I'm Often Overwhelmed

I'm Often Overwhelmed My weekly ministry schedule takes up about 50-55 hours of my week. I typically take one day and sometimes an extra half day off each week. Even then, I don't get nearly enough finished. Most weeks my time just gets swallowed by the regular ministry tasks. I'm left with no time to do the extra things that are absolutely necessary. At the beginning of each week I plan out my time. I schedule time to do the “extra” tasks that need attention. But as the week goes by, my time is slowly but persistently eroded by what comes up at the moment and needs immediate attention. I can't ignore people who are admitted to the hospital. I have to address conflict. I can't turn away a person who is in need of counsel. And so, one by one, my hours are consumed with important things – but things that don't really fit into my schedule. This is a constant burden for me, and often overwhelms me. How can I be an effective minister when I can't even address some of the most important tasks set before me? I'm also overwhelmed by conflict in the congregation. Most of the time people just need a little prodding to get back on track. But sometimes conflict in the congregation is severe. “Many well-meaning Christians in [my pastor friend's] congregations ignored the signs of 'battle fatigue.' Instead, congregations overwhelmed my pastor friends with unrealistic expectations, negative criticism and misplaced anger. Some congregations even assumed the perfect pastor was "out there," so their fallible pastor was terminated.” I can't possibly meet everyone's expectations. And I am overwhelmed by people's words and actions that often hurt... sometimes very deeply. Between an overloaded schedule and conflict in the church, I'm often overwhelmed.