Proverbs 4:23 (NIV) says, 'Above all else guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life.' Maintaining that daily walk with the Lord is absolutely imperative. I find that in temptation of any kind, I need to continually remind myself of God's omniscience and omnipresence. God sees everything in my life, and he is always with me. Our Christian Life and Ministry Meeting That is the new name of our midweek meeting and has different program format. It will replace the current CBS (Congregation Bible Study), Theocratic Ministry School, and Service Meeting.
Paul's Farewell to the Ephesians …23I only know that in town after town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions await me. 2425Now I know that none of you among whom I have preached the kingdom will see my face again.…
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Luke 16:28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also end up in this place of torment.' Acts 1:17 He was one of our number and shared in this ministry.' Acts 11:23 When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to abide in the Lord with all their hearts. Acts 13:25 As John was completing his course, he said, 'Who do you suppose I am? I am not that One. But He is coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.' Acts 15:7 After much discussion, Peter got up and said to them, 'Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you that the Gentiles would hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. Acts 18:5 And when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself fully to the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. Acts 20:21 testifying to Jews and Greeks alike about repentance to God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 20:23 I only know that in town after town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions await me. Acts 20:32 And now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all who are sanctified. Acts 21:13 Then Paul answered, 'Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.' Romans 8:36 As it is written: 'For Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.' Philippians 2:30 because he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for your deficit of service to me. 2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Revelation 6:11 Then each of them was given a white robe and told to rest a little while longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers, were killed, just as they had been killed.
But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear to myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
none.
Acts 21:13 Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
Romans 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? …
1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
neither.
2 Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
Philippians 1:20-23 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death…
Philippians 2:17 Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.
I might.
John 17:4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain…
Philippians 3:13-15 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, …
and the.
Acts 1:17 For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.
Acts 9:15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
Acts 22:21 And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.
to testify.
Acts 20:21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
John 15:27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
Hebrews 2:3,4 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; …
I’m addicted to seeking advice from older, wiser, spiritually-healthy pastors—those with godly attitudes and a long history of balance, healthy families, and personal fruit. Of the many questions I like to ask, this one is my favorite:
“How do you build your ‘normal’ weekly schedule?”
The first response is almost always laughter, followed by “what’s normal!?” From there I get a variety of answers.
The pastors I ask this question of are hard-working and passionate for preaching and people. They labor diligently, but live with a healthy balance while maintaining Biblical priorities. Their church understands the need for long-term sustainability amidst a consuming life of ministry.
The call to ministry is immersive—sort of like drinking the ocean. There’s always more to be done, more needs to meet and more people to serve. Without strategic and intentional decision-making, a weekly schedule will fly wildly out of control. As a result, a pastor’s life and family can deeply suffer.
How many needs did Jesus choose not to personally meet during his earthly ministry? He slept, ate, restored, worshipped, communed with friends, and stuck to doing the will of His Father. At every moment, multitudes remained close at hand yet did not get what they wanted. He healed many, but not all. Jesus ministered to many, but not all. He accepted the limits of life in a human body and stayed the course of the will of God. He allowed His Father to determine the priorities over the urgent demands of the immediate circumstances. He remained focused on the greater, eternal purpose! If I’m going to survive in ministry, I must learn to do the same.
After many conversations with Biblically balanced pastors with sustainable, healthy ministries, here are the common ways these pastors balance life and ministry through their schedule.
10 Ways Pastors Balance Life and Ministry in Their Schedules
1. A Day of Rest
Without fail, ALL of the faithful pastors I’ve dialogued with intentionally disconnect for at least one full day each week. Many also regularly take an extra day or half-day, due to the fact that most weeks find ministry demands bleeding into long 15+ hours days. One day off is consistent across the board. Many ministry leaders do not take a day off, thinking this to be noble or admirable. It’s not. It’s dangerous, destructive, and a bad example to others, which will lead to burnout.
2. A Couple Full Days of Study
While the placement of these days varies widely, I have yet to find a healthy church model where the pastor spends less than 15-20 hours each week studying and preparing. For many pastors, it’s more! Fruitful pastors take feeding the flock as their most serious responsibility, and their churches are typically thriving with health. They love the Word, engage their hearers, and do the hard work of delving into complex Biblical truth — creatively making it simple, applicable and actionable without dumbing it down or compromising its message.
3. A Full Day (or Two) of Administration and Appointments
Pastors balance life and ministry by maintaining a strategic role as both an engaged leader and an available shepherd. Regular staff meetings, responding to church family needs, and consistent attention to developing relationships happens on these days. Seasonally, this may increase or decrease, but it’s always held in check in order to avoid encroaching on the ministry of the Word.
