How to turn ministry drudgery into delight

Bud Brown Aug. 24, 2019

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Half-finished projects litter my career because I have a personality flaw.

I love figuring out how to solve problems, putting together a team and a plan to implement the solution, and then moving on to the next problem. Execution bores me because it’s managing process and monitoring people. I’m champing at the bit to solve the next big challenge, but am tethered to a ponderous, slow-moving project with lots of moving parts.

You have the same problem, don’t you? You relish some parts of ministry and wish you could avoid others. Everybody faces this problem. Everybody.

Compensating behaviors help us deal with the drudgery, but you’ve got to know yourself. What constitutes drudgery varies from person to person because the source of stress resides within us, not in the job itself. One person’s drudgery is another’s delight. When you understand why ministry drains you, you can develop effective compensatory behaviors.

Two elements of my personality turn administration into a giant sucking sound that hoovers the joy out of ministry and sends me screaming for another Netflix binge and a bag of Cheetos. They are my Insistence and Restlessness scores on the Birkman Method™ profile. Restlessness evaluates our preference for focusing attention or seeking varied activities. Insistence notes whether we favor orderly process or flexible, unstructured behavior. Here are a few highlights from my profile; note how they predispose me to dislike routine.

Knowing these things about myself, I have been able to develop compensatory behaviors that help me maintain energy and interest in long-term projects. I have found that reordering my task list, reframing the most onerous chores, and delegating more often keep me out of stress. Minimizing stress reduces the drudgery and keeps me going for the long haul.

1. Reordering my task list is a simple compensation. 

At the beginning of the workweek, I prioritize my tasks, giving first priority to the most onerous and lower priority to the most enjoyable. I then sort the unpleasant tasks by time requirements, putting the shortest tasks first. Then I tackle the list in order. Knocking out a bunch of unpleasant tasks early in the week give me a sense of accomplishment that creates a flow. As the week progresses, I’m energized by the more enjoyable tasks and finish strong. I feel a sense of accomplishment rather than feeling drained by delaying unpleasant tasks.

2. Reframing may seem like a bit of a Jedi mind trick, but it’s nothing more than tracing a task I don’t like back to the reason why it must be done. 

I’m a “big picture” type, and I need to know the reason why I’m doing something. For example, I dislike putting together a study sheet for the Sunday bulletin. You know that half-sheet of paper with the fill-in-the-blank sermon outline on one side and study notes on the other? It’s tedious, and there’s always a deadline! But with a few moments reflection I reframe this. I recall that one of my primary tasks is “teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:18-20). By reframing this as a teaching moment rather than useless paperwork, I get it done with minimal stress.

3. Delegating is a skill all pastors should master. 

My process is to examine the reordered task list and ask myself, “Am I the only one who can do this?” If the answer is no, I figure out who can do it along with the amount of direction they’ll need. Some people simply need the objective, “I’d like you to pull the attendance records for the last twelve months and give me a weekly average and a 90-day moving trend line.” Others need more direction, so I have to make sure I don’t throw them in the deep end without telling them how to get back to safety. Then I follow-up by phone or email to let them know that deadline is real and that I’m counting on them.

Your turn

If you don’t have a personality profile which explains your internal needs and your stress responses, get one! If that’s not possible, start keeping a journal and observing what parts of the ministry drain you. See if you can determine what it is about those tasks that leave you unfulfilled and why. Then begin experimenting. Try a variety of compensating behaviors. Keep at it long enough, work with a coach and eventually you'll be able to turn those drudgeries into delights.

Photo source: istock 

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Bud Brown is an experienced ministry leader, writer and educator. He is co-founder of Turnaround Pastors and co-author of the ground-breaking Pastor Unique: Becoming A Turnaround Leader. He brings special expertise to change leadership in the local church, mentoring pastors to become revitalization leaders, training churches how to find and recruit the best talent, and training leadership teams how to achieve their shared goals. Learn More »

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