Your calendar is not just the place where you put tasks to do and meetings to be had. It’s about aligning your time with your values and integrity.
Scott Sanders and Peter Blanch explore how to do this effectively:
- The importance of reflection and how to do it
- Your calendar will reflect your convictions, but you may not be aware you are living them out
- Where to put the harder things you do in your calendar and where to put the things you enjoy
- Where the Reach Australia framework fits in here: Especially the ideas of clarify the big thing and then break it down
- This is not merely an individual thing but a team thing. How is your team working on the calendar?
Tool Box
The Reach Australia Framework ebook
Getting Things Done by David Allen
Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
Slow Productivity by Cal Newport
What’s Best Next by Mat Perman
Credits
This episode was brought to you by the Ministry Training Strategy
The One Thing is brought to you by Reach Australia
To pray for Reach Australia, join our WhatsApp Group.
For ideas or questions please email [email protected]
To support the Reach Australia Online Library head here.
Transcript
0:08
G’day, I’m Scott Sanders.And I’m Peter Blanche.Welcome to The One Thing, a podcast designed to give you one solid, practical tip for Gospel centre ministry.Every week The One Thing is brought to you by Reach Australia.We want to see loads of new churches launched all across Australia.So if you’re thinking about planting, if your church is wanting to send a plant out, if you’re looking out in your region thinking we need more churches here, get in contact with Reach Australia.
0:32
We want to support churches to see churches planted all across Australia.Peter, we are going to be talking about convictions.Yep.So I’m interested in the Blanche family.What’s kind of one of the critical convictions that your parents had growing up that, you know, kind of came out at at the dinner table?
0:52
I reckon one of the ones that comes out is you get what you get and you don’t get.Upset.That’s actually quite a win.Your family as well, yeah.I reckon it’s a great in a day, in a day and age where people easily whinge and complain and grumble about not having the best of things.
1:08
Like you get what you get, That’s fine.And don’t get upset.Yeah, it’s.Critical I I heard a a young bloke share his experience where his his mum used to if that, you know, if you, if you didn’t eat your dinner, the, you know, the night before she put it in glad wrap and then make you eat it for breakfast.Yeah.And then if it was a particular, you know, if it was a particularly good dinner, like, well, a, a dinner that she was a bit upset they’d need the next day, she’d make pancakes and just go all out on the breakfast, you know, waffles, make it, make it amazing.
1:35
And then drop drop last night’s dinner in front of the kid who who didn’t eat their dinner.And yeah, I reckon that’s part of our obesity problem, that one though, you know, in Australia.But anyway, let’s let’s get into The One Thing for now.You press play on another episode of The One Thing.
1:51
Does your diary reflect your convictions?I’m going to change that to Does your calendar reflect your convictions?Because pastors shouldn’t have Diaries, but they should definitely have calendars.Today’s podcast is brought to you by the Ministry training strategy.
2:06
MTS is a network of gospel workers who share the vision of winning the world for Christ by multiplying gospel workers through ministry apprenticeships.To find out more, especially on how to start an apprenticeship at to mts.com dot AU.And now back to the podcast.OK, Now this is a particular important area to to press into.
2:30
I guess in some senses it’s all about managing yourself.Yep.And so we are going to be thinking about your calendar.We’re going to be thinking about your convictions as well.So, Pete.That’s where it’s got to start, isn’t it?You can’t really make sure that your calendar reflects your convictions if you don’t have clarity about what your convictions are in the first place.
2:46
OK.So you’re kind of forecasting my first question.How do you actually work out if your calendar lines up with your convictions?What’s good?You’ve got to know your convictions and that’s and it’s what, but it’s, it’s more than just knowing your convictions.And we all should have we all, we’re all reading the same Bible and we’re listening to what our Lord Saviour is saying to us.
3:02
There is some very clear convictions we ought to have the urgency of the gospel work, the need to see lost people save God’s heart for lost prodigal sons coming, coming home, that there are so many convictions you can look at.One thing is you’ve got to be really clear on what your convictions are, that they’re biblical as well.
3:20
Water test them or or test them against the, the Scriptures.No, but the second thing about convictions is in making sure you have the integrity to not just articulate that these are my convictions, but actually double check yourself.Does my calendar, what is that what this episode’s about?
3:36
Does my calendar reflect my convictions ’cause there’s, there, there are times where you have convictions, but you’re not really having the integrity to leave them out.One of the real tricky points through that is that if you consistently find yourself not actually leaving out your convictions, there’s every chance there’s another set of convictions that you haven’t articulated to yourself yet that are actually driving your calendar, but that you’re, that you’re, you’re just unaware of things.
