“After you’ve been a pastor for a while, you will lose your enthusiasm like the rest of us”

That statement was made to me by a long-time pastor at my first pastor meeting in our Baptist Association in New Orleans. I didn’t go back.

I didn’t go back until I met Dr. Fred Dyess. About a year later, Fred became the Director of Missions (the old name for Associational Missions Strategist) at the Baptist Association of Greater New Orleans. This was back about 1990. I was a doctoral student at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and about 18 months into planting a church.

Fred left his church in Houma, Louisiana to become the Director of Missions for our association. It must have been a call from God. Our association was so dead that the last director was found dead in his office. Yes, really. Probably with an ACP report in front of him.

Fred had led First Baptist Houma for over 10 years and averaged baptizing 100 people a year during that time. He was what the old guys called a “soul-winner.” I think his real appeal was his love for Jesus, which translated into love for God’s people and love for those who are not yet followers of Christ. It goes without saying, Fred loved me, and I loved him. He put “associate” in association for me. Here’s what Fred did.

First, he treated me like a real pastor. You see, I was just a lowly church planter. I was a church planter before church planting was cool. Our church met in a strip mall that previously had been a dance studio. Oh, the irony! Baptists who don’t dance meeting in a dance studio. No church, not steeple and when you opened the doors, very few people. I was also young, in my 20’s. Karen and I were married for just a few years and with our first baby.

Second, Fred encouraged me. I started going to the pastor fellowships. I just made sure I didn’t sit near pastor Eeyore (a Winnie the Pooh reference). We had interesting topics, speakers, and prayer times. Sometimes Fred would take me to lunch. He would ask about me, my family and later would get to the church. He gave me courage. He gave me a chance.

Third, he opened me to new experiences. Fred wanted our churches to be involved in the larger state and national convention. I remember a time when he gathered six of us young pastors and took us in a borrowed van to the Louisiana State Evangelism Conference. I’d never been. It was wonderful! It was inspiring! We stayed for the whole thing. Over dinner each night we would talk about what we learned and what we were going to do in our churches to share Jesus with more people. It was so helpful to me.

Fourth, he showed how we needed one another and that together we could do more. Most of the time in the New Testament, when it refers to “church” it is to a local church. The local church is so very important. But along with that, cooperation among local churches is important as well. No matter how big and great any one local church may be, it still cannot do what a group of churches committed together can do. The Lord used Fred in uniting our churches to hold an evangelistic crusade in the city, to plant new churches, to equip leaders, and to support community ministries of all kinds.

Fifth, Fred made sure I was equipped. I never had any church planter training. I found a book on church planting at the Baptist Bookstore (Before it was LifeWay) on Seven Steps for Church Planting. By then it didn’t offer much help to me. When our congregation was ready to try and find a permanent place to meet, Fred helped connect me to resources at the state convention. They helped us with funds to buy land and supplying a contractor. They also helped to coordinate volunteer builders for the construction of the first building. When I needed help in organizing our church, the association made sure I had the help I needed.

Fred sent me to coach training clinics, retreats, and planter assessment seminars. It was after one of those seminars that he invited me to work on contract with the association as a church planter catalyst. This led to even more equipping.

Six, he fanned the flames of ministry enthusiasm. He helped me when I was struggling. He encouraged me when I was not sure of my next thing to do, or not to do. One thing he always did was to help me see the larger picture of ministry. I was called to minister by Jesus. It was Jesus’ church not mine. The church was his bride. He died for her. My role was to be faithful. His role was to determine the outcomes. That helped me so much to keep my ministry perspective in line.

I am so thankful for the ministry of Fred Dyess. To my knowledge He’s still around. He tried to retire a couple of times and just couldn’t do it. He loves the ministry. It’s just who he is.

I’ve written this because I wanted you to know how important it is for pastors to have another person like them, who has walked the same path, who can encourage, engage and equip. I don’t pretend to have it all together. But I can use what God has given me and what I have experienced. Whether you are a pastor, staff member or an active member of your church, my heart is that you will never lose your enthusiasm for ministry.

