(Jim was the pastor of a rural parish. Many of his parishioners raised dairy cattle, and their day began around 4:30 A.M. preparing for the first milking.

"If a farmer drove by my home at 6 A.M. and did not see my lights on, I would hear about it, " Jim remembers. "I realized to be effective in this setting I would have to set my alarm much earlier."

Shortly after Larry began his ministry, one longtime member paid him a visit. "Be careful of this place," he warned. "Perhaps you noticed the portraits of past ministers in the hallway. All but one are dead. No one will say outright you have to work harder, but we cheer our pastors into the grave. If you don't put limits on your own schedule, no one else will."

Kevin, the associate pastor of an inner-city church, grew up without a father and was determined to be a good father to his three young sons. "I let the church know from the beginning that I would sit one Sunday a month with my family in the service. I take one day a week just to be with ...