posted by Joel Southerland
How do you deal with interruptions?
The phone call. The drop-in. The IM interruption.
Now, I’m not talking about the real interruption — like the emergency that must be dealt with. That’s not an interruption, that is ministry.
The interruption is something that interrupts your work flow that could be put off until later.
So, how do you deal with it?
Let me tell you what not to do….
When you get the phone call and someone says, “What are you doing?” don’t respond with a “nothing“.
“Nothing” is almost an automatic response for many. I make it a habit to respond with the truth. “Actually, I’m in my study preparing for Sunday’s message” or “I’m getting ready for a counseling appointment that is coming in just a few moments.”
It lets people know that their pastor is working, and in a nice way you have just informed them that you are doing something that you cannot break away from for long.
And, of course, if you are doing nothing, you are not being interrupted!
Question: How often do you tend to reply with “nothing”? What do you think?
16 June 2009 at 7:45 am
That’s a great point you guys make. I always try to let my people know exactly what I’m working on when they call. Some people honestly believe that pastors sit around all week eating popcorn and watching TV and then “work” on Sundays only. By letting people know what we’re doing when they call, it helps to head off those stereotypes at the pass, so to speak.