The Ministerial Director > Managing Your Own Spiritual Life

If you are coming into Ministerial from the ranks of the pastorate, chances are you will experience one abrupt change that can be disconcerting. The surprising dynamics from the sudden and dramatic change in one's study life can leave you with a feeling of spiritual disconnectedness. Likely you used to spend hours each week in prayerful study in preparation for your next sermon. Though there's always the desire to make sure that sermon prep study time and personal spiritual growth time are separate, most pastors find that these two things often blend together with both contributing to your own personal spiritual growth and health.

Many new Ministerial Directors come into the position with a strong determination to not lose their former study habits. But as a Ministerial Director, your daily schedule and focus is quite different. The demands of your responsibilities will soon take over, leaving you without the time to hold on to your former study regimen. And though you will likely speak often on Sabbath mornings and for special weekend programs around the conference, you may find yourself often recycling and refreshing past sermons.

The loss of the regular opportunity for in-depth study that you once enjoyed can be disorienting, leaving you with a sense of spiritual dryness. Here are some ideas to help you manage this potential change in your spiritual life:

•Don't be hesitant to schedule adequate alone time for yourself and don't apologize for it. Carve out some time for reflection, prayer, and reading of materials not related to your work. Books such as Ruth Haley Barton's "Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership" is a good place to start. Use this as a devotional book for a couple of weeks (if you can resist reading all of it at once!), taking time at the end of each chapter to do at least a portion of the exercises she suggests. Or do a personal study on the Psalms, asking God to speak through the Psalms into your life

•Take personal retreat days 2 or 3 times a year where you can get away with just your Bible, journal, and other spiritual books. If you can get a couple of days for this each time, all the better. Many of us who do this regularly find that it's hard to unhook from the day-to-day routine with just one day away. So a second day can often be more productive. A good way to grab some extra time is to come a day or two early or stay a day or two later around a meeting at your conference's camp, if you have one available. Most times you can easily arrange for a room that you can use for these extra days.

•If it's possible, take a 4 or 5 day retreat each year. This will really allow you to unwind and take the time to reflect, pray, immerse yourself in the Word, and be refreshed. Though it might seem like you don't have time to give to this, many of us who do this have found that investing in these days energize you in such a way that you'll make up the time invested, often many times over, because you are refreshed and refocused

•Consider asking a Ministerial Director colleague to be a prayer partner with you. Covenant to contact each other at least monthly just to pray together and talk over spiritual issues and struggles you are having. Chances are, you will find that they are just as hungry for help in this area themselves

•Don't be too hard on yourself. It will feel different not having the deep study life you did before, and you might feel as though you are slipping spiritually. If you stay on guard for this, chances are you won't be slipping at all. You are just adjusting to a new reality. If you are patient and allow the Holy Spirit to speak into your life, you will discover that each time you prepare to visit with a pastor, step into a committee, or plan for a workers meeting, is a new opportunity to meet God alone to ask for Him to speak into your life what you need for this moment

•Find ways to be involved in your local church. This one can be a bit tricky because you don't want the local pastor to think you are constantly looking over his/her shoulder. Resolutely stay out of the local politics of the church, but find ways to invest gifts that you have there. Not only does the church need your gifts, you need the body of Christ as much as anyone else. Separating yourself from belonging to a community of believers is a sure-fire way to dampen your own spiritual life