IDEAS THAT WORK
Donald L. Bubna
January 1, 1981
"Where has the week gone?" This cry echoes through many church offices. Pastors, especially, know the frustration of trying to keep a schedule when people want to see them. If nobody ever comes to see you at the church, you're in trouble. On the other hand, if you're never able to keep to a schedule because so many people want to see you, you're also in trouble. My attempts to find a balance have led to a disciplined schedule.
I try to budget chunks of time in a weekly pattern. Certain hours are set aside for prayer and study, staff appointments, and administrative details. Other blocks of time are used for correspondence, compiling the bulletin, calling, writing, and committee work. A special effort is made to keep planned time for my family and relaxation. My planning sheet includes routine deadlines so new ones can be worked around them.
Many people might think this approach is not only unrealistic, but confining. Although any given week has never gone exactly as budgeted- any more than the family budget is spent as planned-a time and a money budget provide guidelines lo help me be a careful steward in both areas.
This time schedule helps my secretary when people call or drop in the church office to talk to me. She knows when I need to be uninterrupted, and is able to give a knowledgeable reply when people ask for me. And if she promises I'll telephone someone, I try to keep that commitment. People know when I'm not available, and why.
For insistent visitors with urgent business, she calls me on the phone. I then have a few options: I can have the visitor come into my study; I can come out to keep the meeting brief; or I can ask my secretary to check the daily schedule and set up an appointment as soon as possible. Many times ...
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