A Weblog Dedicated to the Discussion of the Christian Faith and 21st Century Life

A Weblog Dedicated to the Discussion of the Christian Faith and 21st Century Life
___
I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand. For this also I believe, –that unless I believed, I should not understand.-- St. Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109)

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Ten Things Pastors Should Not Neglect (In No Particular Order)

1. Daily personal prayer and devotional time

2. Adequate time for sermon preparation

3. A day off on a weekly basis

4. A hobby

5. Yearly vacation time

6. Annual study leave

7. Regular reading time in biblical studies, theology, and pastoral ministry

8. Regular and confidential consultation with a trusted and faithful church member

9. A vital teaching ministry

10. Developing a good relationship with the youth of the church
.
All are welcome to add to the list.

3 comments:

Michael said...

Thank you for this, Allan. As a licensed pastor, I am about to embark on my first full-time appointment come June 29. The Arkansas Conference just last week held a seminar/retreat for all pastors moving to new appointments to cover a wide range of topics to help us get settled (I was rather dismayed at the number of those who failed to show up, but I was also encouraged by the number of experienced elders who did come).

I'm excited and nervous all at the same time because of how seriously I consider the task, but I'm looking for all kinds of advice. This piece hit the spot. Thank you.

revjimparsons said...

I would add...

- visit and take your homebound/shutins communion

Anonymous said...

While I think all your points are important, I feel the last one is one of the most important things a pastor can do for her/his church. Being in youth ministry for a while, many senior pastors tend to take the youth for granted. It's a worth it to invest some (not all) time with the youth, and at least know all of them by name...