Rev. Bill Crawford

So you have to set a rhythm of life. You know, my rhythm of life right now, and it adapts it from time to time, is that I do work a six day week. I don't really get obsessed about how many hours I'm working. Some weeks it's more, some weeks it's less, but that you have a rhythm of life. I try to be home for dinner as much as I can. Church events tend to happen at night.

So you have to set a rhythm of life. You know, my rhythm of life right now, and it adapts it from time to time, is that I do work a six day week. I don't really get obsessed about how many hours I'm working. Some weeks it's more, some weeks it's less, but that you have a rhythm of life. I try to be home for dinner as much as I can. Church events tend to happen at night.

And so you have to be aware of that. And so as a pastor, you need to be dialed into, especially if you're a younger pastor with a younger family, you need to be home. You need to be with your wife and your children. in an appropriate manner. And so you need to have frank conversations with your elders about, I want to be at all these meetings, but I also need to be with my family.

And so you have to be aware of that. And so as a pastor, you need to be dialed into, especially if you're a younger pastor with a younger family, you need to be home. You need to be with your wife and your children. in an appropriate manner. And so you need to have frank conversations with your elders about, I want to be at all these meetings, but I also need to be with my family.

Your children do not understand fully what's going on. They don't have a sense of your role. They just know that they miss their dad. And so rhythm of life. So it used to be, I would take a

Your children do not understand fully what's going on. They don't have a sense of your role. They just know that they miss their dad. And so rhythm of life. So it used to be, I would take a

every friday off and saturday mornings was soccer and then i would come in on saturday afternoon and get ready for worship that's just me that's the way i'm wired but saturday's a a day that i can either take off or show up and but it's a rhythm see it's the same rhythm it's a routine rhythm if i move off a friday then i take a different day off that's fine but so that that rhythm has changed a little bit now because i work almost a 12-hour day on sundays

every friday off and saturday mornings was soccer and then i would come in on saturday afternoon and get ready for worship that's just me that's the way i'm wired but saturday's a a day that i can either take off or show up and but it's a rhythm see it's the same rhythm it's a routine rhythm if i move off a friday then i take a different day off that's fine but so that that rhythm has changed a little bit now because i work almost a 12-hour day on sundays

And so I take kind of Monday morning off. I come in late. If I work late, often it's on a Monday. And so I kind of shift that back. But then it's Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday off. And then Saturday I work as much as I need to. And that's my rhythm because I like to come in to worship having just finished my last run through with everything. your rhythm may be different.

And so I take kind of Monday morning off. I come in late. If I work late, often it's on a Monday. And so I kind of shift that back. But then it's Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday off. And then Saturday I work as much as I need to. And that's my rhythm because I like to come in to worship having just finished my last run through with everything. your rhythm may be different.

You may be a five day a week kind of person. Um, I'm adamant about taking a Sabbath and having a day off. And I think it needs to be a routine day off. It gives your congregation the ability to know, leave pastor alone. My phone almost never rings on Friday, uh,

You may be a five day a week kind of person. Um, I'm adamant about taking a Sabbath and having a day off. And I think it needs to be a routine day off. It gives your congregation the ability to know, leave pastor alone. My phone almost never rings on Friday, uh,

There's a couple people with the superpower who call me on Friday almost every other week, but that's okay because I politely say I'm still off on Fridays and they laugh. And it's not a hostile thing. It's just a rhythm and rhythms change as they need to. But I think that is your moral obligation because pastor, your church needs you there. Small churches in particular need you there a long time.

There's a couple people with the superpower who call me on Friday almost every other week, but that's okay because I politely say I'm still off on Fridays and they laugh. And it's not a hostile thing. It's just a rhythm and rhythms change as they need to. But I think that is your moral obligation because pastor, your church needs you there. Small churches in particular need you there a long time.

And so you want to build a rhythm so that you can run the marathon of ministry, not the race of the next year or two. So, again, I've been here 23 years. I think this rhythm has been effective and a very important part of my sustainability in ministry. I think I answered your question maybe a little differently than you expected.

And so you want to build a rhythm so that you can run the marathon of ministry, not the race of the next year or two. So, again, I've been here 23 years. I think this rhythm has been effective and a very important part of my sustainability in ministry. I think I answered your question maybe a little differently than you expected.

So the EPC has this material called 50 Days of Vitality, and they have another set of materials that are kind of companions to that. I'm blanking out on the name. Church health coordinators can help you find that if your presbytery has one. Almost every presbytery has one. And in that, they talk about the elders praying for your church's ministry or mission through the church.

So the EPC has this material called 50 Days of Vitality, and they have another set of materials that are kind of companions to that. I'm blanking out on the name. Church health coordinators can help you find that if your presbytery has one. Almost every presbytery has one. And in that, they talk about the elders praying for your church's ministry or mission through the church.

And at first, that really bugged me. It sounded very manipulative. But that's what in a small church you have to do is, who are your members? Those are your ambassadors to Christ. How are they wired? That's why you got to know everybody. You got to know them personally and How are they wired? What are they capable of?

And at first, that really bugged me. It sounded very manipulative. But that's what in a small church you have to do is, who are your members? Those are your ambassadors to Christ. How are they wired? That's why you got to know everybody. You got to know them personally and How are they wired? What are they capable of?