4. A Half-Day (or More) of Outreach
Fruitful pastors never get too far from “the last time they shared the Gospel with someone.” While the times and ways of doing this vary from church to church, region to region, season to season—all of them do it intentionally. They engage people, build relationships, set appointments, and share Jesus. To these pastors, sharing the Gospel personally with others is not merely the fulfillment of a church program or a Christian duty, it’s the heart-beat of their lives and the central focus of their ministry.
5. A Full Day of Worship and Ministry on Sunday
Pastors should deliberately make Sunday as effective and encouraging as they possibly can. They are Biblicists and optimists! They see the gospel and God’s Word as truly GOOD NEWS! They anticipate and love expending themselves for the encouragement of God’s people. They want church to be refreshing — not discouraging or exhausting. They labor so that God’s people might leave Sunday edified and equipped.
6. Acknowledgement That No Week is the Same
This is universally consistent—no week is like the last. This is the reason the days above total more than seven days. Some weeks are study heavy. Others are administration heavy. Yet others are emergency heavy. No two weeks are the same. The ideal week exists in the mind more than reality, but having a target serves as an “anchor point” for remaining in balance. Planning for the unknown helps pastors balance life and ministry.
7. Deliberate Solitude and Balance
Every wise pastor I’ve spoken with emphasizes the importance of soul health—personal solitude with God and flexibility to avoid burnout. They all emphasize the values of family time, marriage time, and personal rest—frankly because many of them have been to the edge and back. They’ve learned to avoid the “red zone” of personal exhaustion and spiritual depletion. They’ve learned “the hard way” and don’t want history to repeat itself.
8. Deliberate Seasons of Extended Study, Prayer, Planning, and Vision Development
Without fail, every one of these pastors can point to annual places on their calendar when they pull away from the fray for a season. It may be five days, a couple weeks, or a longer sabbatical. It may be annual or longer every few years. It may be a day a month for focused prayer. The spouse usually participates, as well.
Every one of these pastors encourages planned “working withdrawal”—not vacation or time off, but time invested into long-range leadership, preparation and study. Often these pastors have other leaders in their lives, like deacons, elders, or a leadership coach, who ask the hard questions and support this kind of restoration.
9. Regular Family Vacations
Sustainable ministry models always include a pastor that gets away with his family for two or three weeks (or more) annually. A lot of pastors struggle with this for fear of criticism. If I wasn’t a pastor, I would more likely be bothered if my pastor DID NOT do this. “Not taking family vacation time” is unhealthy. It’s a bad example for other families. Put family vacation on the calendar—take it, enjoy it, talk about it and encourage others to do the same! You won’t regret it after the kids are grown!
10. Regular Marital Refresh
Healthy pastors maintain happy marriages. A man who works too much is not a godly man. He’s a neglectful man. Wise pastors have always encouraged me to plan a couple of times during the year to get away for a night or two with my wife. Having just marked our 25th anniversary, I can testify that this is the best marriage advice I’ve been given.
While every week is different, and every pastor is different—the fruitful and healthy pastors I talk to urge me to pursue building a weekly schedule that maintains healthy balance in life and ministry, while keeping a sustainable pace in leadership.
Personally, I struggle with the balance between moving forward in God’s will without driving forward in my own! I want to do more in my own strength. I tend to overestimate my ability to output. I fight the temporal enjoyment and illegitimate identity that can be found in “over-achieving.” But I’ve also experienced the emptiness and futility of “life in the red-zone.” In recent years, God has given me some pretty clear “health indicators” that warn me to make adjustments, and He’s given me a godly wife that looks for those warning signs and encourages me to trust God and live with balance.
One pastor said to me, “Cary, if you study some of the great pastors in history, you will find that every single one of them had different schedules and different approaches to personal balance. Find what works for you, and do it faithfully.”
Deeper Life Ministry
A loyal friend in my church family often sets me in my place with this question: ”Pastor, are you staying healthy?” As I assure him I am, he says something that always convicts me: “Good… because you’re no good to ANY of us if not!”
Healthy leaders are useful to God and others. They bless, encourage, edify, and serve. But, in the words of my friend, a burnt-out, self-destructive leader is “no good to any of us!”
Words Of Life Ministry
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Cary Schmidt serves as the Senior Pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Newington, Connecticut. He and his wife, Dana, have been blessed with three children and have enjoyed twenty-three years of marriage and ministry together. Cary’s passion is to love God, love his family, and point people to Jesus Christ through teaching, preaching, and writing. He has also written eleven books. @caryschmidt | website
Expect A Miracle My Life And Ministry
This post originally appeared at CarySchmidt.com. Check out this other post by Cary Schmidt: “20 Things You Should Know About Your Pastor“