Mission-oriented work schedule review

Well it's been five months since I set some goals here. How's it been going?

1. I said I wanted to spend 15 hours on evangelism and 15 hours on study and preparation. I feared I'd spend too much time on admin and ministry meetings. I've done ok at this resolution. But consistency requires careful review every week. An unprepared week is a week of admin and ministry meetings.

2. I came up with a breakdown of how to spend the 15 hours on evangelism:

• Cold contact/community surveys - 5 hours
• Fliering/letterboxing/phonecalling - 2 hours
• Taking the time to chat to people in shops/on the street - 2 hours
• Investing in non-Christian friendships - 2 hours
• Following up church contacts/running evangelistic courses - 2 hours
• Cultural involvement - 2 hours

I've come to admit that I'm just not a 'chat to people in the shops and on the street' guy. I just don't enjoy it, can't motivate myself to do it. To keep trying, I think, will just produce more guilt, failure and avoidance. There's plenty of time in 'following up church contacts' and non-Christian friendships:

• Cold contact/community surveys - 5 hours
• Fliering/letterboxing/phonecalling - 2 hours
• Investing in non-Christian friendships - 3 hours
• Following up church contacts/running evangelistic courses - 3 hours
• Cultural involvement - 2 hours.
  

To be honest, I'm pretty lousy at followup too. I can easily waste a good opportunity by not being prompt in following it up. I need to pray for God's wisdom and strength to be more focused on this one. It's awful isn't it? God opens a door and I do nothing about it :-(

3. I wanted to be better at loving people and following up contacts. I'm still hopeless at this. Phonecalls. Appointments. Visiting almost-strangers. Yuck. Hate it.

With all of this stuff, you need to resolve to do it weekly, even daily. And if you don't act on it, your life gets full of stuff. Good stuff. Ooze of ministry meetings and stuff. You gotta keep sharp. And God gives us grace to serve him and brings blessing to other despite our weaknesses.