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What does a pastor do in a week

Discussion in '2005 Archive' started by gb93433, May 29, 2005.

  1. Dr.Tim

    Dr.Tim New Member

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    I wouldnt even guess at a percentage of pastors that are truly doing their work. Most in the seminary were doing what Tater Tot explained.... educated and going where the Lord has led them...not much money but who cares? Tater Tot, you are truly a good woman and I am sure a good pastor's wife too. Many times when I counsel other pastors (mostly deaf pastors) there is mention of the wife complaining that her kids have less than other kids, etc.
    My own work in Baton Rouge is extremely stressing. My pager buzzes incessantly with people needing help of some kind.
    Deaf ministry,, there is little or no glory that a minister can even claim, but the rewards are great. I often wonder though, if I were married and had children.. would I be able to keep up this pace?
     
  2. Dr. Bob

    Dr. Bob Administrator
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    I found that 20 hours per week for main message (morning) and about 8-10 hours for evening, 5 hours for each Adult SS and Midweek + other messages (nursing home, youth, etc)

    If you do math that is a 40-hour week in study and prep, NOT delivery, services, calling, counseling, board meetings, running a christian school, et al

    I never put in less than a 60+ hour week. But much was done late night so I was able to spend time with the family.

    ps - I gave up golf (which was a good "down time" exercise for me) and took up fishing and biking, which could be done WITH my children and be better investment of my liesure time.
     
  3. Hardsheller

    Hardsheller Active Member
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    Just thought I'd share my schedule so far this week.

    Monday - Memorial Day - I was 750 miles from my church field attending Graduation for my nephew.

    Tuesday - Travel Day - 750 miles back home.

    Wednesday - Up at 6am to go to hospital, church member having surgery. 4 visits later that afternoon and I'm at church for Wednesday evening Activities.

    Thursday - Studied, Caught up on Correspondence, made a few phone calls, prepared for DOM Search Team Meeting on Thursday Evening. 4:30 met with three other pastors from Assoc. to discuss Assoc matters. Meeting at 6pm. Got home after 9pm and still had to talk with Son and Wife about a family problem.

    Friday - Studied, Caught up on administrative duties, Met with family of a deceased church member. Drove 56 miles roundtrip to pickup a video projector for VBS. Attended visitation at funeral home. Had a wedding rehearsal at 6pm. Sat at home and watched a movie with my wife Friday Evening.

    Oh I forgot - I had to babysit the Grandkids (3) pick one of them up from Summer School 2 days and I changed at least two diapers those days.

    Saturday - up at 4:30 AM preparing for Funeral Today at 11am and Wedding at 1pm..

    And Tomorrow's Sunday!

    I ain't gonna do much next week, except meet with my shrink on Monday and then it's back to the grindstone. I luv it.
     
  4. bruren777

    bruren777 New Member

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    Our pastor spends several hours per week studying, he is available to console members of the flock. He is active in community out reach, once per week he and members go on prayer walks ( walk through neighborhoods and pray for homes they come to. He helps members move aand he helps with work projects around members homes. He also helps build churches.

    I've attended other churches and most of them had anyone other than a dedicated pastors. Pastors are human, they are subject to circumstances as anyone. Granted there are some whom should not be in the profession. That is the case for any profession.

    There are some things that pastors do for the Lord which some people are unaware of.
     
  5. gb93433

    gb93433 Active Member
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    Don't know what cloud you have been living on. When I pastored the majority of working people made more than I did. When I left and went back into business I made more than almost all of them.

    Some pastors are doing very well but they are in the minority among many who can hardly exist. Check with the SBC annuity board to find out what the average retirement check is. It is way less than the minimum social security check. The average sized church in the SBC is about 75 people. Go to www.sbc.net and see what the average SBC church looking for a pastor is willing to pay. My garbage man made more that I did pastoring.

    Out of seminary in my first church after about a year I was offered a car that was almost new and turned the person down because I could not afford the extra cost of license and insurance. That is how much I made.
     
  6. Timtoolman

    Timtoolman New Member

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    Well I guess I am all wrong again. Seems every pastor on here makes less and works hareder then the laypersons. And yet many have time to post on here a lot. I stand corrected.
     
  7. vbbcny

    vbbcny New Member

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    I am a pastor and I spend most of my time visiting my contacts, studying, prayer, soulwinning, finishing my college work, visiting my shut ins, working on bulletins, prayer sheets, cleaning the church and preparing sermons and sunday school activities, and planning teen activities.


    What do you do in your church and how much time do you spend in it?
     
  8. Hardsheller

    Hardsheller Active Member
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    How about you send me your paycheck for the month of June and I'll send you mine.
     
  9. gb93433

    gb93433 Active Member
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    Several of us have had regular jobs before and can easily compare.

    I can’t speak for anyone else but myself.

    Why are you going to a church with a lazy pastor who makes lots of money and has all kinds of time? I wouldn't waste one minute in that kind of ministry. If you are comfortable with thay kind of discipline it tells me a lot about you.

    Some of us have planted churches and worked regular jobs at the same time without any pay from the church. In fact it has cost some of us our own money.

    I know what it is like to be self employed, work a regular job and to pastor. I have employed those who only wanted to work eight hours a day and others who would work until the job is done. People who have only worked a regular job would never understand what it is like to be a pastor because pastoring is much like being self employed. Lazy people do not work and motivated people work hard. Some who go to work everyday do it for money and others do it for those things which last for eternity. Pastors can be the same way. Sometime when you get a chance go out with a mission pastor who is highly motivated. You won't come back the same.

