A Normal Week

In response to many members of the congregation asking, apparently, what I get up to all day, and with no knowledge, as I begin, of how this week is going to pan out, time-wise, here is my time-sheet for the week. I am employed part-time to carry out a minimum of 24 hours work a week with some week-by-week flexibility on that. Last week I clocked 29.5 hours.

Sunday
0700 Last minute preparation, prayer and planning for 45 mins.
0945 Arrive at church for 1030 service. Check, greet, pray and prepare.
1230 Leave church and host eight for Sunday lunch - one family of four with two small children, one engaged couple and one recently married couple. Last ones leave at 1500.
1700 Head for church for evening service. Do some brief office work, check, greet, pray and prepare. Leave 2015.

Hours 9:15

Monday
0745 Desk checking emails and diary. Think and pray.
0930 Staff meeting for prayer, planning and briefing.
12.00 Lunch with colleague to discuss confidential item (ends 1300).
1400 Prepare services for following Sunday (one hour with interruptions).

Hours 5:00 (total 14.15)

Tuesday
0230-0345 Awake helping police. See here.
0745 Desk checking emails, diary and post. Prayers.
0800 Write piece for new church newsletter (45 mins).
1000 Meet couple re wedding 2007 then check everything OK in office. Answer questions (ends 1115).
Go to gym. Conversation with church member but no new contacts (no hours counted).
Afternoon free but with various phone calls (15 mins).
Visit near neighbours and trade picked blackberries for apples off their tree. Good relationship building (no hours counted).
1945 Meet with preacher for next Sunday evening to discuss sermon. This is one of those areas where the border between work and relaxation is difficult to draw. We discussed last week's service, next week's, the sermon, the plans for St Paul's to get more involved in ventures, the recruitment of more venture leaders, my move, remarriage of divorcees in church, honesty in the work place and also caught up with news of each others families. We are friends. We had beer in a pub mid-way between our two houses so we could both walk (home 1030).

Hours 5:15 (total 19.30)

Wednesday
0830 Desk checking emails.
0900 Staff prayers and office admin (ends 1015)
1400 Reading, study, phone calls and prepare wording for church pastoral leaflet
2000 Hour and a half in the Somerville talking to locals (not counted)

Hours 3:15 (total 22.45)

Thursday
0815 Desk checking emails and messages.
1230 This is a non St Paul's day but had lunch with a friend who is an Old Testament expert and asked him about Rahab in preparation for my sermon on Sunday. Spent two and a half hours with him. Logged 30 mins.

Hours 0.30 (total 23.15)

Friday
1400 Another non-St Paul's day but reading, study and preparation for Sunday. 1 hour.

Hours 1.00 (total 24.15)

Saturday
No duties. Hooray.