Over the next few days, we'll be discussing the pros and cons to bi-vocational ministry.
I really am a pretty positive guy, yet I want to begin by looking at one of the negatives of bi-vocational ministry. Perhaps the most important resource that we have at our disposal is T...I...M....E. Time, the one truly unreplenishable natural resource. Once the hours are spent they can never be recovered (unless you happened to fly back across the international date line, in which case: live it up...not really, just jiving).
The truth is that we are each given a finite amount of time and we must choose how we spend those 24 hours, the 1440 minutes that we have at our disposal each day. A bi-vocational minister will find themselves pressed for time. The "real" job will always cry out for more time and energy. The church also desperately needs attention. How do you strike this balance? How do you find the time for both jobs when both are really important?
The practical response: A bi-vocational minister needs an outstanding tool that allows them to keep track of their busy lives. For me, the Palm Centro that Bob's provided me has helped me keep track of all those important details. For the ADD, bi-vocational guy that I am, this is perfect. Whatever the specific tool is, the bi-vocational minister will need to be meticulous in the allotment of their time.
What tools are you using to help you with time management?
2 comments:
hey, trey. i'm exploring the bivo thing as well, as you know. thanks for your advice on this topic on the phone and here.
one thing that is indispensable: a loving, patient, caring, and administratively talented wife! i have one, and i know you do too.
also, some people in your new plant that are willing to step up and take some of the load... i know you also have these, and i'm praying for more for both of us.
Trey,
I feel ya man. For me it's not the time that I miss it's the things I don't get to do with that time - it's what could be accomplished if I only had more time.
Alas I have a giant "to do" pile and the truth of it is I just need to move a chunk of it to the "never will happen as long as I'm bi-vocational" pile.
When I can come to grips with that then I can find I get a feeling of success. The more things I quit the better I feel.
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