One of the questions that I struggle to answer about being a full-time preacher is “what do you do all week?” I suppose I understand the curiosity if someone works a 9-5 job (or more) and hears that all I have to do is teach a bible class, and give two sermons a week. But many of the people that ask me that question already know that I don’t “just work two days a week.” Honestly, there have been some who actually thought that was the case, but they are few and far between.
My most common answer is “it depends on the day of the week.” In my ministry experience, no two preachers have the same schedule. Some like to keep a routine throughout the week where each day looks basically the same. These preachers may have come from a secular job where clocking in and clocking out were the beginnings and ends of their day. If that works for them, then more power to them. Personally, I like to try and keep each of my days segregated to focus on one particular kind of task. For example, Sundays are fairly obvious as to what my day looks like. Mondays however are days that I use primarily to focus on the media side of my ministry. The articles, the videos of classes and sermons, the audio to the website, are all issue that I like to address the day after I preach. Downloading the video and audio, trimming the length, rendering and uploading to websites all take a surprising amount of time. And one thing I’ve learned as I’ve been uploading for all these years now: the more places you use that media, the more time it takes. Thankfully, with the set-up we currently have, it doesn’t take ALL day.
Tuesday are an important office day for me. This is when I settle in on what I’ll be preaching next Sunday and get the outlines completed. I also finish the article to be put into the bulletin as well. My online classes are also this day, so generally all the office work that I have to do I try to get done on this day. Fridays are also a full office day for school and any other work that needs to be done at the building.Wednesdays vary for me. Sometimes I’ll get ahead in the office in the morning, while other times I will come to the building in the early evening and just work through until services at night.
Thursdays are the day I choose to “take off.” Meaning if nothing else comes up, those days are like my Saturdays for a normal scheduled worker. Family time, work around the house, etc usually fill this day, but more often than not I am involved with a member doing something either to fellowship or work together. And finally, Saturdays are my “catch-all” days. Meaning any work or activity that I need to catch up on or have not yet had the time to complete, I will do that day.
Almost needless to say, I receive calls and messages from members or people from the community who need my attention and whenever I can meet those opportunities, I do. But fortunately in my career thus far, I have not received too many calls in the middle of the night. I know this may not be as rigid as some of your days, but this loose schedule has served me well in accomplishing my responsibilities to the church and to my Lord. So if you were ever curious what my week looks like, there is the answer.
By the way, no one here has asked me this question, I just wanted to share that information with you as my family in Christ.