Focus on your Core Ministry, Delegate the Rest

There are many varied opinions on the duties of a minister. Ministry is basically defined as fulfilling one’s God given assignment either by running a church, Charity, or a Christian Organization.

Most times, adding the nitty gritty of administrative tasks to our core ministry usually makes us feel as though the 24 hours in our days are just not enough.

Ministry is far more complex than we see it.

Consider a Pastor in a church who must attend several meetings, book additional meetings, prepare minutes for these meetings, maintain accurate records of members and finances, etc. These duties usually happen behind the scenes and are really time consuming and burdensome.

How do you focus on your core ministry?

Delegation is an art and MUST be learnt. Did you know that you stand a higher risk of mental health issues when you try to do everything on your own?

Clergy health studies show that ministry stress is causing a decline in the physical and mental health of pastors. A study found that out of every 6 pastors, 1 showed signs of distress with levels of isolation, loneliness, fear, anger, and boredom. Forty-five percent (45%) of pastors’ report having felt burned out to the degree that they had to take a break from ministry (London and Wiseman, Pastors at Greater Risk).

Jethro advised Moses to adopt the strategy of delegation when he noticed Moses was working himself out (Exodus 18: 21-22). Every minister needs to delegate to safeguard their mental health, and to avoid stress and burn out. Our mental health and quality family time is improved when we learn this art.

Delegate what you ‘hate’

Interestingly, our core ministry is something we love to do comfortably and with ease. Doing what you love and delegating what you ‘hate’ is amazing, and you need not feel guilty when you need to delegate. Outsourcing tasks you are not so comfortable with frees up time for you to focus on your core ministry. And you will be amazed by how much free time you can get when delegation is done effectively.

The need for VAs

Virtual Assistants (VAs)are like an extra pair of hands without actually being employed by the ministry or being on their payroll.  A VA is a great choice for a ministry or organisation who do not have the budget for a permanent and full-time member of staff or do not have office space to host an assistant or administrator.

They can be very resourceful and can do a whole host of day-to-day tasks from social media management to booking business trips for the minister.

They can be integrated with your team or work individually and even as your personal assistant. Hiring a VA is a great way of developing your delegation and leadership skills.