Too Busy Not to Learn

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At any given moment your phone is either ringing, vibrating, or buzzing to inform you of new voicemails and texts, while simultaneously, e-mails are arriving in your inbox faster than you can click “reply” or “delete.” Facebook friends are sending you messages while you attend to both a pressing appointment and an impending deadline. Your ministry is either growing or dying at a cosmic velocity, and you wonder if it is all passing you by. And, oh yeah, your family has plans for your time, too.

Yet as you navigate through your day, the image of God presses on your heart to remind you to turn to study and prayer for renewal. You know that not only do you need quiet moments of meditation with your Savior, you also need broader training from peers, mentors, authors, worship leaders, and pastors. Taking time to decide whether or not you have time for such endeavors often causes the entire process to become shelved while you respond to the tyranny of the most urgent.

In his book, Pastors at Greater Risk, H.B. London, Jr. discovered some sobering realities regarding pastors in the U.S. He concluded that, “ninety percent feel they’re inadequately trained to cope with ministry demands,” while, “ninety percent of pastors work more than 46 hours a week.” The assumption of our hearts is true: there is a very real tension between the need for training and rest and the amount of time we have to give toward those things.

However, in my own experience, I’m discovering young, new pastors who see their lives and their ministries through a different lens from their predecessors. While they are willing to work hard, they are not as apt to consistently put in the 12- to 15-hour days of years past. This younger breed of pastors has learned from prior generations’ mistakes, and they are attempting to balance their ministries with the rest of their lives. They realize that today’s ministry is too busy NOT to take time out for refreshment and study.

Specifically, I think pastors today are realizing that there are many alternatives for refilling their spiritual and theological reservoirs:

• Conferences and seminars are strategically helping train leaders in all facets of ministry. These annual gatherings can help develop a church staff in everything from leadership to culture to theology. Conferences also offer retreat times and create ideal opportunities for new and old friendships to be maintained.


• Culturally and theologically astute writings have become a standard of training for leaders of all ages, and they are more accessible than ever before. Today’s Christian leader is more deeply attuned to both their congregation’s and their community’s needs due to the huge volume of books, blogs, and other writings at their disposal.


• Seminaries have undergone makeovers recently. While the brick-and-mortar seminary format is still very effective, we are seeing more and more non-traditional methods of theological training surface. With the integration of the web, podcasting, and a host of other Internet-based resources, the influence of seminaries have been extended to every corner of the globe.

While we find ourselves busy with ministry, there are ways in which we can rest, breathe, and grow in our personal faith as well as practical ministry. Value needs to be placed on reading quietly even if it is only for a few moments. Conference getaways should be scheduled in order for ministers to be renewed. Online courses that offer the opportunity of engaging seminary professors via the Internet should be pursued. All of these options shift how we see the tension between time and training. If we take advantage of them, we will find more and more options to keep our minds and souls as refreshed and sharp as possible.

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Pastors at Greater Risk, H B London, Jr., and Neil B Wiseman, Regal Books, © 2003

 

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