People look to you for so many things—for leadership, guidance, counseling, vision-casting, and theology, just to name a few. Yet while you are smart and competent, you are also human. There are limits to what you can do, many of which are simply the result of limited time. Every day you are bound by the same twenty-four hours, and there is always more that needs to be done in those hours than is realistically possible.

Again, part of using your time wisely involves setting good priorities. What are the things you must do, that can’t be delegated? What are the things someone else could do if you would allow them to? When you begin to step back and address these questions thoughtfully, you will inevitably see that there are many things on your plate that you can delegate to others.

There are certain tasks that can be effectively accomplished by someone else, but getting them done will cost you a little money. Secular companies do this all the time—they spend money to save time and enable them to concentrate on their priorities. You should, too. For a small fee you can outsource many small tasks to others and save yourself valuable time that you can use to accomplish more for your family and for God’s Kingdom.

In your particular case, this approach to maximizing your time may be a bit controversial. After all, it will cost you or your church some money. And most pastors and churches don’t have extra money lying around. But the benefits of trading money for time can make a lot of sense in many instances. There are two major benefits to this time-saving approach:

It helps you save the most precious resource you have—time. No matter how rich or intelligent you are, once a minute is gone you can never get it back. On the other hand, you can always make more money. So doesn’t it make sense in many cases to forgo something less precious (money) in order to gain something more precious (time)?

It helps you concentrate on the work God has called you to do. The activities you outsource to others should be things that aren’t directly related to the tasks God has given you or your church. By hiring someone else to take care of trivial but necessary activities, you free yourself to focus on more essential things.

– Nelson Searcy and Richard Jarman

The above excerpt is from pgs. 112-114 of The Renegade Pastor’s Guide to Time Management. 

Time is your most important God-given resource no matter how hard you work, you can’t make a day last longer than twenty-four hours. By mastering a set of proven time-management principles, you can regain control of your life. It is possible to manage your time so that you can stay on top of the never-ending demands of being a pastor, nurture your congregation, spend quality time with your family, and take care of your physical and emotional needs. Become the pastor God has called you to be.

P.S. – Click here to grab your copy from Amazon today!

Your partner in ministry,

Nelson

© Nelson Searcy. All Rights Reserved.

About Nelson Searcy

Nelson Searcy is an experienced church growth strategist, pastor, church planter and coach, consulting with churches around the world. As founder of Church Leader Insights and the Renegade Pastors Network, he has personally trained more than 3,500 church leaders in over 45 denominations through live events, seminars and monthly coaching. Nelson is also the Founding and Lead Pastor of The Journey Church, with locations across New York City and in Boca Raton, FL. Nelson and his church routinely appear on lists such as “The 50 Most Influential Churches” and “The 25 Most Innovative Leaders.” He is the author of over 100 church growth resources and 18+ books, including The Renegade Pastor: Abandoning Average in Your Life, Ministry and The Difference Maker: Using Your Everyday Life for Eternal Impact, and At the Cross with the People Who Were There. He and his wife, Kelley, have one son, Alexander.