Keeping It Simple

John Daugherty, Associate

Life is demanding and complicated.  Life as a minister, a pastor, a leader of just about any ilk is often overwhelmingly demanding and complicated.  Learning to keep things simpler may be a life-skill we need to learn, or really re-learn.

When we were children things seemed simpler, a little less demanding and complicated.  In a sermon I delivered recently entitled “The Gospel According to Emma Pearl,” I shared a story about my little friend Emma Pearl.  Her daddy is a pastor in the Atlanta area.  Emma often has a difficult time calming down at night to go to bed resulting in just about nightly car rides with daddy.  Her daddy has chronicled those rides in social media.

One particular night as they made their way to the family van, Emma was carrying two things with her, a “lantern” (flashlight) and her Bible.  After they got settled daddy asked her what she had and she told him.  He asked if she might read some of the Bible to him…Emma is three so I imagine the Bible was upside down when she began.  Emma opened the Bible and began, “God made everything;” she turn a page, “God loves everybody;” another page turn, “Jesus is my friend,” closed the Bible definitively, then simply declared, “the end!”

I love the simplicity of a child’s faith.  No long dissertation of theological explanation, no arguing the literalness of each statement, just simply stated with childlike trust and belief.  In fact Jesus challenges us to have such childlike faith in Matthew 18.  But what does this have to do with leadership and ministry?

First, a confession:  too often those of us in pastoral leadership glorify the busyness of our work and calling.  Granted there is much to do, and much demand made on the time and priorities of pastoral leaders.  But I think there are more opportunities for us to simplify and make better choices with the prioritizing of our commitments and the demands.  After a couple of decades of experience, I would find myself counseling younger ministers to practice “triage.”  Triage is a medical term for determining the one with the greater or direr need at any given time.  It’s really about prioritizing and choosing which demands immediate attention verses that which can wait or even be eliminated.

For example, a call comes in about a medical procedure, not life-threatening, scheduled for the early morning.  A few questions can determine if, in fact, there is a need for the minister to be in attendance for said procedure, or does the caller simply want to inform and ask for prayer.  A committee meeting is called, is it necessary for the ministry leader to attend or to simply be aware and informed later.

Granted there are times one cannot simply bow out and must be present.  But, it is important for leaders to practice self-care and set reasonable boundaries.  Set and keep family time.  Schedule and practice personal time, quiet times for reflection.  Make professional and personal development a priority; build and maintain trusted relationships for accountability and encouragement.  Keep the main things, the main things, i.e. Jesus made relationships a priority, he attended to the needs of those around him, he mentored and served those closest to him.

Together with faithful lay congregational leaders work to clearly and simply state the priorities of congregational life.  Doing things only because they’ve always been done is not good prioritizing, timewise, cost-wise, nor ministry-wise.  Choose to do those things which enable the meeting of those designated priorities and avoid the distraction of the myriad of other opportunities that compete for time, energy and investment is one way to simplify and “triage.”

We’ve all heard, even used, the acronym K.I.S.S. – “keep it simple stupid.”  Remember the simple, child-like faith of my friend Emma Pearl.  When we can we need to ignore the distractions and attend to the most important, the priorities.  For Jesus the number one priority is to love.  That love should look like feeding hungry people, helping with clean water, providing cover and shelter, welcoming strangers and attending to those who are sick and oppressed.  If tending to the needs of our neighbors is not a priority, perhaps it ought to be.  Making disciples who are sensitive and attend to those needs is another priority.

Church life, ministry, and leadership is complicated enough.  If one needs help with determining good priorities, leading congregational life that simplifies and clarifies, being more effective disciple-makers without burning everyone out, Pinnacle Leadership Associates can help.  Remember, God the creator loves you and Jesus is your friend.  That about covers it!