coffee with somebody or make a care visit.

I’m getting back into the habit of meeting a friend on Tuesday morning for an early morning walk/hike. Once a month, I also spend the day with local Lutheran pastors for a collegial gathering. Otherwise, my day continues with daily staff prayer time. I will meet with our Message Planning Team or finish my sermon and writing for the week. Once a month, I have an afternoon video call with our Northwest District Board of Directors' "All People's Group" Task Team. I will use the rest of my Tuesday to follow up on more urgent pastoral care calls or prepare for Elder or Board of Director meetings. Tuesday evening is Life Group night or an elder's meeting (generally twice a month).

I start my Wednesdays with an Executive Coaching session before spending the rest of the day with our ministry staff in meetings. We will have lunch together once a month to celebrate birthdays, work anniversaries, and other significant life happenings. The afternoons are often scheduled with various meetings about baptisms, ministry, or church business. I am onsite on Wednesday evenings to connect with people. It's also a great time to schedule meetings with people who work during the day.

Thursday begins with staff prayer time, which then moves into a worship "Production" meeting, during which we review everything for Sunday worship. I'll spend the rest of the day in personal leadership development time, making pastoral care visits and phone calls, and often have mentor meetings with our Pastoral Intern. I will sometimes also connect with a group of local pastors on Thursday mornings once a month. Our Board of Directors will meet throughout the year on Thursday evening.

Friday is my sabbath. Now that our kids are in school, Beth and I find Friday an excellent "date day" that fills our buckets. I also love catching a nap, running errands, and cooking on my sabbath.

Saturdays are precious to us as a family. When we are not serving at Faith in Action, we explore new places, hike a mountain, or ride bikes on a trail.

Sunday begins like "normal." When I arrive on site, I often pray for our church, community, and world while driving or walking around our campus. I'll then review my sermon slides and listen to the worship band warm-up. Sunday morning is when I get to be with you in God's Word, pray with and for you, share communion, and enjoy being with you. I often go home with a filled heart to either rest or spend time outside with my family. We will sometimes invite people over to enjoy the day with us on Sunday afternoons.

Is each week really that organized?

More often than not, "life happens," and many weeks are not as orderly as I just described. I’m thankful for my family and my Assistant who are adaptable, flexible, and understand that ministry is first and foremost about people (after Jesus). Memorial services and weddings, community events and tragedies, pastoral counseling requests, keeping our Board, elders, and leaders informed, and the ongoing "business" of the church ebb and flow in and out of my week. They’re not “distractions” or “extra work”...  rather, they are what it means to serve people like Jesus.
 
Final Thought

But let's think about this. . . Whatever you do—whether you're a student, in the workforce, retired, staying at home, or anything in between—you have a calling, too. You, like me, have humanly crushing responsibilities.  We need God's Spirit to lead, guide, strengthen, and sustain us. We need a community of people around us to live and lead well.

​Let me know what you think and how your life and work are more of a calling than a job.

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