I’m reminded of the old illustration of a piece of coal separated from the rest of the burning coals. In separation, it soon grows cold. I pray that our Fairburn Baptist Association will keep the ministry fires going. I pray that you will burn along with us too. Next time you receive a notice of something going on with the association, remember, this association is you. If we stay together, following the Lord Jesus Christ, we won’t ever have to fear losing the enthusiasm for the ministry.

Five Things to Do to Get More Done

You’re already going as fast as you can, doing as much as you can. Even if you take the time to read this, it’ll probably be more “skimming” than reading. Some may ask, “Why would anyone want to add to that load?” Fair question. However, this is about cutting some of those things you already do that keep you from getting what you really want done. So, this is about five things to do less in order to do more of what you really want. So here are the five.

1. Limit your time wasters

What do I mean by timewasters? These are the things that compromise your focus and your ability to get done what you need to get done today. It could vary from someone dropping-in your space unannounced to social media. For example, A time waster for me is email. Don’t get me wrong. I believe in email. I like email. Email is important for ministry and for business. But email can be a time waster too. Another time waster for me is social media and so are people dropping by unannounced to visit while I’m working. Here is how I handle all of these. I pray there is something helpful here for your situation.

For email, I turn it off and only check it twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon. I do this so I can concentrate. Like you, I need time to think, plan and pray. Praying for pastors and churches is part of my job, so I don’t need to be distracted by emails. I can check them when I schedule it. I try to do something like this with texting, but it is harder to not look, and I usually justify reading and answering texts by saying to myself, “It will only take a moment and then I can put it out of my mind.”

For social media, unless you are working on it for your work or ministry, turn it off. I generally spend my time on social media in the evenings and weekends.

Drop in visitors, which has become more rare post covid, but when they do, I thank them for coming by and tell them it is good to see them. I ask what has brought them by. This way I can determine if it is a visit of an important pressing nature or just a casual visit. Certainly, if they are in crisis or experiencing what they would consider a great need, I would make every attempt to help. If it is not in that category, I don’t let them sit down. I share with them that currently I have other obligations that I need to fulfill. If they would like to meet, we could set up a time so that I am able give them my full attention. I then seek to calendar them in when it is most convenient for me according to the circumstances. This sort of scenario could also happen if you work in an office with other coworkers. There is usually at least one person who likes to spend a little too long chit chatting or “just dropping by” to say “Hey”.

2. Practice the Pareto Principle

If you are not familiar with the name, you will be familiar with the idea. Basically, it is the observation by an Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto of the 80/20 rule. You would know it in church as 80% of the work of the ministry done by 20% of the members. In economics, it is 80% of the wealth is owned by 20% of the people. Likewise, for taxes, 80% of the taxes are paid by 20% of the people. In healthcare, 80% of the cost is incurred by 20% of the people. It goes on and on. Understand, I’m using generalities. I’m not up to date on the actual percentages for these, I’m simply using these for illustration purposes.

The application of the Pareto Principle for you is found in this question: What 20% of the work you do will generate 80% of the results? You identify that 20% and that is where you put your time and energy. This is how you get more done. This one question may be the best productivity question you ask yourself all year.

3. Make a daily to do list

With your personal Pareto Principle in mind. You then can make a list on what and how you are going to spend your time and resources. A list does not just state what you are going to do, it also tells you what you are not going to do. For you personally, if it is not on the list, it is not in the 20% and therefore you need to avoid it.

Obviously, there are exceptions, the boss calls you in. He’s had a brainstorm and wants you to stop everything and do his great idea. Emergencies happen. But brainstorming bosses and emergencies should be the exceptions. That is why they are called exceptions. If they are the norm, then you are either a first responder or the environment you are in is out of control.

I’ve written about list making in a previous blog, you can see it here: Four Ways to Postpone Your Procrastination. Here’s the relevant part.

