A Week in the Life of a Lead Pastor
The Personnel Committee has invited some of your staff to share an outline of what a typical “week in the life” of our ministry looks like.
Of course, in ministry there is no such thing as a typical week. That means at random times we get walk-ins seeking help from a pastor or invitations to speak at a community event or (thankfully not too often!) a call that there has been vandalism or a flood in the building. Every week actually includes surprises, which you won’t find in the “typical” list below. You’ll sometimes find me wandering the church looking for an easel or baskets in prep for some small group gathering or class, and once in a while answering phones or welcoming guests if Cydne is out of office for a bit. Like for many of you, email can be a time-suck, but it can also be a means of connecting with people in a caring way. I try to limit email’s power over me, and therefore I won’t scatter it within each day in the outline below. While there are a lot of meetings in my week, these are significant times to connect with members of our congregation.
If you’re curious about anything in the outline or missing from it (I’m sure I’ve not included a lot of what happens in a week), let’s visit. You’ll read at the *asterisk below how I feel about connecting with all of you.
Monday (typically ~12 hours)
read bible, read commentaries
check pastoral care list on Breeze and note contacts to make for the week
check weekend emails
make a visit*
meet 1:1 with Davi to debrief, vision, plan, check-in, troubleshoot
make a visit
attend evening meeting(s) (Personnel, Boards, Council depending on the week)
Tuesday (typically ~11 hours)
begin bulletin outline (write/choose prayers, sermon title, read more commentaries)
make a visit
meet 1:1 with Cydne/Erin/Georgia/Moderator (depending on the week)
staff meeting
meet 2:1 with Susan & Ted
make a visit
attend afternoon meetings (COVID Advisory Committee, Leadership Team, etc. depending on week)
make evening visit
Wednesday (typically ~10 hours)
write midweek message
meet 1:1 with Lucy to choose hymns, prep for upcoming services, debrief, vision, troubleshoot
make visits
attend afternoon meetings (Called to Care Team, UMC Liaison Committee, etc. depending on week)
Thursday (typically ~7 hours)
write sermon
finalize bulletin
make visits
Friday (typically ~2 hours)
day off (or finish sermon/other loose ends)
Saturday
Sabbath (or church event)
Sunday (typically ~7 hours)
prepare prayers, announcements, review sermon
meet with Davi to walk through order of service
check in with Lucy, Georgia, Ted or Susan, head usher
worship
visit
attend or lead a class
record Monday Scripture video
Scattered Throughout
prayer, email, check-in with those who drop by the church, email some more, read articles/books that pertain to ministry, discern and vision, email …
*Make a visit means by phone, in person at home, the church, a coffee shop, or hospital; visits are with both church members and community connections (colleagues, non-profit partners, etc.). They can be ordinary “catching up” times but most often include conversations about grief, loss, fear, and hope. Visits are often the best parts of my week.
