One of my biggest struggles as a pastor is to distinguish between the important and the urgent.
Things that are important have more of a long term value: strategic planning, creative brainstorming, sermon writing, staff development and mentoring. All those take time.
Things that are urgent press in on me and other pastors today: visiting the sick, addressing conflict, counseling people in crisis, responding to texts and emails. All those take even more time.
The urgent will often keep you from the important. I have decided that in my line of work, maybe that’s OK.
Other pastors of churches that are the same size as Good Shepherd might give a different answer. But I’m wired in such a way — maybe called in such a way — that people and their needs & crises take priority.
The urgent and the important. What’s it like in your life and your organization?