Let's Make a Schedule
(Chapter 10 from Dr. Hyle's excellent book, Let's Build An Evangelistic Church)
This article is written to the many thousands of good men across America and around the world who want to win souls and be what God wants them to be as pastors. After observing the lives of pastors through many years it has been my feeling that we do not discipline our lives enough, and the average pastor would do well to live more by schedule and less by chance. The word "discipline" comes from the word disciple; and so if we are to be a disciple, we must be disciplined. If a preacher isn't careful he will let circumstances control his schedule rather than his schedule control the circumstances. Following are some suggestions to help us live a fuller life in the ministry.
1. Visit Hospitals in the Morning
It has been my policy for many years to visit with people just before surgery if at all possible. Since surgery is usually early in the morning, this necessitates getting to the hospital between six and seven o'clock. When I go to pray with someone just before surgery, naturally I find myself visiting the others in the hospital and making my regular rounds. From this beginning I have decided that the best time to visit the hospital is in the early morning hours. Usually people do not sleep late at the hospital, and around seven o'clock is a good time to visit them. This keeps the hospital visitation from interrupting the daily schedule and hurting the pastor's soul-winning .time. House-to-house soul winning cannot be done at six o'clock in the morning. The hospital visiting can, leaving the other hours for soul winning, etc.
2. Prayer Time Should Be All the Time
Of course, a preacher should have a private time of devotion every morning. There should be times of seasons of prayer - even praying into the night -- but a preacher can take many advantages of prayer that will be helpful. When a letter is written or dictated, pray for the person to whom you are writing at the conclusion of the letter. When reading the day's mail, as you read each letter whisper a prayer for each person who wrote you. After a telephone conversation, ask God to bless the one to whom you just spoke. When company comes to the study or to the parsonage, have prayer with them before saying goodbye. Of course, the pastor should have a family altar and grace at the table in addition to the other times of prayer. I have found it beneficial to keep a prayer list in my car, praying for people as I drive to and from work. A person could add as much as an hour a day to his prayer time if he would pray while driving. Then, of course, on Saturday evening there should be an intensity of prayer for the services on Sunday.
At our church we have a weekly deacons' prayer meeting on Saturday evening. On Saturday evening the pastor should pray in the pulpit. It has been my policy to drive around town and pray for the city; also to stop in front of the homes of unsaved people for whom I am concerned and pray for them on Saturday evening. If we would bathe our regular duties in prayer, it would help us to spend much more time in prayer. For example, if I write ten letters a day, talk on the telephone ten times a day, plus my other regular prayer time, I will have prayed over fifty different times each day beside my own regular private devotion time. May God help us preachers to learn to pray.
3. Studying for Sermons
One of the hardest things to do is to find a sermon when you are looking for one. For a preacher to come to Saturday night with no sermon for Sunday and to seek one is almost an impossibility. For a number of years I have given Wednesday afternoon to Bible study. Four hours of studying the Bible and preparing sermons. However, I do not seek sermons as I study. I think it is best to study for your own delight and personal knowledge of the Bible. As you come to a certain Scripture which looms out in your mind, outline it quickly. Put it in your file and keep it there. You will be surprised how much fresher the sermon will be if it is gotten out of a spontaneous thrill rather than a sense of duty in preparing the message. I have now in my files over eighty sermons outlined that I have never preached that have been prepared in this way. Of course, the preacher should study the Bible for his own private joy every day, but one afternoon a week definitely given to studying the Word of God would be beneficial, in addition to the daily study.
I have also placed in my car a little "Bread of Life" loaf with Scripture cards in it. I took the ash tray out of the car and the cards fit perfectly. That way I can memorize Scriptures as I drive down the street. On one recent trip to the airport I was able to memorize fifty verses. Once again, we have utilized time normally wasted.
4. Soul-Winning Time
Once again, to live by schedule is important. I have found through the years the wisdom of setting a certain time each week for soul-winning visitation. Of course, pastors should be constantly on the lookout for sinners. When salesmen come to see him, he should be a ready witness. In hospital visitation, counseling, weddings, funerals, etc., the pastor should be constantly trying to win people. But this is not enough. The successful soul-winning pastor should spend some definite hours planned each week on the field in house to-house witnessing. I have utilized for many years Thursday afternoons from one to five, Friday afternoon from one to five, and several hours on Saturday for soul winning. Only for speaking engagements or funerals do I consider changing my schedule.
If the pastor would rigidly adhere to a certain period each week for soul winning it would certainly increase and revitalize his ministry. Most of us intend to win souls when we have time, but of course many duties of the pastor leave us little time.
Soul winning must be done on purpose. It must be planned like prayer meeting is planned; like Sunday School is planned; like the preaching service is planned. If a pastor would be as diligent in planning his soul-winning time as he is his other meetings, the other meetings would certainly take on new life.
5. Counseling
Certainly a great part of the pastorate is counseling with people concerning problems. If the preacher isn't careful he will find himself spending most of his time as a marriage counselor, psychiatrist, etc., and find the rest of his schedule being built around the counseling. I have found it advantageous to counsel with people before and after the services on Sunday. Usually someone wants to see me after the Sunday morning service or the Sunday night service or before the Sunday evening service--also, after the Wednesday evening service.
For example, if a couple wants to get married and wants to plan the wedding, we do it after the service. This keeps much of the counseling from interfering with the pastor's regularly set schedule. Saturday morning is also a good time for counseling. It will not interfere with the Saturday afternoon visitation and will hardly interrupt the pastor's regular routine.