4:04
I think such as when I reflect on my own life and ministry at times, things such as a conviction, the people place that I’d actually don’t.I want to avoid conflict.I don’t like conflict and so I people please and therefore my convictions that sometimes aren’t lived out in order to actually just because it’s his prior conviction of I don’t want to upset people.
4:24
Therefore I’ll keep saying yes to things I ought not to say yes to.There’s another conviction at time, which can be an ungodly one that creeps in, which is I just love and ease of life and I I have this conviction about the urgency for certain things or the need to do something, but that’s going to create change.
4:41
Change is difficult to leave.I just keep things simple.A conviction is kind of making my life easy.That’s a godless one that yeah, but it could be an unarticulated conviction that’s actually self sabotaging your calendar.So.You could have the conviction I want to I want to teach the Bible.
4:57
Well, you know, the the past is going to be judged more harshly and so I want to get my teaching right, which which then flows out into I’m going to spend a lot of time in my study by myself working on my sermon prep, getting things done.
5:14
Now that sounds it’s a it’s a good conviction, but it where it’s worked itself out, maybe unhelpfully, is that you’ve overly prioritised or spent too much time on that at the cost of also your other convictions that you had about equipping the Saints.Yeah, about modelling, about leading, you know, leading people on your team.
5:33
Well, even at that part of handling the scriptures well, never undermine that.That is so critical in any ministry context.A key reason to handle it so well is not just that honour and glorify God and be be respectful of his word and and treat it with all the due care it needs, but also the shepherd, the flock.
5:50
And so if you’re not, then teaching with a view to actually seeing a real difference made in the in the people’s lives that you’re leading, which may need things other than just a Sunday serving that you’re preaching to see that difference made, then the the the wise godly shepherd would be thinking through.
6:05
I’ve got to actually do both the teaching of the scriptures well, but my conviction is to see genuine change in these shape of gods that we’re leading.What else do I need to do to bring that to it?My conviction is to see them grow, not just to simply teach them the scriptures as well as I can.
6:22
Can you share an example of when your diary didn’t reflect Oh?Yeah, I’ve been thinking about this question.This is a, you know, lip bleeding hard.I think there are two areas which I think are common and I’ve and I look back at my ministry in the current ministry, I see these things playing out.
6:39
These might be similar for you.I have a deep conviction around the sheer importance and gravity of prayer.I find it strange in some ways how Watson God has to command us to pray because if you think of the access God as one for us through Christ, why wouldn’t you pray?
6:56
Why wouldn’t you bring all these things to our heavenly Father who loves us deeply?It’d be mad not to pray.Why would we ever need a command to do it?But I’ve seen the scriptures regular commands to do it because it is a wrestler.It is hard work and I need to be reminded and commanded to do it.So I’ve got this conviction about the importance of prayer, but there’s a sadness me when I reflect back on my ministry of life and I just find myself at times not as prayerful as I really, my convictions say I ought to be.
7:23
And so that’s and that’s an easy one there.Another one I found regularly was a conviction about the urgency of ministry.Sorry, the urgency of mission and the need to really give so much critical time and thought to it.But then at times in my ministry, being a people pleaser, having so many other people going, Pete, can you do this?
7:43
Pete, I love you to help me with that.And often saying yes to what were good things, but they were squashing out the time and energy to give to mission because I didn’t have the non Christians coming or unbelievers coming to me saying, Peter, I’d really love some of your time.
7:58
Can I have it?There was their voice wasn’t as easily heard, but the voice of other people was easily heard.The people please read me went I’m going to give these other people time, but it just left my conviction about mission sometimes left getting the leftovers rather than some primary time and energy and prayer in my life.
8:19
So.Pete So Pete, what are some red flags to watch for?You know you’ve been catching a number of passes over the last few years in your work with Rich Australia.What ways can a pastor’s diary reveal their true priorities?Yeah, yeah, Start the first one.He’s not having a diary or not having a calendar.
8:36
I think that is that is definitely a red flag that those things do is they help you determine how you use not just this day, but this week, this month, this year.And that allows you to actually bring some intentionality to your life to go here are my convictions now, I actually keep a regular calendar and diary to enable to me to reflect on whether those convictions are getting the time and energy that they need.
9:02
OK, so I’ve got a calendar, you know, so that I’ve passed that red flag.What’s a red flag when I’ve got a calendar?Well, the other thing this is, is to, as you review your calendar, another red flag I think is are you allocating time and energy to just doing the things that you really like doing?
9:20
There’ll be some things with our convictions that bring us into leadership responsibilities that are are difficult in some ways to move people to do things that they would love to do, but they have always wouldn’t do without our leadership.But it brings us into conflict and change.And if you find yourself in your allocation of time that you were just doing the things that you want to do that you like doing and avoiding the things that you know that you actually need to do, that’ll be a red flag as well.
