Monday, June 29, 2009

My Week - Last Week

It was interesting to post my diary for last week. To some extent it explains why quantifying hours of clergy work is so complicated. It is for this reason, perhaps soon to change, that we are treated as stipendiary - set aside from the necessity to earn our living in order to serve full-time - rather than salaried.

However a certain amount of 'duties' comes with the territory. Last week I was available for six days (did you spot which day was the day off, readers?) and, conservatively adding up I reckon I did 65.5 hours duties.

I also did 2.5 hours work for the Church of England Newspaper for which I will receive £45 at some point in the future.

Last week the phone rang very little - emails have reduced the number of phone calls to the Vicarage and enable communication to be less intrusive. Only one phone call was longer than ten minutes and that was prearranged. I have two emails left to deal with from last week, twelve from during my holidays, and eight from before my holidays. Given that there were over a thousand in the in-box last Monday, that is pleasing.

Part of my duties included drinking wine, eating lunch and breakfast, reading and chatting with nice people.

I didn't spend long enough in sermon preparation but there are some weeks where a good filing system and 32 years experience in public speaking ministry are a blessing.

Pick another week in about six months time (don't give me too much notice) and I'll do it again.

Thanks to David Keen for the observation about my 24 hour clock going wrong one day. Cheeky git.

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