In many ways, pastors are expected to be jacks of all trades.

When we were pastors of our first church in Toronto, by necessity, we did everything.

1. Lead the church

2. Teach the church

3. Count the offering

4. Account for the finances - balance the books

5. Do the banking

6. Lead the Sunday School

7. Lead the women's ministry (that was Elsie's job)

8. Lead the vision process - purpose, mission, vision, etc.

9. Repair the plumbing

10. Build a new stage for the auditorium

11. Deal with all property matters, getting and submitting quotes and supervising contractors

12. Drive the Sunday school bus

13. Conduct open-air gatherings to attract kids and grow our Sunday School

14. Conscript and train teachers and other workers

15. Provide pastoral care for the congregation and the community

16. Visit hospitals as required

17. Conduct weddings and funerals for those in the community who did not have a church home

18. Provide pre-marriage counselling, marriage counselling, crisis counselling, etc.

19. Visit the are pubs and strip clubs on Friday evenings to sell The War Cry (the weekly newspaper) and build relationships with the patrons

20. Plan worship services, including choosing songs and everything else

21. Prepare and preach both Sunday mornings and evenings, about 42 times a year

22. Deal with those in the community in need of social services such as food, lodging, travel and clothing

23. Lead an after-school drop in for the kids in the neighbourhood

24. Deal with all correspondence with our Divisional and Territorial Headquarters

25. Maintain and submit all statistics - attendance, decisions, and membership

26. Conduct membership classes and interviews

27. Prepare for and participate in annual audits

28. Prepare for and participate in annual inspections

29. Oversee all ministries of the church, including youth ministry and hospital visitation

30. Respond to the late night calls, such as "I have cockroaches! What are you going to do about it?"

31. Oh - and don't forget - "Be still before the Lord and wait for him patiently" (Psalm 37:7).

I want to go lay down, but I'll be trying to catch a few Z's, not listening for the Lord!

And Paul says, "Timothy, do not neglect your gift."

And I think, "Paul, I have so much to do!"

When we were still in college, we subscribed to Leadership Journal, which is published by Christianity Today. That year, they printed an article by Eugene Peterson with the audacious title, "The Unbusy Pastor: The word busy is the symptom not of commitment but of betrayal." I didn't realize until years later that this was the Eugene Peterson who taught at Regent College here in Vancouver, and who wrote "The Message: The Bible in Contemporary English."

Here we were, getting into full-time ministry, up to our eyeballs in responsibilities and with very limited support, and we were being told that to be busy is to betray both the Lord and our calling!