Planning how the recognized need will be met requires secure every possible suggestion and recognizing every obstacle before determining any plan. Keep in mind the following characteristics of the planning step:

1. Begin with a clear statement of the problem.
2. Base your planning on facts.
3. Explore every possible approach to discover every conceivable solution, so that the best solution can be reached.
4. Focus in on a clearly defined plan, which large numbers of members will understand and recognize as their own.

Organize the congregation to coordinate all activities in preparing to carry out the plan. The organizing step involves the what?, when?, who?, and follow through.

The administrator’s personal relationship to the persons involved in the plan is a key factor in stimulating them to action. Communication must be clear and effective and the leader must be an understanding listener. Stimulating for action requires that you:

1. Secure all workers early and arrange adequate training for them.
2. Make sure all workers clearly understand their responsibilities.
3. Coordinate every stage of the plan.
4. Keep everything moving on schedule.
5. Keep the congregation informed.

We have all heard statements like: “Plan the work and work the plan;” “Plan + do + check + act = Quality;” “Do it right the first time.” A minister’s list of things “to do” can be overwhelming. It is essential that we prioritize our lists and learn to live with the end in mind. Not only do we over commit ourselves but we often avoid doing priority things because they seem nonurgent.

Urgent things seem to scream for attention while nonurgent but priority things are silent. Spiritual and emotional burnout comes from a lack of balance and management. All ministers need training in time management. Ministers need to learn how to focus on high priorities and at the end of the day turn off the professional switch and go home and balance family responsibilities.

Every minister needs a good time management organizing system in order to keep up with appointments and all kinds of communication responsibilities. Ministers need to learn how to block out time for planning, organizing, prioritizing, etc. The understanding and use of the “time activation” principle is important. This involves using our organizer to write down something when it occurs, so it will be where we can find it, when we need it, and so we will be reminded in time to do it.

So often ministers come across as autocratic leaders, as bosses in charge and in control. The world is quickly changing today and people want a voice, they want some control. Many people today are exposed to new methods of quality management and team building. They are not now willing to go to a church where the pastor is a dictator and they feel that they have little or no voice in what happens.

The world is moving away from bosses toward facilitators or coaches. Some pastors are use to too much power and control. Laity must be allowed and trained to be more involved in the details of ministry. We must take positive steps to break down the walls of mistrust and competitiveness.

As leaders, pastors must learn how to help people become jointly accountable for ministry. People go to church where they feel needed and can get involved. They go where they are treated with dignity and respect.

We must get organized and maintain a productive environment. We should always ask ourselves:

• “Is this really important?”
• “What is the priority here?”
• “Am I listening to people and do I really understand?”
• “How am I coming across to people?”

Pastors (all ministers) need to keep pace with change. We need to adopt new attitudes toward change. We need to trust people and exercise our faith that God really is leading us! We must learn to work together, to be interdependent. We can’t control the sweeping changes taking place in the world, but we can control our reactions to them. We can prepare, organize, and prioritize for the challenges ahead.

Education and ministerial development are a must today. It has never been more important to develop and to refine our essential skills in working with people and managing our life. The twenty-first century church requires ministers who can make sound judgments, communicate effectively, care compassionately, discover solutions quickly, think strategically, manage people, use time wisely, make disciples, and maintain credibility. Learning must not stop at some graduation ceremony. A commitment to life-long learning is a key to unlocking future success.

Preparation and time management is vital. Unless we prioritize and schedule a time to do something that is important, we will end up procrastinating. We often end up with several stacks of important correspondence on our desk; one stack marked “urgent;” one stack marked “someday;” one stack marked “if the Lord tarries long enough.” Some important tasks never even make it to the “someday” stack. We have post-it notes all around with important messages, but we fail to plan a time to take care of them.

Procrastination and indecision are among the top three time-wasters faced by ministers. We need to get organized and learn to plan our time. Planning is bringing the future into the present and doing something about it now.

Clutter is not a sign of success. Clutter builds stress as we end up looking at each paper on our desk several times a day. We should try to start our day with a clean desk. The average person has 36 hours of work on his/her desk. It is a constant discouragement and makes us feel that the job is never done.

Remember the four D’s concerning details:

• Do, without excuse, those little items.
• Delegate without hesitation.
• Date and file, without reluctance, items currently being worked on.
• Discard, without sentiment, those items that have little or no value.

Start each new day with faith in God and with an open mind. Remember that we tend to see things the way we are; we even ask questions that make our hypothesis come true. We make self-fulfilling prophecies and become the slave to our negative expectations.

Someone once said, “Let me see what I say, so I will know what I think.” We do tend to get what we expect because we reinforce it constantly.

Remember that one small but significant change brings another. When we are faced with a problem and we are getting frustrated, we need to say to ourselves — “Just Do It!”

Learn from success and model after success. It is never too late to bring about some positive change.

Make it your goal to “Learn how to manage your personal and ministry priorities, and your relationships, in such a way that your potential is not lost.”

• Start each day by reviewing your appointments, schedule of tasks, list of to-do, etc.
• Prioritize your to-do’s into a list of A’s – highest priority and B’s – lowest priority. Then prioritize your list of A’s and then your B’s. Be sure to bring forward today any items not completed yesterday.
• Block out on your appointment calendar special sections of time to accomplish your A’s and B’s.
• Always allocate priority time when completing an important task.
• Eliminate mind clutter by writing down the task as soon as you decide to do it.
• Time-activate everything possible so you will be reminded: what to do, when to do it, & where the information is that you need.
• Be realistic in setting deadlines. Allow for interruptions and for the unknown.
• Break the urgency habit. Not every problem or task has to be resolved immediately.
• Set aside the earliest part of the day for the most important functions, when possible.
• Limit time spent in counseling, if possible.
• Limit meetings and phone calls in the mornings so that this time can be given to your most important priorities.

The keys to effective church administration and personal time management are in possessing the necessary desire and commitment to details to implement the many resources available today.

Good leadership and stewardship demand responsible handling of the administrative tasks of the church. Effectiveness and efficiency has to do with how we spend our time and how well we organize and develop a team of people to administer the church for the glory of God.