Monday, June 14, 2021

Power of the Appointment Book

“Early in my ministry I discovered the power of the appointment book for setting apart time for our family. If a church committee proposed meeting on a given night, or if someone called asking if they could see me at a certain time, I would say, 'Let me check my appointment book.' After doing so, if I simply said, 'I’m sorry, we can’t meet then; I already have an appointment,' they accepted it without question. It was as if what was in my appointment book was sacrosanct, something they dared not question or intrude upon. Having learned about the power of the appointment book (for you it may be a Palm Pilot), I began to use it to my advantage by writing down regular appointments with my family in it. This simple practice helped me protect my time with the family and make it a priority.”

quotation from p.51 Ministry in the image of God : the trinitarian shape of Christian serviceby Seamands, Stephen A., 1949-

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