Update: I made some bold moves, and this is the result
This isn’t an exhaustive list, but it’s a start.
- DAC Presentation on font and church hall
- To include extensive explanations why this is the best solution, which the architect hasn’t time to prepare, so I need to have ready.
- Deadline: 23rd July
- Summer Camp Liturgy and Worship on Easyworship
- Deadline: 24th July
- Walsingham Youth Pilgrimage 26th July to 8th August
- Leave here 26th July for 2 weeks
- Ordinand Supervision for next 10 days
- Reports due by 24th July
- Blesséd Mass
- Deadline: 19th July
- Desert of lack of inspiration on key areas for worship, especially Gospel text: Matthew 20 etc Great Commission
- Greenbelt 27-31st August
- Blesséd Mass for adults (date and time still not confirmed) – nothing as yet organised
- Blesséd Mass for Youth (low-tech, nothing as yet organised)
- Discussion alongside Ian Adams and Nadia Bolz-Weber (much more eminent than me) on “Rhythm & calendars, feast-days & fasting: Maggi Dawn hosts a conversation exploring the attention paid to the ebb & flow of the Christian calendar in emerging worship.” Of which I know nuuthing.
- A vague suspicion that I have another worship to lead from Blesséd as well, but of which I have no information. I feel not very in control of what is expected of me, and I am worried
- MaryMass at Glastonbury, 16th August
- Have absolutely no idea what I am supposed to be doing for this: an email mentions a screen and a projector and beyond that – help!
- Sacramental alt.worship book
- Needs to be written before the end of November.
- House Purchase to be finalised, and my bolthole moved into.
- SCP
- Brune Park Chaplaincy
- Weddings
- Baptisms
- Funerals
- Bible Study and Discipleship
- All night youth event with Youth Evangelism Fund money
- 23rd September
- Nothing sorted for that yet, amid the constant fear that the Sunday night youth group might just implode in teenage apathy.
- Friday’s Youth Club
- new school year, new challenges
- funding issues
- Church Hall issues
- Parish Pilgrimage to the Shrine, 20-22nd November
- Induction as Vicar, 16th September
- Mass… as always
- Pastoral Care … they are always with us.
- Divine Office ,,, of course
- Wife and children – with their own special stresses and strains this GCSE and A’Level year as well as Lou’s NQT year.
- School Governor x 2 with new Ofsted Inspection, new SEF and a Single Equality Policy to devise.
- Blesséd Daily Text – both a delight and a right drag
- …and lots of other things besides
…and behind it all, chronic lack of sleep, low energy levels and my diabetes always threatening to spiral out of control.
Now I am not normally a moaner, and I tend to always be a half-full glass sort-of-person but I can’t seem to get beyond this seemingly enormous volume of activity. I don’t need sympathy, just your opinion on my priorities and the best way to tackle it all. I never claim to be the perfect priest, a second John Keble, and I am not above asking your advice. I know plenty of you are just as busy, just as stressed; but what do you think I could do?
On thing that has helped me was the “Getting Things Done” book for task management. You can get them for real cheap on new/used from Amazon.
There is also a ton of “GTD” applications out there. I used to use Things for the Mac/iPhone yet I moved to OmniFocus for Mac/iPhone.
It helps make a mountain of tasks manageable. It sounds like a bunch of marketing FUD, yet GTD really does work. I strongly recommend it. You don’t need a program to do it and in the book he uses paper and folders. Many people even use email programs and tags in gmail (for example).
Links:
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getting_Things_Done
– http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Things-Done-Stress-Free-Productivity/dp/0142000280/
– http://culturedcode.com/things/
– http://www.omnigroup.com/applications/omnifocus/
Wish you luck, Fr.!
Give it a shot, I know I was very skeptical with my friends that recommended it but now I love it and I can handle more. Before I felt like I just couldn’t manage my life and wasn’t getting things done as I’d like, yet now I can handle it all with much MUCH less stress and worry.
Simon,
I am sure you will get it all done, but agree that it seems quite a daunting task. Is there anything that can be handed over to others? I would start by putting it into a daily calender rather than just a list and be brutal – don’t do anything that can really wait. Remember that you need to take time for YOU and your body will not go on forever with little sleep and too much coffee! – look after yourself today because you never know what may happen tomorrow that will put a spanner in the works.
Keep praying, keep presiding, God loves YOU – (My 3 sermon messages!)
May not help, but shows I am listening and still care for you all at Elson.
lots of love
Jane
Can you delegate some of this?
As an administrator in my own church I would expect the Priest to ask me to help with the EasyWorship & Liturgy. Also to some extent with reseaching, planning and helping organise some of the other things.
What about a brain-storming session with your lay and ordained staff and volunteers for help and inspiration.
School Governor.. I don’t know how involved you are, or the situation here (are they Church Schools?) but… are you able to let someone else take this on to free you up for ministry?
Can you delegate some of this?
As an administrator in my own church I would expect the Priest to ask me to help with the EasyWorship & Liturgy. Also to some extent with reseaching, planning and helping organise some of the other things.
What about a brain-storming session with your lay and ordained staff and volunteers for help and inspiration.
School Governor.. I don’t know how involved you are, or the situation here (are they Church Schools?) but… are you able to let someone else take this on to free you up for ministry?
I HUGE sympathise, as I feel pretty much equally overloaded, albeit with far fewer high profile things in prospect. I did just wonder (talking to myself, perhaps) when you last managed a proper retreat? In my experience, that tends to improve perspective.
Would be interested to hear if you do pursue the Getting Things Done book, as I’m being encouraged to read & apply it myself…
Do you feel as if you have to be all the energy & vision for the parish? (again, I can empathise for England if you do)
I’ll pray, anyway….You do phenomenal amounts & I’m sure make God smile on a regular basis.
Just want to say – I love the Blesssed texts and I am glad that you got through it! Keeping going with Mass and the Office is the best thing you can do – and have a regular retreat. I have just retuurned from the wonderful Franciscan Sister on an IGR. My life is frantic – going there once a year helps so much.
Good luck to you children on their exams. I teach at a sixth form college and my oldest is 15 so we are just getting into that territory too – she will be on GCSEs next year with the older sone the year after. Littlly is in Year 6 next year so a while to go.
They will get through!