A ministry supervisor once told me a quick way to lose respect in ministry: Don’t return people’s phone calls. The same holds true for email.

While we shouldn’t feel enslaved to desktop or smartphone notifications, responding to email is an under-appreciated aspect of pastoral ministry. Our inboxes hold messages ranging from prayer requests and sermon feedback to meeting agendas and conversations with the Buildings and Grounds Committee about which paper towel solution the church should use in the restrooms. Whatever the topic, your congregation needs to know their pastor will respond.

Just as a cluttered desk inhibits concentration, an unprocessed inbox takes up mental space. A clear inbox, by contrast, increases flexibility and allows me to respond to needs as they arise.

Reset to Inbox Zero in two minutes.

I once read about an executive who declared “email bankruptcy.” He deleted all of his emails and set up an auto-reply message to tell his contacts about ...