    When I started a church I would knock on about 75 to 200 doors each weekend in a month. I wore out a lot of shoes too.

    When I was a full time pastor I spent many more hours than I ever did at a regular job. Most of my regular jobs have been my own business as a general contractor. I have never had the luxury of having a job with a one hour lunch and eight hours of union work.
     
  10. Hardsheller

    Hardsheller Active Member
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    I don't know what you do when you're on your computer but I multi-task. As I type this I'm printing pictures for my wife for VBS.
     
  11. Timtoolman

    Timtoolman New Member

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    I don't know what you do when you're on your computer but I multi-task. As I type this I'm printing pictures for my wife for VBS. </font>[/QUOTE]Man, I am so WRONG! Please forgive me. Pastors are superhuman beings who have the worst jobs and get the least amount of pay! :rolleyes:
     
  12. Dr.Tim

    Dr.Tim New Member

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    It doesnt take much time daily to get on BaptistBoard.com and read and post.. maybe 45 min a day.
     
  13. Hardsheller

    Hardsheller Active Member
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    I don't know what you do when you're on your computer but I multi-task. As I type this I'm printing pictures for my wife for VBS. </font>[/QUOTE]Man, I am so WRONG! Please forgive me. Pastors are superhuman beings who have the worst jobs and get the least amount of pay! :rolleyes: </font>[/QUOTE]Thank You! :cool:
     
  14. Timtoolman

    Timtoolman New Member

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    Why are you going to a church with a lazy pastor who makes lots of money and has all kinds of time? I wouldn't waste one minute in that kind of ministry. If you are comfortable with thay kind of discipline it tells me a lot about you.


    [/QB][/QUOTE]

    Know something peoples, if you are too stinking lazy to read the post on here then I am just going to ignore you! I never said my or anyone else's pastor was lazy. A response like this tells me you are just on the defencse. Read my earlier post then tell me where I said my pastor was lazy or any pastor for that matter!
     
  15. gb93433

    gb93433 Active Member
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    Then what did you mean when you wrote, I know many pastors who are just as bad as union workers. There are not many jobs that allow you to go home for hours at lunch time, take your children to the doctors, watch their games, go visit them at church camp (in the name of "I am the Pastor the kids need to see me), Go to Bible confrenece with the wife and kids and visit old friends, take the family on other "ministry related" trips and travels, have 5 pastors on staff for a church of 550.

    My pastor says he feels like he has died and gone heaven....I can see why. Many laypersons teach and do other things while working 60 hours a week. I am not saying they are not busy but ministry is not as bad today as it was in the old days. Where Pastors really worked and decateted himself to the preaching. Work other jobs to make ends meet. NOw pastors are paid very handsomely.

    Its a great job, if you don't think so then you need to get out.


    The only time I ever worked less than 60 hours as a pastor was when I went on vacation.
     
  16. PastorSBC1303

    PastorSBC1303 Active Member

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    Let's just face it, 95% of church members have no clue about what a pastor's life is really like. This thread testifies to that continually.

    Again, just thankful that pastors are accountable to God and not man (espcially those on the BB).
     
  17. Terry_Herrington

    Terry_Herrington New Member

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    Well Timtoolman, I guess you hit several dogs with that rock you threw. [​IMG]
     
  18. Timtoolman

    Timtoolman New Member

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    Then what did you mean when you wrote, I know many pastors who are just as bad as union workers. There are not many jobs that allow you to go home for hours at lunch time, take your children to the doctors, watch their games, go visit them at church camp (in the name of "I am the Pastor the kids need to see me), Go to Bible confrenece with the wife and kids and visit old friends, take the family on other "ministry related" trips and travels, have 5 pastors on staff for a church of 550.

    My pastor says he feels like he has died and gone heaven....I can see why. Many laypersons teach and do other things while working 60 hours a week. I am not saying they are not busy but ministry is not as bad today as it was in the old days. Where Pastors really worked and decateted himself to the preaching. Work other jobs to make ends meet. NOw pastors are paid very handsomely.

    Its a great job, if you don't think so then you need to get out.


    The only time I ever worked less than 60 hours as a pastor was when I went on vacation.
    </font>[/QUOTE]I meant they have Great jobs and great perks but complain anyways. I can see how you might assume I that I was saying they were lazy except if you read ALL my other post I stated over and over that I was not saying that or was I saying that they didn't deserve good pay or perks. Just that they have em and they are great. I love hanging around and being with, or visiting other christians. We have more people at our house from church then any other household in our church. I love the fellowship, maybe too much. I love to be invited or go to other christian homes.

    I like my union job. When I would get laid off and have to find other work till I was called back I was sooo happy to get back to my union job. I realized that those people outside the plant work much harder then me. I did house construction. Man, I was so happy to get back to my line job installing axles! That was my pt.

    If you had read all my post I would not have too be answering this now.
     
  19. Timtoolman

    Timtoolman New Member

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    Looks like I am going to have to admend my thinking. I didn't realize so many worked 24 hours a day and got paid so little.


    Sure a lot of yelping though, I agree. That rock must of bounced all through the pack. ;) [​IMG]
     
  20. Timtoolman

    Timtoolman New Member

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    I think maybe they do that is the problem. Is you life as a pastor so secretive that they don't know what you are doing? People don't know that you are calling on them and visiting them, cleaning the church or whatever other responsibilities you do? Is that statement really true or logical? Believe me you can kid yourself but the people in the church know pretty much what their pastor is doing. If they are not holding their pastor accountable then they are sinning as christian brothers. And vis a versa for the pastor.
     
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