Writing FAQ: how do you find time to write?

At a church leaders’ retreat last month, we talked about having an I don’t do list as a way of making time for sacred pauses in life and ministry. The things we don’t do make it possible to do some other things. The things we say No to allow us to say Yes to other things.

So one pastor said, “I don’t answer the phone at home after 8 p.m.” People can leave a message, and if it’s urgent she will call them back; if it’s not urgent that phone call can wait.

Another said, “I don’t go to every funeral in the community.” In a small town, he knew most of the people even if they weren’t part of his own church, and he had started out with attending every funeral. But that got to be too much, so he is now more discerning.