9:49
I reckon another red flag there would be that if the first thing in your days are just the things you love doing, then you’re less likely to get to the things that you need to do that you find harder, far better the front end, the harder things when you’ve got more, more time, more energy, more freshness, actually more self control, I think more self control to give yourself the harder things.
10:12
So a red flag would be if the early things in my diary every day are just the things I love, that’s a red flag.I reckon another red flag is no time to reflect.Having a diary, having a calendar and never asking yourself does it well, review it.
10:30
Asking yourself the question when I look at my diary, what am I avoiding?That’s a helpful question to be asking yourself.Another helpful question to be asking is what has been added to my diary this week or what has been added to my calendar?Is it just been added in unrefuted, unthoughtfully?
10:49
If things just get piled on by other people into your calendar, are you saying yes to the right things?Are you saying no to the right things?That lack of reviewing and interrogating things that they get that get added, to me, that’s a red flag.
11:05
So I guess people are listening in thinking, well what should be my calendar?What should I be prioritising?How do I balance all the things that I’ve got to get done, including my own kind of spiritual growth, my family priorities and needs, and they kind of shift and reflect as well what should be in my calendar?
11:26
Yeah, I, I think it’s, it’s important to in this space to recognise, you know, language, the, the enemy of the best is the good.And so you, sometimes you can have a calendar that is filled with good things, but not necessarily the best thing.
11:44
There’s a, there’s another bit to understand there, which is sometimes the enemy of the best is just the mundane because you’re just wasting time.And it’s nice to have a brain, a brain rest or something like that.So it can be the enemy can just be the mundane things.But I think a key way to get the the balance right, you want to call it that, but the, the, the intentionality right is being very clear on here is the difference this ministry that I’m involved in wants to make in the people’s lives, in the community’s lives that we are shepherding and and seeking to bring to Christ.
12:16
Now if I’ve got clarity on that difference that we are very keen to make, it’s worth then breaking it down.This is something that is part of the Reach Australia framework that if you clarify the big idea that you want to do make deeper disciples, ever increasing numbers, that you pursue that being faithful to the means that God’s given you a prayer and the word, that you take responsibility and build responsibility in others.
12:39
But of course, the next thing if you take responsibility is to break the task down that way.I think if you take that extra step, not just to have a big goal, but you break the task down that way, then you’ll be able to balance your time to go.Here are the things I completely convinced we need to do to make this difference.
12:57
So Pete, you’re answering the question with another principle, and I’m sure everyone’s listening and going, Pete, tell us the price, you know, tell us where am I meant to put what time?Well put.Be very clear.Be very, very clear on the difference you’re trying to make.Break it down.
13:12
So how many hours do I spend on mission?How many?So it’s been leading my team.How many hours in sermon prep?How many hours in, you know, SRA small group stuff?You’ll need to work that out based on your convictions and your responsibilities and be reflective in that.
13:30
The danger is that you have so much in your diary because there is, well, let’s face it there.Jesus was very clear when he said they’ll harvest is plentiful, but the labour’s a few.So there’s so much things that you could put into your diary when there are not enough labourers to do the work.
13:47
So you really do need to be very clear on what is the absolute best use of my time given the difference we’re trying to make in this ministry and allocating it appropriately.I think just a couple of things also to kind of add to that to think about is think about your own capacity and also think about the people in your team as well and their capacity.
14:04
So again, not assuming that they’re going to have the same capacity or availability that you have as well because of a whole bunch of different things.The other thing is think about the seasons of life and the season of life that you’re in as well.So just being aware of that, paying attention to your own finiteness and, and humanness as well, just as you are, as you think into those things.
14:24
OK, so let’s let’s, let’s land the plane.What are some practical ways to evaluate whether your weekly activities are aligned with your key convictions and outcomes?The first practical way is building some time in that calendar to do some reflection. 2 reflections to do 1 is what are my what are my convictions?
14:45
Reflect on that.Secondly then is to have a look at what you’re spending your time on and ask yourself that hard question is, does this reflect my convictions or not?Or do I have an integrity issue here that I need to repent of and ask forgiveness for and then reorder my life?
15:01
Yeah.Another thing actually, I think is you have regular moments during the year.Maybe it’s every quarter, maybe every six months, where I’d say do a like a, a stock take or a state of a nation of what you’re giving your time to ask some of those red flag questions of yourself.Do the stock take, take time to reflect, make the amendments as you need to.
15:21
That’s a really helpful, practical thing to do.It’s the pastor and the the the the the ministry leader who has no time for reflection is most likely the one who’s actually going to have the integrity.So that’s really helpful.Again, managing yourself, letting yourself you, you get a chance to manage your own calendar.
