By: Brandon A. Cox

Source: Time Management Matters in a Pandemic More Than Ever

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by Jim Putman: It is both the job and privilege of every Christian to be a disciple of Jesus. And part of that job is the call to disciple others.

You can disciple someone without holding a Bible degree – Jesus did a good job of demonstrating that by the men he chose to be his disciples. You may say – “But they were discipled by the Son of God, he didn’t need a Bible degree!” and that is true. But they went onto disciple others, and the people they discipled went on to make more disciples.

Discipling others may not require a degree, but it does require a process. And as the greatest disciple-maker in history, Jesus left us with a great example to follow. As I study Jesus’ approach, one of the keys to his success was that he was an intentional leader.

Discipling others may not require a degree, but it does require a process.

Disciple-makers must become intentional leaders – When I use the term leader, I am thinking of people who lead by example wherever they are, I am thinking of people who have influence in the life of someone else.

That basically includes all of us.. . And if we are disciples of Jesus, we are also called to disciple them.

So – now that you know you are a leader, how can you become a more intention alone?

Jim Putman, author of this blog, has written with Chad Harrington a primer called The Death of Discipleship about the danger of pride and importance of humility in disciple making. Download this free resource here.

Here are three simple things you can do to become a more intentional leader:

Be an intentional planner (prioritize your schedule)

Make a weekly time to get together with the person you are discipling.

Whether it is for coffee, a workout, or a bible study – having a consistent weekly time ensures you are keeping up an awareness of each others lives and what is happening.

Connect often

Put an alert on your phone a few times a week to remind you to send a text or make a phone call just to say hi and check in.
Add them to your social media accounts, tag them in something that reminds you of them, be sure to comment on or like their posts. This may seem superficial, but it is one of those small things that can have a big impact on someone.

Put their important dates on your calendar

Birthdays, their kid’s games, their anniversary… etc – It will only take a moment of your time to text or message them about it, but It is amazing how much it means to someone when you remember the things they have going in their life. It shows a deeper level of care.

Be an intentional presence (listening, self-awareness)

When you do spend time with the person you are discipling, be sure you are really there. Put away or mute your phone, make eye-contact and listen when they are talking, ask them questions about their life, family, walk with God, feelings, struggles..and then listen for the purpose of understanding. Be sure you aren’t just waiting for them to pause so you can give them a response. And whatever you do – don’t interrupt them when they are sharing.
Try to keep an awareness of what your body language may be saying about your level of interest in the conversation. Lean in, keep your eyes on them, don’t fidget and look around – that indicates boredom and disinterest.
Commit the things they are sharing to memory, then bring them up in conversations later during the week. This shows you care and want to follow up, it also leads the way to accountability, which is a necessary component of disciple-making.

Model intentional transparency (lead by example)

This is key, and it is not easy – but in order to develop a relationship that goes deeper and that allows room for accountability, you will need to lead the way by being open and transparent.
When you share things you struggle with it can have a huge effect on the person you are sharing with. It lets them know that you are not perfect. It lets them know that they are not alone. It makes them feel safer about sharing their struggles with you.
Trust is very important as you enter this depth of relationship with the person you are discipling. Be certain you do not share the things that are said in confidence to you. This is a very important piece of being an example that cannot be overlooked. Trust is slow to be earned but can be lost very quickly.

Written by Jim Putman

This was originally posted on Jim Putman’s blog here. Used with permission.

The post 3 Key Ways To Lead Like Jesus appeared first on Discipleship.org.

Source: 3 Key Ways To Lead Like Jesus

The post 3 Key Ways To Lead Like Jesus appeared first on Passion for Planting.

by Shawn Lovejoy: Everyone is busy.

The temptation is to think that just because we’re very busy, that we’re being effective, or productive.

Let me be clear: Busy or not, if you are not being productive…you are wasting your time!

I am more convinced than ever before, that we can be VERY busy and yet be VERY ineffective.

How can we be BOTH effective, and busy? The answer is incredible simple to understand and incredibly difficult to do.

Being both busy and effective requires:

Doing the right things: WHAT is important.

At the right times: WHEN it is important.

For the right reasons: WHY it is important.

Example: Returning phone calls is important to me. However, spending time with God and nurturing my own vitality are the MOST IMPORTANT things for me. So…I don’t take or return many calls early in the morning, because that is when my mind is the freshest and I want to give my best mental energy to God. I rob from the urgent to focus on the most important.

If I answered every phone call at everyone else’s whim in the mornings, it would be impossible to devote large chunks of uninterrupted time when my mind is the freshest to this task.

So I have scheduled time slots each day when I return most phone calls. If I can’t connect with that person then, I try at the end of the day.

This approach to managing my day allows me to be both busy and effective. What about you? What are ways you think you could better be both busy and effective?

What are YOUR right things? Right times? Right reasons?

