Leadership Priorities – The Test of Time

Terry and Sandy Kreuger with three of their children relocated to Denver, CO in June of 2010 where they serve on the NCMI Trans-local team as well as the Church Planting / Leadership Team of Redemption City Church.

Leadership Priorities – The Test of Time

Psalm 90:12 … let us number our days aright … that we may gain a heart of wisdom

The original language here puts an emphasis on us weighing our time seriously

Wisdom and effectiveness will always result in time well spent and a sense of fruitfulness in our lives and in our ministery

I am convinced that each one of us has all the time we need to accomplish the full will of God for our lives

Time can never be retrieved, can never be hoarded – it can only be spent wisely or unwisely.

Our entire contribution to the King and the Kingdom hinges on how we use the hours allotted to us

How we use our time is really about priorities rather than weather we really have time to do the task or not. Lets imagine this: As a father I don’t have time to fix my sons bicycle. But I bet you if someone offered me $1000 to fix a friends bike I would find the time! Silly I know but it makes the point - the challenge is not really about time but about priorities.

Many of you who read this are bi-vocational. To you I say your challenge is even greater. The reality is that bi-vocational pastors do not have two part time jobs – they have two FULL TIME jobs. Your challenges are even greater. But they are simply that challenges that can be taken on and overcome!

Distraction always has been and is still a weapon in the hands of our enemy! If he can get us running busy with the wrong things or even with good things at the expense of better things he will severely limit our effectiveness and fruitfulness

I have made a quick list of priorities. This is in no way meant to be a checklist and it is not necessarily in order

Time with God

Acts 3:19  times of refreshing come from the Lord

1 Sam 30:6 says David found strength in his God (NIV) 

David encouraged himself in the Lord his God (NKJ)

Honestly after nearly 20 years in the saddle I have to say that there is simply no substitute for getting with God in word and worship and allowing Him time to speak, encourage and refresh.

Time to pray

Jesus is always our model and example and if He (Full of the Spirit Luke 4) (Full of grace and truth John 1:14) needed to withdraw often to lonely places to pray (Luke 5:16) my guess is that we will need to

This time of prayer has to be more about intercession and petition, a time when we as leaders can call on God for His provision and resources to accomplish all that He has called us to do. This is not a task we will ever accomplish in our own strength and resources … we must tap into His!

Time to be married

Our time with our spouses cannot be the dregs of the day when the last people have left and the kids are finally asleep and we are totally depleted

A few pointers that have helped us

Create time to be together – need not be expensive but needs to be regular and consistent

Sandy and I are huge believers in an early bedtime for our children. Our children (16, 12 and 11) are on their beds by 8:30PM and lights out by 9PM! This creates some space for us for reflection and to catch up and catch our breath.

Time for your Children

We truly are the only people responsible for our next generation! We cannot be absent in this area! Our children need our presence more than our presents. Our time  with our children is critical to their future and ours.

Some pointers that have helped us

• When we are home we eat every meal together around the table. NO TV … NO phones. I can honestly say our dinner tables have been our sanity and our safety net. We have a simple rule at our table you can say anything or ask anything but it needs to be done with honor, love and respect!

• Time off is time out.

When we are taking some time out it is no email and no txt it is time out!

Time to Read

Reading needs to be broad and selective. Don’t waste time reading stuff that won’t help you. This will broaden our perspective and help us to keep growing and moving forward.

Allow me to add – when we must never confuse this with waiting on God for strategy and perspective for our city and context rather than reading a book about how God did it with some other guy in some other city.

Time for the Lost

I want of pause here for second. This is an area where we as leaders must lead by example. Luke 19:10 … Jesus came to “seek” and to save what was lost. Unless we are deliberate and intentional we will simply be drawn to spending all our time with the folk already in the life of the church. Dudley would always say that most of us spend all our time keeping the saved saved. Jesus has called us to be fishers of men and not keepers of the aquarium! Lets get out and get involved … leading be example we can have churches where people naturally give time to unbelievers trusting for opportunities for the gospel to be shared.

Time for Recreation

The God we serve chose to reveal him self to us first as a creator … “in the beginning God created” Gen 1:1 we represent something of that when we recreate! I said recreate not procreate (although we need time for that to!) Recreation refreshes restores and energizes

• Regular Exercise

We are in this for the long haul. Stress and depression are the diseases of our day. Getting outside and getting regular exercise will be of tremendous long-term benefit for us

• Time with friends in and out of our church – not talking church and

strategy but simply hanging for the sake of hanging

• Time to be yourself

Work hard play hard

• Vacation times

Preferably away out of your context

I trust these few practical pointers are helpful.

Would love comments and feedback

Yours in His grip

Terry Kreuger