15:40
What does it look like for you to do this with your team?How do you model this?How do you work this out in the context of a team with, you know, often full time members but also part time members and as I said, people in different seasons in different capacities?Yeah, Yeah.This is true like you’re saying, just of teams of individuals.
15:56
It’s true of teams because teams, a whole team will have hopefully shared convictions.So again, there’s a point to start with the going what are our convictions as a team?Because if you’re not aligned on those convictions, you’re obviously going to frustrate each other probably sooner rather than later.
16:11
So good alignment matters.But again, it’s that time actually as a team to reflect on are we actually doing what we’re convicted we ought to be doing?There’s also space here, I think where leaders need to be fairly non defensive.
16:29
I think that willingness to as a team reflect on going, are we giving ourselves to the things that will make this difference or not?Let’s not be defensive about this and just defend the way I use my time.But actually we’ve been a team to actually talk about your convictions and ask, be willing to ask that hard question.
16:48
Are we spending our time on the right things or not?Hear what each other’s sports are?Realign those convictions.Spend time on the hard things that are necessary to do so that the whole team is actually living this year.OK, I’ve got I’ve just got a couple more questions that I’m wrestling with you.
17:04
You kicked off by talking about being a a people pleaser and and kind of having that, you know, inside you.How do you say no, You know, to things?Yeah, that might hit your calendar.Yeah.The key thing that I’ve learned to do in, in, in my ministry is to count what I call the invisible cost.
17:21
Being a people pleaser means I’m so easy and ready to say yes to what people would want me to be able to do.And because part of what’s going on internally for me is I’m counting the visible cost.I’ll, I feel like I’ll upset them if I say no to them.And so I say yes.I don’t want to pay that cost.
17:38
But every time I say yes to that person, I am saying no to sum up to using that time in some other way.And I’ve got to count the cost of, well, if I gave that time to something else that would help someone else in some other way, that’s a cost to them that they don’t even realise they’re not bearing.
17:56
It’s an invisible cost.I don’t have to say no to anyone to bear that cost, but there is a cost, and as I make my decisions and feel my diary and be more intentional about it, I have to count the visible and the invisible costs.That’s what’s helped me to say yes and no to the right things.
18:11
Well, I reckon there’s a whole podcast episode in that, so look out, look out for that next year.Last one is what advice would you give to a new pastor about establishing a schedule that reflects their convictions?The key thing is back to that point of breaking it down.
18:28
When you start freshly your new in ministry or new in a ministry role, it’s so easy just to throw yourself in without much too much reflection.Really important to start with, what is the difference we’re making?Break it down to enough granularity, particularly with the leaders around you, your senior leader around you, so that you and they are convinced that what you’re going to spend your time on is the right thing, that you’re spending your time on doing it not in isolation, but doing it with the Alicia team around you.
18:56
That is super helpful.So, Pete, what’s the one thing people need to know about aligning their calendar with their convictions have.The guts to have integrity.The issue isn’t having often the convictions in our world.
19:12
Many of us have them.The one thing is to do an integrity review that.Am I actually leaving those convictions out?Awesome.Well, Pete, been really helpful just hearing you reflect on your own ministry, reflect on who you are and how God’s wired you as well, but also just that sharpness that’s come from coaching and and chatting with a whole bunch of leaders and and leading a church as well has been really helpful.
19:37
Today I’m going to open up the toolbox.Just a few things.There’s a whole bunch of books out there on kind of, you know, this topic of time management and, and paying attention in this space, getting things done, Covey’s 7 habits.I just want to kind of point out a couple of, a couple of other books that have come up up recently, Slow productivity, Cal Cal Morgan, I think he’s written that book.
20:03
He’s got a, a time block planner, but I think he, he writes particularly about getting sort of deep work done.And I think that that’s something that I think ministry has is a number of points in time in your week where you do need to do that deep work.So slow productivity and and he’s written a bunch of books on this as well.
20:21
Matt Pearman’s book, What’s Best next, I reckon has a really good exercise on just like reflecting on your calendar, reflecting on, you know, what’s, what’s currently happening.So I reckon that’s a really, a really good book.It’s kind of the Christian getting things done book is how I could describe it.
20:38
So they’re just a couple of books that would be really helpful.And as I said, pay attention.Hopefully we’ll be doing a podcast episode in the near distant future on how to say yes and how to, well, how to say yes and how to say no to the to the right stuff as well.
20:54
Well, if you’ve got a topic that you want us to cover, please email us at [email protected]. I’m Scott Sanders, I’m Peter Blanche. Chat soon.