Source: How To Stop Wasting Your Time

The post How To Stop Wasting Your Time appeared first on Passion for Planting.

by Carey Nieuwhof: So you’re busy. Welcome to the club.

For too many of us, busy now means working 7 days a week.

One leader approached me a while back and said the one thing he knew would change everything for him was to stop working 7 days a week. The problem was, he had no idea how to do it.

My heart went out to him.

I don’t think I know a single leader who hasn’t struggled with working too many hours. And I know far too many who never take a full day off.

While I think over work will always be a struggle for most driven people (it has been for me), I think it’s a rising epidemic for most leaders.

So how do you change that? I’ll share some insights from my journey and would love to hear yours.

Two Truths No One Can Really Argue With

First, two things that are simply true in leadership:

1. You will never be done

This may not be the case when you start. I remember beginning in ministry in some very small churches and thinking “how on earth am I going to fill 40 hours?” I actually called people to see if there was more I could do.

As we grew I never suffered from the problem of boredom again.

In fact, a church of 100 can place just as many demands on ministry leaders as a church of 1000.  Sometimes more, because in a church of 100 people assume you have all the time in the world for them. Similarly, in any field, an organization of 10 people can place just as many demands on you as an organization of 1000 people.

You think you will make up for the demand by working more hours, or by working smarter, but that’s a dead end street.

So just admit it. Say it out loud. No matter how many hours I work, I will never be done.

An organization of 10 people can place just as many demands on you as an organization of 1000 people.Click To Tweet

2. The problem with needs based ministry is there are always more needs

You probably got into leadership because you care about people. And you want to help meet people’s needs.

I’ll never forget what my friend Reggie Joiner told me when I first met him. The problem with needs based ministry is there are always more needs. 

If your goal is to respond to every human need out there, you will never sleep. Just know that. You are fighting a battle you will lose every time.

And the biggest losers will be your family, whose needs will be ignored in the process.

The problem with needs based leadership is there are always more needs. You’re never done.Click To Tweet

7 Practical Tips to Help You Stop Working 7 Days a Week

So how do you de-escalate your hours, not make people angry and actually have time to refuel?

Well, this journey has taken me years, but here it is in seven bullet points:

1. Preplan your calendar with ‘slots’ for everything you need to do

Over a decade ago I moved to a fixed calendar. It’s the only reason I’m still sane today and can do what I’ve been called to do. By a fixed calendar I mean I pre-plan what I’m going to do and not going to in advance. 

I book no meetings as a rule on Mondays and Wednesdays. Those are message writing/series planning days. I also do much of the administration I need to do.

Tuesdays and Thursdays are meeting days. I meet with our staff and if anyone else is going to meet with me, it will be in the slots available on those days.

The power of this system is that when someone asks if you’re free to meet with them, you can honestly tell them you are not. Your message prep is extremely important, and if it’s in your calendar, you can tell them that unfortunately you’re not free Monday. If all you have is nothing booked it, you will almost always tell them you’ve got nothing going on and you’ll meet them.

And you’ll do your sermon prep or big project on Saturday when you should be home with your family. And, by the way, your organization will suffer because you didn’t spend the time you needed to on what was most important.

2. Book off-time in your calendar

Slot in family time, personal time, devotional time, exercise time and time to just be. Write your day off in your calendar.

Then when someone asks you if you are free, you say “Unfortunately, I’m not.” Again, if you think rest isn’t important, ask the question again once you’re in full fledged burnout (here are 9 signs you’re getting there).

And if you have pre-determined slots available for meeting people in the weeks ahead, you can offer them one of those.

3. Learn to ask yourself, “Is it truly an emergency and can only I help?”

If you lead in a larger church, this isn’t the issue it used to be. But when our church was smaller, people always looked to me for pastoral care (we’ve switched most of our care to groups and outside counselling, a move I can’t recommend highly enough).

The challenge is everyone who asks you to meet with them wants to meet with you now because it’s so important and they’re in crisis and only you can help.

In those moments, remind yourself that what feels like an emergency to them might not actually be an emergency.  Their marriage didn’t get terrible overnight, it’s been sliding for years. Ask one more question, and you might discover that X has been in the hospital for a week and will be there for another week.

Too many church leaders give up their personal time and family time for crises that aren’t really crises. Pastors of churches particularly suffer from this. (Here’s a post on 5 pastoral emergencies that aren’t actually emergencies.)

And then ask yourself (especially if you want your church to grow), am I the only person who can really help? Truth is I am sometimes the person who can least help. They need a counsellor. Or a doctor. Or someone from their community group to visit.

If you are the only person who can help, try this: “I’m sorry to hear that. I have some time available Monday, can we meet then?” You’ll be shocked at how many times the person immediately says “Sure, no problem.”

Too many leaders give up their family time for crises that aren’t really crises.Click To Tweet

4. Power down

The problem is just as much you as it is them, isn’t it. You’re addicted to your phone. I am.