I like to make a list every day. I try to create the list the night before. I break the action items down to their simplest form. For example, If I’m hosting a meeting, I don’t just write down “Host meeting.” That is too just too big a thing to make it one step. Break it down into several. I write down:

1. Confirm date and time.

2. Secure a location.

3. Determine program

4. Create guest list

You get the idea. What I don’t get done that day, I move it to my list for tomorrow. I very rarely get all my “to dos” done every day, but I get a lot more done than if I didn’t have a list. I also get the endorphin pleasure of scratching off items that are completed!

4. Start with your hardest task first and work your way down

In other words, when you make your Pareto list, prioritize the stuff that is the hardest to do, and the stuff you least like doing first. You will gain so much more energy by moving the big and hard stuff out of the way first.

In correlation with this, you will generally be at your best energy earlier in the day than later. I do know some people who have good energy in the late afternoon, but that is not most people. Do hard tasks when you have the best energy and can use that momentum to get more stuff done as the day goes by.

5. Don’t over commit, but evaluate

Learn to say “No”. You’ve probably heard this a hundred times, but it is still true. You will have to say “No” to many good things in order for you to say “Yes” to the best things. This is part of the “tyranny of the urgent”. You can download the PDF of this great article here: Tyranny of the Urgent. This will help you to stay focused on what is both important and not urgent. This is the place you want to spend most of your time and energies.

Leave space in your calendar for those emergencies that come your way. There really is a virtue in having margin in your life. Opportunities that are wonderful will come your way and you need to have the margin to be able to consider taking them, rather than having to let it pass by.

Not overcommitting relates to more than time. It relates to finances. Too many people live one paycheck from being out on the street. You need to have a financial cushion to land on when you need it. Margin is good for the body, mind, and spirit. It gives space to breathe and to renew. Be strategic in both your “yes’” and your “no’s”. This along with the other things will help you to do less so that you can do more.

Seven Good Things You Can Do to Feel Better Today

You know you’re having a bad day when…

• Your 4-year-old tells you it’s almost impossible to flush a grapefruit down the toilet.

• It costs more to fill up the car than it did to buy it.

• The bird singing outside your window is a vulture.

• You need one bathroom scale for each foot.

• Nothing you own is actually paid for.

• People think you are 65 and you’re actually 60.

• You need to sit down to brush your teeth in the morning.

Maybe you can identify with one or two of these. If not, perhaps you can empathize. Some days we are not at our best and some days are not best for us. So, what can we do to feel better when we are not having a good day? Of course, one solution is to hide out until tomorrow. But that may not be an option for you and it’s usually not the best solution either.

We are physical, emotional, social, intellectual, and spiritual beings. Any one of these facets of our makeup can be out of sorts, which can leave us feeling out of sorts. Sometimes feeling like we are having a bad day is like a warning light on a car alerting us that something needs attention. If that’s so, then you need to ask yourself, “Why am I feeling this way?” If you’re anything like me, the first thing that comes to mind is usually not it. I must ask this question again, “Why am I REALLY feeling this way?” This helps me get to the bottom of it because it’s usually something I don’t want to face.

The real key to feeling better today is to take care of the thing that is causing you to feel bad in the first place. It may be a project that you are putting off. It could be a deadline for something that is drawing near. Perhaps it is a relationship that needs confrontation or correcting. If any of these are the case, or if it’s something like it, the things I’m listing to make you feel better today are not for you. These would become delay tactics, keeping you from acting on what is really bothering you.

If this is not that case and you are simply not feeling good, then I’ve got some simple self-care things for you. Sometimes the thing bothering us is something that we can’t do anything about anyway. I’m going to give you seven good things you can do to feel better today. These are good things because if you do them today, it will help you to have a better day tomorrow.

1. Go outside and exercise

If the weather is good, going outside for even a few minutes is enough to lift your mood. Nature has a wonderful way of calming and distracting us from our troubled thoughts and feelings. Even sitting on a porch is sometimes enough. When you add exercise to this, it’s even better. Go for a walk or run. Ride a bicycle. If you are able, take a child to a playground.

