I know. All pastors are supposed to take Monday off, especially if you are the only full-time paid staff. Your weekends are exhausting. It takes a lot of energy to lead a small army of volunteers to get the campus ready for Sunday: prepare the printed material, write a sermon and coordinate the music, coordinate tech crew, schedule greeters and ushers, hospitality and children’s classroom teachers. You need a day off.
Work Mondays anyway.
All morning on Sunday, people are handing you bits of information, introducing you to guests, opening a window into what is going on in their lives and neighborhoods. A pastor’s job is to act on all of this information. A key leader was missing because his mother fell over the weekend. One of your regular attenders is in the hospital. The toilet handle in the second stall of the women’s room is singing. You’re out of 9 volt batteries.
There are three big reasons for working Mondays:
Memory: You can’t remember everything you will need to do if you walk into the office 48 hours later after a sabbath day of rest. Your brain should dump and take the day off as well! No matter how much you write down, you won’t recall it all. And you will feel like an idiot asking an usher to drive down to the Piggly Wiggly for the most expensive two pack of 9 volt batteries on the planet. The best way to retain as much of your week’s agenda is to get to it right away.
Shipping: Some stuff only comes through the post, so getting that stuff ordered early in the week is imperative — especially since anything you need guaranteed to be here in two days will always take three. If what you ordered also needs to be installed, the earlier in the week you get it the more likely it will be in place and ready for service next Sunday. Sometimes what you order the first time doesn’t work, won’t fit or is already broke. Starting early in the week will give you a chance to order twice if you need it!
Communication: Your new guests need to be contacted as early as possible. Thank you cards for your volunteers that went beyond their regular duties can be a huge boost, especially written on Monday! Those that missed church because they are sick should get a reach out from you. Perhaps they need some hot meals delivered to the family? All of the usefulness of a church body shouldn’t wait until Tuesday.
It may sound a bit aggressive to get an early jump on the week. It is. Your church doesn’t need you to be passive. “Passive leader” is an oxymoron. So, get out there and get a good jump on the week!
Take Tuesday off.