When I graduated from Roberts Wesleyan College, I was hired to be a Pastoral Apprentice at the Pearce Memorial Free Methodist Church for the summer. Dr. V. J. Mannoia was the Senior Pastor. He put me under the charge of Associate Pastor (and later bishop) Richard Snyder.
Although I didn't have a great deal of access to Dick, the times I had were very valuable! On one occasion I asked him about a book that he seemed always to be writing in. He explained that it was a type of log-book where he kept details of his activities. Apparently, lay leaders had questioned him about the use of his time and this was his solution.
I took the lesson to heart. Throughout the years I developed systems to help me record my activities. Doing so has made it very easy to develop a monthly report for the leadership boards of the churches I have led.
My most recent system utilizes a steno pad. On the left side I log my home and personal activities in quick, abbreviated notes. On the right side, I log my pastoral activities with times, names, details, and various contacts. I began this sytem in May of 1999, and finished Sunday in my 16th steno pad!
It occurred to me Sunday morning that I would no longer have to report to a leadership team. Any reason for logging information had evaporated.
I admit that I've had a few neurotic moments where I've felt like sitting down and catching it up. But as day passes to day, I'm feeling increasingly FREE!
Just don't ask me what I did yesterday - because now I probably can't tell you...
Showing posts with label Record-keeping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Record-keeping. Show all posts
Friday, June 1, 2012
Saturday, May 26, 2012
MY MOM WOULD BE PROUD
There are boxes that I have moved from one place to another without opening them to examine the contents. This move is different. We are trying to reduce clutter significantly!
One box is memorabilia and records from the churches I've served. I've been going through it this week in the evenings. When we moved from Akron, I finally discarded all the bulletins that I'd saved from these churches. Tucked in each bulletin was the sermon for that Sunday.
Now, I'm going through records. Every visit made - with notes. Every correspondence. Every phone contact. Complete logs of what I did every day - that go back to the early 1980's. Then come the journals.
In addition are the records of my devotional times. Written prayers, prayer lists, and praise lists. Stacks of them. And, of course, every card and note that anyone ever sent me...
I feel like I'm holding my life in my hands. Unbelievable. I shared it all with Deb last night. She agreed that this is the direct influence of Hazel (my Mom). But my Dad was also an organizer and saver; so I got a double whammy! :-)
What is it that makes it so hard to chuck all this stuff? My kids would never go through it. They'll burn it in the back yard - laughing and wondering why Dad kept all this junk!
I've never referred back to it - and probably never will. Isn't it amazing how hard it is to let go of stuff?
Well, enough rambling. I've got to make a trip to the dumpster. The big question for me is: I end my pastoral ministry in eight days; does that mean I can quit logging my activities?
One box is memorabilia and records from the churches I've served. I've been going through it this week in the evenings. When we moved from Akron, I finally discarded all the bulletins that I'd saved from these churches. Tucked in each bulletin was the sermon for that Sunday.
Now, I'm going through records. Every visit made - with notes. Every correspondence. Every phone contact. Complete logs of what I did every day - that go back to the early 1980's. Then come the journals.
In addition are the records of my devotional times. Written prayers, prayer lists, and praise lists. Stacks of them. And, of course, every card and note that anyone ever sent me...
I feel like I'm holding my life in my hands. Unbelievable. I shared it all with Deb last night. She agreed that this is the direct influence of Hazel (my Mom). But my Dad was also an organizer and saver; so I got a double whammy! :-)
What is it that makes it so hard to chuck all this stuff? My kids would never go through it. They'll burn it in the back yard - laughing and wondering why Dad kept all this junk!
I've never referred back to it - and probably never will. Isn't it amazing how hard it is to let go of stuff?
Well, enough rambling. I've got to make a trip to the dumpster. The big question for me is: I end my pastoral ministry in eight days; does that mean I can quit logging my activities?
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