So often in ministry, a lay person will have a tremendous heart for serving others and the needs of the Church. This will often translate into an impressive “database” of knowledge and relationships that are of good quality. These relationships also provide many blessings as friendships form and grow.
The flip-side of this is that often a lay minister will be spread too thin and the things that “really matter” can be put on the back burner. Example: a talented youth minister has computer skills. The secretary is out for a month with mono. The pastor asks if the youth minister can fill in, “It’s only the bulletin and a few flyers to do…” The bulletin is a need for the whole parish, but is the youth minister the only person for the job?
How could the youth minister respond? Easily, there could be grumblings and complaints behind closed doors, “I can’t believe that he asked me to do the bulletin for a month! Doesn’t he realize the time that is involved?” These responses can lead to resentment and hidden anger. Practically, the youth minister might also not be able to spend as much time with kids.
At the heart of this particular scenario is the art of balancing multiple areas of influence. Far beyond a career in ministry, most laypersons who work for the Church have other significant areas of responsibility: family; a second job; financial pressures; older family members with needs. These are real pressures which produce significant stress on a person. While ministry is a calling, it is just part of the vocation of the ecclesial lay minister.
It seems that there are some practical tips for balancing these areas of time and energy. The key word is balance, because if we do not learn to respectfully say “no” to things, our time and energy will quickly be directed in areas that really aren’t important.
• Evaluate your present roles every seven days. Once you can name your roles, you also identify where your energy is directed. Then, prioritize these roles and try to “track” how much time is allocated each week for each role. If you find that you are spending too much time or energy in a less important role – either eliminate it or find a way to minimize input.
• Learn to say no at least once a week. The key to saying no is to remember that with each “no” is a “yes” to something more important. If you are aware of your main areas of responsibility and have a sense of where God wants you to spend your time, the “no’s” will become more easily a habit.
• Create accountability for your time. It might be a good idea to keep a manual time card of your hours in ministry. If not for you to report your hours, it will give you a sense of how much time you are dedicating to the work that is either draining you or energizing your life. Remember, busyness and stress are not necessarily holy or healthy. A monthly faith sharing group would also be helpful as you “check in” with friends and spiritual role models. However you can, create accountability for yourself so that you won’t feel as if you are on the island of ministry.
(Michael K. St. Pierre is a teacher of theology at Oratory Prep School in Summit, NJ, and co-founder of CatholicVentures.com.)
