One of the major problems pastors have is either the inability or lack of desire to focus on what’s important.

Case in point. Yesterday, a pastor of a 150-member church told me he was exhausted from working so many hours a week. My response: Pastoring a church of 150 members isn’t a full-time job, and if you are exhausted from working too many hours you just don’t get it. Your problem is that you aren’t focusing on the urgent and important issues. You need to get strategic.

Without learning to focus on what is urgent and important, a congregation can have a pastor running in all directions. And when that happens, churches decline and pastors burn out.

A common problem among pastors is the lack of ability or desire to focus on what’s important.

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So here is a tip. Sit down and make a list of everything in the coming week that is both urgent and important. Then make a list of things that are important but not urgent and vow to do those things this week, month, or year.

I know some things won’t get done. But if they’re not urgent or important, you, as the pastor, shouldn’t be doing them. It’s that simple.

I know if you are overworked you probably don’t see it this way. But listen up – that’s one of the reasons your church isn’t growing. You’re doing too much unimportant stuff and not focusing on what is urgent and important.

Question: What common pastoral tasks do you consider both urgent and important? Make a list in the Comments section below.

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