2. Take a break and escape

While going outside can be part of taking a break, there are other ways to take a break. You can get a snack, take a short nap, play a game, watch a show, listen to a podcast, or read a chapter in a novel. I call it taking a little mental vacation. I’ve even used this to motivate me in writing this blog. I told myself that I’d take a break when I finished the first draft. So, I’m focused for now so I can go for a walk outside later.

3. Help someone

Helping someone is a double blessing. You help them and they are grateful, but you also help yourself by giving something of yourself away, your time, your talent or even your money. You increase your satisfaction with life as well. It reinforces the drive in us for purpose and meaning. By showing kindness, you also will increase your ability to show more kindness in the future. Serving someone else is also a great motivator for others to do the same. Doing these things make us happier people. Jesus’ words from the Apostle Paul are true, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” Acts 20:35.

4. Practice prayer and mediation

I find my day goes better when I take the time to be spiritually grounded. Reading Scripture and praying daily connects me to God. It gives me assurance who is in control (hint: not me) and that God will work all things together for good, even with what I would call the bad things. It gives me the foundation to “take a breath” and step back knowing that God is ever present with me. It also gives me the courage to know that I can face whatever may come my way, because I don’t face it alone. None of us need to face struggles alone.

Meditation is next. I mediate on the Scriptures and think about how it could apply to my life. I’m meditating on what God is saying to my heart. But I also do a breath prayer, where I am still before God and just focus on my breathing for 10-20 minutes. I open my heart and mind and body to the Lord Jesus and just listen to him and enjoy his presence. It is a time where God shapes my thoughts and helps me to see the world more through his eyes. I encourage you, that if you feel overwhelmed, take a moment to do these things. It could help you will feel closer to the Lord and to feel better.

5. Talk to a friend

We are not designed to carry our troubles alone. We need each other. If you feel bad it’s a good idea to talk to someone who cares and loves you. That person will welcome you. It shows that you are their friend, and you have confidence to turn to them in your time of need. They will have a time of need themselves and you will be there for them. The Scriptures state: “A friend loves at all times…” Proverbs 17:17. When we feel bad, we need someone to share that with. Somehow it lessens the pain of the day to be able to talk about it with someone who cares.

6. Laugh

“A happy heart is like good medicine, but a broken spirit drains your strength.” (Proverbs 17:22, NCV). Yes, laughter lifts the soul and the body. It energized us. Find a reason for laughter and joy. It’s easy to take ourselves too seriously. Take a humor break. Think of things that are funny now but perhaps were not so humorous at the time. Watch a favorite episode of a comedy. Laughter releases a burst of feel-good hormones called endorphins. They stimulate your heart and lungs. It can even boost your immune system. When you’re happy, your body releases stress and illness-fighting neuropeptides. So, laugh away.

7. Get enough sleep

I cannot stress this last one enough. All the other things you do will be undone if you don’t regularly get enough sleep. The amount of sleep we need varies from person to person, so you need to know how much sleep you need a night to be at your best in the morning.

If you have two terrible nights of sleep, even that short amount can affect your memory, judgment, and reflexes. In the long term, sleep deprivation can cause weight gain (oops!), increase your risk of diabetes, raise your blood pressure and finally with all the previous, will make you irritable.

Sack time is about more than the amount of sleep it is also about the quality of sleep. You need hours of deep sleep or non-REM sleep. Non-REM Sleep is the kind of sleep that makes you feel refreshed in the morning. If you are waking up the next day and are still tired but you’ve slept enough hours, you may not be getting enough of what is called the deep, 3rd stage, non-REM sleep.

Many have found that not viewing electronic screens ½ hour to 45 minutes before going to bed calms the brain. Reading a devotional book or something that focuses your mind on good things is a good idea. Some have commented that that my sermons have an almost magical way of inducing sleep. I can get you a copy of a real snoozer. I think you get it. At bedtime, do what you can to make sure the room and bed are comfortable and cool and that your mind is calm.

When you are at your best, you can be the best for God, others, and yourself. Here’s to feeling better today and tomorrow.