6. Time for the Family
Dr. Bob Jones, Sr., says, "Duties never conflict." One does not have to choose between being a good pastor and a good father, or a good pastor and a good husband; a good pastor and a good citizen. Duties do not conflict. In fact, a man cannot be a good pastor who is not a good husband and a good father. It is important that a pastor discipline his schedule so as to give some time weekly to his family life.
A number of suggestions are made in the chapter, "The Evangelistic Pastor and His Family." Some suggestions for this:
(1) Take time for meals with the family. At our house through the years we have tried to take plenty of time to eat together. When one eats, we all eat. We schedule our meals; gather around the table and enjoy family life at the table. One of the tragedies in the home of the average pastor is the fact that the family seldom eats together.
(2) Another suggestion is that the pastor go home for lunch. Once again, this will give him time in the middle of the day with his family. It will not interfere with his regular schedule and will enable him to spend an hour or so with his wife and family.
(3) Take the family out to eat periodically Perhaps, even once a week the family could go out to eat. This would not necessarily be expensive. A family could eat anywhere ranging from expensive steak to inexpensive hamburgers, but it is such a vital part in a family's life to eat together.
Not only is it important in the matter of meals but it is very important that a pastor spend some time each week with his children. This time with the children should be just as much a part of the schedule as the Sunday morning service and visitation time. To the average pastor who is in town most of the time, a regular afternoon could be chosen. For many years I took the children on Tuesday afternoon for a get-together. Perhaps Saturday would be better for some. But half a day a week with the children should be a must in the schedule of a busy pastor.
Such places as the park, picnic, trip to the zoo, etc., will pay dividends in the lives of the children. The pastor should be a pal to his children and not only should spend some time with them collectively but with them individually.
When you run to the store, ask one of the children to go with you. As you go, make love to him. Spend some tender moments; counsel with him, etc. This time which is usually wasted can be used to be beneficial in the life of a busy pastor. Susannah Wesley with nineteen children gave each child a private conference each week. For example, John Wesley had to spend time with his mother each Thursday evening learning about life and its problems.
Not only should a pastor spend time with his children, but he should spend some time with his wife. One of the most important things for a pastor is to stay in love with his wife and for them to continue to be sweethearts through their ministry. A pastor's heart should never grow cold toward his wife. He would do well to take time to go shopping with her: take her out to eat privately occasionally; go visiting with her, and other activities. Included in my schedule often is for my wife to make visits with me. We have had the joy of winning people together, visiting hospitals together, etc.
Not only should a pastor spend time with his children and his wife, but he should find time in his schedule to see that his wife gets to spend some time alone. The pastor could take an afternoon a week, for example, when he baby-sits and gives the wife the car. She can do her grocery shopping or can have the afternoon to herself. God bless the dear preachers' wives. Probably they are the most neglected people in the world. For years now I have taken a good part of Saturday afternoon to stay with the children and let the wife take the car and do what she pleases. Maybe Saturday afternoon would not be best for every pastor, but certainly an afternoon could be worked out where the wife could be away from the children for awhile and enjoy the privacy of having the car alone.
7. Intensify the Schedule as the Week Progresses
The pastor should be constantly building toward the climax on Sunday. Hence, it is a good idea to intensify the schedule as the week progresses. In other words, take care of light matters such as personal business, church business, etc., in the early part of the week and gradually build up to a spiritual climax for Sunday. My soul-winning days are at the last of the week. The last of the week should be directed away from business matters. It is always a good idea to start the week with the light, less spiritual matters and gradually build toward a great climactic experience on Sunday.
8. A Suggested Weekly Schedule
Now let us look at the possible schedule for the pastor. This schedule is one that I have tried to follow through the years. Of course, speaking engagements have not always permitted and I have not always been as diligent as perhaps I should have been. But I suggest this type of schedule for every pastor.
Monday: Sleep late and get home early. A light day on Monday with perhaps office hours from 9 to 4; taking care of business, counseling, shut-in and hospital visits, etc. Monday is a good time to come home early and take the family out to eat in the evening.
Tuesday morning: business, counseling, letters, etc.
Tuesday afternoon: spend this time with the children.
Wednesday morning: business, counseling, letters, etc.
Wednesday afternoon: study.
Thursday morning: plan church visitation for Thursday evening. Also, other miscellaneous duties as the time permits.
Thursday afternoon: soul-winning visitation.
Friday morning: plan for the services on Sunday, study, and other miscellaneous office tasks.
Friday afternoon: soul-winning visitation.
Saturday morning: work around the house such as mowing yard, repairing items until about eleven o'clock. A good time to visit is between eleven and one on Saturday.
Saturday afternoon: baby-sit for the wife while she goes to the store and has some time alone.
Saturday night: prayer and meditation and preparation of the heart for Sunday Bear in mind, the preparation of the mind should have already been made. Spend some time preparing the heart for Sunday.
Sunday: public service, of course, with rest. study, and meditation in the afternoon.
This schedule may not fit your own need. The purpose of this article is not to suggest a schedule as much as it is to suggest having a schedule. Once again, the pastor who gets a lot done will do it on purpose. He will plan his life, plan his schedule, take advantage of every possible moment; keep his mind busy all the time. "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."
May God help us to be God's men doing God's work in a systematically planned and spiritual way.
More Life Changing Sermons and books by Dr. Jack Hyles:
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