What a week! Easter is just a few days off. Why did I ever agree to one wedding ceremony, let alone two, on Easter weekend?
Now comes the call: a church member has passed away, and I need to do the funeral.
Overtime. Extra innings. Another period. Sudden death. Exhausted athletes have done their best for a full game, but the outcome is still at stake.
In overtime, they either squander all they’ve worked for—or build on their investment to claim victory. The difference is in what they do after they’ve gone all out.
Overtime is not limited to sports, nor is it just a public event. It is frequently encountered in ministry, and its demands are often private.
It may mean that to respond to that hospital emergency, you have to move sermon preparation from that preferred daytime slot to late night. Or you have not one church family in crisis but multiple families requiring extra care simultaneously. Or the building program takes longer and costs more than anyone projected. Or full-blown conflict breaks out.
It feels like double overtime. How can pastors keep giving their best when such an extra-effort time is upon them?
Beware of what comes naturally
I’ve noticed some personal tendencies that show up in overtime. I get angry or anxious more quickly than usual. The temptation to say or do something stupid seems overpowering.
My overtime anger has resulted in my giving members of our church board the silent treatment, or I have erupted and spoken in condescending tones. More than once I’ve had to write an apology the morning after a business meeting explaining my frustrations and asking forgiveness.
I’ve learned I have to be intentional about my mood and words during these times. For many meetings I’ve even prescribed what I want to act like and recorded it in my planner—then consulted it several times as the meeting progressed! This discipline helps harness unruly emotions.
Overtime may mean that those I care about most get my emotional leftovers. I may remain responsive publicly, but privately become an emotional recluse. I’ll hibernate at home. I’m there, but not all there. My wife is understanding, but if this pattern continues, it undermines intimacy, creating distance in the relationships I value most … and need most in such times.
In extra innings I can revert to my natural style. All personality types have them— extroverts verbally attack, the analytical obsess over details, the amiable wimp out.
I tend to be dominant, and in overtime my strength—decisiveness—easily becomes a weakness: I get dictatorial. Leading becomes controlling. Motivating becomes manipulating.
A tragedy occurred between members of our church when a man sexually molested a little girl. The families were related, and the incident took place in a home, not at church.
The offender’s family came to me wanting me to affirm his innocence; the girl’s family came seeking church discipline.
My first reaction was to respond to neither. It happened privately; let them sort it out. When the situation was brought to the church board’s attention, the conflict escalated. I jumped into the middle of it. By the time the smoke cleared, both families had left the church, and two board members had resigned.
Overtime tends to bring out the extremes. In one situation I totally withdrew. In another it was hard to be emotionally involved without taking over.
Victory depends on what you do after you’ve gone all out.
Under pressure, I didn’t lead as thoughtfully as I should have. Part of the pressure was an overtime situation. We had just completed a building that we were rapidly outgrowing. We were planning another while weighing the possibility of relocation. Although we were growing in attendance, financial participation had not yet caught up. Looking back, I realize now my decisions were not so much a response to the situation as a reaction in overtime.
Knowing my tendencies in advance helps me think strategically rather than impulsively.
Adopt an overtime strategy
When the buzzer sounds but the game must go on, I have learned to do five things.
Direct energy carefully
It’s time to identify the small successes, requiring lesser effort, which will continue to provide momentum while I and other leaders recover.
When we completed construction of our Celebration Center, our excitement was mingled with exhaustion. Our move-in date was behind schedule, and we had stretched our money and time to the limit.
The resources were not there for major new ministries, so we designed some high-visibility, low-energy initiatives.
We moved baptism of new believers into our best-attended services to increase our passion for evangelism. We celebrated Communion, a spiritual highlight for our congregation, more often. We helped our ushers and greeters increase the warmth of fellowship.
We found that little things, when added together, make a difference.
Keep on hand sermon ideas that require less preparation
I have a file of “close to ready” sermon ideas I’ve gleaned from my reading or from listening to tapes. I have marked chapters in books noting material “that’ll preach” with minor tweaking.
I have some of my previously used messages that I’ve revised (which means they weren’t as good as I hoped the first time) for the day when I may share them again. When I do this, I tell the congregation it has been “one of those weeks” and I’ve been saving some thoughts from this book, tape, or previous message for “such a time as this.” They have been understanding—as long as it doesn’t happen more than a few times a year!
Go back to basics
Overtime is when the coach calls for the best play in the book. He avoids gimmicks and long shots.
In one recent overtime period, we highlighted again the critical components of spiritual development—commitment, community, and calling. These were not new to anyone, though we offered new action steps for each. We didn’t add to our program portfolio while people adapted to recent changes. We talked again about discovering and using their spiritual gifts, strengthening their commitment to a life of informed obedience, and sharing their lives with others in the family of God. Nothing fancy, but a healthy re-emphasis of what was good for them and familiar to them.
Pursue selected imbalance
During overtime the balanced life is often impossible. While I vigorously pursue a balanced life, it is not my ultimate goal. It’s a means to fulfilling my highest calling.
If I’m not careful, overtime hurts what is dearest to me—the time I spend building a relationship with God and my family. So I attempt to choose my areas of imbalance.
For a while I backed off on my physical exercise schedule, cutting my time and energy investment in half. I eased my class schedule in my continuing education program. I put some meetings with staff and lay leaders on less frequent intervals. I passed up some ministry opportunities beyond my basic pastoral responsibilities. These adjustments allowed my devotional life and family life to remain strong. When the overload period passed, I returned to balance once again.
Recharge my battery
Overtime is the time for extra effort, but not unnecessary effort. So I watch out for energy drainers. I monitor my exposure to what Gordon MacDonald calls VDPs—Very Draining People (who seem omnipresent in overtime). I use the answering machine to screen calls, and I study at a library rather than at my office. Detailed administration, counseling, and conflict resolution tend to be emotionally expensive for me, so I pace myself.
Meanwhile I seek out battery chargers. I schedule appointments with those VRPs—Very Resourceful People—who cause my spirits to soar. I take naps. I read more funny books and leaf through the cartoons in past Leadership issues. I take more walks with my wife. I dip into my “encouragement” file to read positive notes received in days gone by.
Make sacrifices
Sometimes I need to “sacrifice my body for the team.” Now, I have no predisposition toward martyrdom, but I’ve had to die to some personal desires and develop my theology of suffering as part of my calling to shepherd our church.
More than once I’ve had to tell myself, “If the apostle Paul wasn’t exempt, why should I be able to advance the mission without paying a personal price?” This is when my “I deserve better than this” attitude collides with servanthood.
Dealing with the realities of overtime is part of the mental toughness and physical discipline of great teams. I’m learning it is also part of the spiritual tenacity of prevailing leaders and churches.
Wayne Schmidt is pastor of Kentwood Community Church in Kentwood, Michigan.
1998 by the author or Christianity Today/Leadership Journal. For reprint information call 630-260-6200 or contact us.