So power down. I’ve moved my email app to a third screen on my phone so I don’t look at it unless I intentionally want too. Almost all notifications on my phone are disabled and 95% of the time my phone is on do not disturb.

Have some moments in your life and leadership when you’re gloriously unavailable.

People expect you to take time off. So when you’re off, be off.

Have some moments in your life and leadership when you’re gloriously unavailable. People expect you to take time off. So when you’re off, be off. Click To Tweet

5. Tell people the truth…they’ll be happy for you

Maybe this is just me, but for years I felt guilty about telling people I was taking a day off. I know, only crazy people think like that, but I’m a crazy person.

Sometimes I would say things like “I’ve been working for a month without a day off so I really need to take it.”

Seriously. What is wrong with me that I need to justify time off?

So next time you’re off or need to be off, just tell them…”Oh you know, that’s my day off…Can we do it another time?”

You know what? They’ll be thrilled for you. At least normal people will.

6. Create categories of things you will no longer do

As your ministry or organization grows and you have more responsibility, you need to regularly decide what you are simply no longer going to do.

The best way I know how to do this is to think in categories.

Personally,

I schedule meaningful time with my direct reports and top leaders.

I schedule less time for everyone else.

I leave time open for people who don’t go to church.

I don’t do individual coaching, but I coach thousands of leaders each year through my online courses.

I don’t do counselling.

I don’t do many weddings or funerals.

I say no to most speaking requests, but choose a few that position me in front of leaders rather than people. I’d rather speak in front of 100 leaders than 1000 people. It just goes further in terms of impact and the good it does.

I realize many people will disagree with these choices, but they have helped me lead at a much higher level that’s generally very healthy and sustainable.

And I have time for myself and my family and time to pursue hobbies like writing. Plus it allows me to spend the majority of my working time doing what I’m best at and what most moves the mission forward.

If you have too much to do, start eliminating categories of things instead of just selected things.

If you have too much to do, start eliminating categories of things instead of just selected things. Click To Tweet

7. Learn to Say No Nicely

I hate saying no. I’d love to say yes to everyone. But I would be dead and they would not be helped.

I wrote this post outlining a six step strategy on how to say no nicely.

I also need to confess that I have a secret weapon. I have a great assistant and team around me. Sometimes I joke that I pay them to say no all day long. They’re good and it and so nice that when they says no on my behalf people feel like they said yes. I’m not kidding.

The transferable principle is that if you’re in a larger organization and can have an assistant or team, find people who excel at saying no and setting boundaries, nicely.  It’s an amazing gift…not just to you but to the entire organization. And if you don’t have a budget for that, my guess is you can even find a volunteer who will help you by handling your calendar or hire a very part time person like I have using a service like this.

A final word: this needs constant revisiting. I’m about to review all my outside and inside commitments again next month and start cutting again. You are never done. As more opportunities arise, you need to be relentless in what you say no to…even if you say it nicely.

Want to Go Deeper? How to Crush Your Goals and Get Your Family Time Back

Want to find far more time at work and at home?  Want to really crack not just getting a day off, but finding more time for what matters most every single day?

It’s very possible…and I’d love to help you get on top of your everything so you can get your life and leadership back.

If you’re trying to find the time for what matters most in life, my High Impact Leader course, is my online, on-demand course designed to help you get time, energy and priorities working in your favour.

Many leaders who have taken it are recovering 3 productive hours a day.  That’s about 1000 hours of found time each year. That’s a lot of time for what matters most.

Here are what some alumni are saying about The High Impact Leader Course”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you for providing the course again. It has absolutely made an impact in my life and family already that I can’t even describe.” – First Priority, Clayton County, North Carolina

“Carey’s course was the perfect way for our team to prepare for the new year. Our team, both collectively and individually, took a fresh look at maximizing our time and leadership gifts for the year ahead. I highly recommend this leadership development resource for you and your team.” Jeff Henderson, Gwinnett Church, Atlanta Georgia

“A lot of books and programs make big promises and cannot deliver but this is not one of them. I have read so many books and watched videos on productivity but the way you approach it and teach is helpful and has changed my work week in ministry in amazing ways.” Chris Sloan, Tanglewood Church, Kingston, North Carolina

“Just wow.  Thank you, thank you.” Dave Campbell, Invitation Church, Sioux Falls South Dakota

“A game changer.” Pam Perkins, Red Rock Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Curious? Want to beat overwhelm and have the time to reinvent yourself?

Click here to learn more or get instant access.

I hope this helps.

In the meantime, what has helped you stop working 7 days a week?

Leave a comment!

The post 7 Practical Tips to Help You Stop Working 7 Days a Week appeared first on CareyNieuwhof.com.

Source: 7 Practical Tips to Help You Stop Working 7 Days a Week

The post 7 Practical Tips to Help You Stop Working 7 Days a Week appeared first on Passion for Planting.