What does your average week look like? Do you know?

There is no such thing as a typical Monday-Friday for a youth minister. Some days it seems as though I’m trying to do anything to avoid twiddling my thumbs and other days have me working like a madman to complete projects and organize the ministry. Learning to manage my week- creating weekly touchstones- has made a tremendous difference in my sanity and my capacity to lead. Each day of my week has a theme that helps me manage my time effectively.

Mondays are for Foundations. I spend Mondays laying out everything I need to do for the week. I map out my assault and then I rush in ready for the fight. On Monday, I begin lay a foundation for every teaching time I have scheduled. For my small group Bible study and Wednesday night classes I’m actually laying a foundation for the following week. Each day I build onto the lesson through study and prayer until it’s time to ship.

Tuesdays are for Development. It is important for me to connect with my vision and the scope of the ministry each week. On Tuesdays I spend great deal of time scheduling events, planning, building, and dreaming about the things currently happening within the ministry.

Wednesdays are for Relationships. On Wednesdays you can find me in schools eating lunch with the students or developing relationships in some way or another.

Thursdays are for Wrapping Up. Thursdays are critical for me to finish the week strong. I want to make sure that I have Sunday prepared for, planned for, and wrapped up before I power down. There is always a temptation to put things of or to just say, “i’ll do it tomorrow.” I have to fight against this urge in order to protect my Sabbath.

Friday are for Sabbath. Ahhhhhh.

Sundays are for Influencing. Each week I get to stand before a group of people that God has entrusted me with and I get 52 Sundays to point them to the Way, the Truth, and the Life through dedicated teaching times. The way I have prepared through the week- studying, learning, connecting with God personally, connect with these people relationally- makes a huge impact on whether or not I can influence them for Jesus.

What does your week look like?

In the One Year Personal Growth Plan, Searcy encourages you to Withdraw Weekly. He suggests that you must do two things each week in order to grow and lead.

First, you need to schedule your Sabbath. Not a day off, a sabbath. Sabbath isn’t just vegging out in front of the idiot box for a full day. A Sabbath is is day dedicated to rest and connecting to God. A Sabbath is a weekly recharge and reflection time on your relationship with God, your family, and yourself. My Sabbath is scheduled for Fridays this year. What day will you schedule yours?

Secondly, Searcy challenges you to read a book a week. This is slightly more than my typical reading schedule. I am on track to read 40 or so books in 2010 and this pace works for me. I have tried reading a book a week and what I find is that I am more concerned with the deadline than the content. The point isn’t that reading 52 books (or 40 or 20 or…) this year will magically transform you into a leader who has everything together. The point is that you are intentionally filling your time with resources that will develop your capacity to lead. I have little tolerance for youth ministers who tell me that they just don’t have time to read. That’s false. You just don’t make time to read. Leaders are readers!