Calendar Planning

This infographic about calendar planning reveals a structured and balanced approach to managing time, relationships, and commitments, particularly for those in ministry or those who lead busy lives. The clear and concise layout emphasizes priority management and the need for intentional time allocation, especially when juggling work, family, friends, and church-related activities.

Overcommitting and Time Management

The top-down view of the month highlights several recurring themes such as work, family, friends, and church—all critical aspects of a Christian life. However, the layout also provides an important reminder: when these areas are not properly balanced, it becomes all too easy to overcommit, leading to burnout or neglect of the most important aspects of life.

This calendar’s structure allows for intentional family time and even ensures room for both structured and spontaneous social or ministry-related activities. The goal is to avoid being too busy—a common pitfall for those in ministry who serve others without setting aside time for themselves or their families. When every day is packed without allocations for rest, personal renewal, or quiet time with God, it is only a matter of time before physical and spiritual health suffers.

Neglecting Spiritual and Physical Care

Without thoughtful planning, even the most well-intentioned individual—especially one in ministry—can become trapped in a cycle of busyness. While serving others is undoubtedly important, it is also essential to set aside time for personal spiritual nourishment, rest, and care for one’s family.

Failing to rest can lead to exhaustion, which has repercussions not only on the individual but also on their ability to serve well. If we pour ourselves out constantly without refilling from the well of God’s Word and by spending time with family, we risk becoming ineffective in our ministry and distant from those we love the most. The habit of planning with a purpose, as seen in this calendar, is crucial for guarding against burnout.

Detailed Breakdown of the Right-Hand Side Principles

The calendar here is the one we kept while I was a pastor. Though our lives have changed since then and so has our calendar, these principles were vital to us to maintain sanity and rest in a never-ending pastoral lifestyle. It’s also crucial to mention legalism here: this calendar (or any calendar template you may have) is not intended to be held with strict adherence. I’ll speak to this in the explanation.

The principles on the right-hand side of the infographic help explain how to manage life’s responsibilities without neglecting personal or family time. Let’s break these down:

• Habit: We did not write out the calendar you see here. This suggests that maintaining a balanced life should become second nature. The goal is not to follow a rigid plan written on paper but to integrate this balanced approach to life so that it becomes a habitual way of living. Thus, when someone ask you for a meeting, you already know what time slots you have available.
• Two fixed weekly meetings: Setting aside two immovable church meetings each week is a reminder of the importance of consistency to your local church. In this conceptual calendar, the two church meetings each week were immovable: Sunday corporate meetings and Wednesday small group meetings. Keeping this parameter ensures a church rhythm that is both sustainable, manageable, and essential to a family’s spiritual transformation.
• Max: two meetings per day: This principle protects against overloading the schedule. By capping the number of meetings, one is forced to prioritize what is most important rather than getting bogged down by a never-ending list of commitments. It also leaves space for spontaneous moments of connection with family or friends. E.g., families with young children should have nap time incorporated into their Sunday activities, whether it’s in the afternoon or evening.
  • Two meeting per day means “morning, afternoon, and night.” Of course, you could have four meetings in the morning and four more in the afternoon, but you would not have four in the evening—as a life pattern. You always have one of these three spans of time open for your highest priorities, self and family.
• Intentional family time: Family time is scheduled deliberately rather than being something that happens accidentally. For those in ministry, it is often tempting to pour out energy into others, leaving little for their own families. This principle underscores the biblical command to care for one’s own household first (1 Timothy 5:8).
• Structured and spontaneity: A balance between structure and spontaneity ensures that life is neither too rigid nor too chaotic. Planning in advance provides security and predictability, but leaving room for flexibility is also necessary to accommodate life’s unpredictability, such as unexpected needs within ministry or family.
• Setup unmovable blocks: This principle of blocking off time for essential activities such as prayer, rest, or family is key. By setting immovable blocks on the calendar, one is declaring that these times are non-negotiable, allowing for more effective time stewardship. It establishes expectations for the entire family, i.e., “Monday is dad’s day off, so ministry won’t be part of our lives.”
• Call everything meetings: By labeling all activities as meetings—whether they are with work, family, or friends—this principle stresses the importance of honoring every commitment. Whether spending time with a spouse or attending a church service, viewing each activity as a meeting ensures it receives the same level of respect and priority. Also, when a church member asks to meet, you would say, “Sorry, I cannot meet you on Tuesday at noon.” That meeting might be with your child for a lunch date. Nobody needs to know what you’re doing, other than a meeting, and they will not be offended if it’s a meeting, versus telling them you’re meeting with your child and not them.
• Make plans, God orders steps: This final point is rooted in the biblical truth found in Proverbs 16:9: “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” While it’s essential to plan and use time wisely, we must also submit our plans to God, trusting Him to guide our steps and reorder our lives as He sees fit.

A person’s or family’s calendar will change as the seasons change. When the children are young, your calendar will look one way, and when you’re empty nesting, it will look much different. No two families will have the same calendar, but all Christians should become adept at calendar planning.

Case Study: Biff and Mable

Biff loved serving at his church. He had a genuine passion for ministry and found great joy in helping others. He was always available for meetings, counseling sessions, and leading Bible studies. His calendar was full, and the church members respected him for his tireless dedication. However, Biff’s love for ministry led him down a path where he unintentionally neglected his wife, Mable, and their two children, Biffy and Biffina.

Though Biff’s intentions were pure, his failure to plan wisely—as laid out in this calendar planning infographic—led to strained relationships at home. He did not set aside intentional family time; in fact, he often justified missing family meals or skipping Biffina’s soccer games because he was “doing the Lord’s work.”

Biff didn’t understand the concept of unmovable blocks. He saw ministry as his highest priority, believing that God would bless his efforts even if it meant sacrificing time with his family. Unfortunately, he neglected the biblical principle that calls for husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the church (Ephesians 5:25), which includes being present for them spiritually and physically.

Biff’s calendar was overloaded with meetings—sometimes three or four a day—because he didn’t adhere to the principle of capping meetings at two per day. His busyness left him exhausted and irritable at home, where Mable often felt like an afterthought. Mable began to feel resentment, not just toward Biff, but toward the church, as she saw it as the source of the problem.

The children, too, felt the absence of their father. Biffy and Biffina often longed for moments of spontaneity, like spontaneous ice cream outings or just hanging out with their dad on Saturday mornings. But Biff didn’t leave room for spontaneity. His weekends were filled with last-minute ministry events or meetings with church members who needed counseling.

If Biff had followed the principles in the infographic, he would have understood the importance of setting fixed meetings and respecting the rest of his time for family. By calling family time a “meeting,” as the infographic suggests, he could have recognized the need to treat his time with Mable and the children as just as important—if not more so—than his time with the church.

Furthermore, Biff did not heed the final principle: Make plans, God orders steps. His heart was in the right place, but he failed to recognize that his overzealous commitment to ministry was out of alignment with God’s design for balance. By not leaving space for rest and personal renewal, Biff found himself spiritually drained and less effective in both his ministry and his home life.

In conclusion, had Biff applied these principles, he could have served both his church and his family well. God’s calling is not only to serve others but also to honor and care for the family He has given us. Balance, intentionality, and wise stewardship of time are essential for glorifying God in all areas of life.

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Peace,
Rick