Energy Stewards

Tis the season to be working on the annual Stewardship Campaign. Not usually the most looked forward to event on the church calendar, is it? And although we know that stewardship is a year round process, the establishment of the 2011 budget throws us in the middle of a financial stewardship campaign in the fall of 2010 whether we have the energy for it or not. Are you ready for it? Are you energized by it? More than likely not...just a wild guess here! What is the level of your energy right now...not just around stewardship but in general?

The reason I ask is that as the "leader" of the congregation you, the pastor, are the steward of organizational energy. How's that for pressure? So your energy level and not just around stewardship is critical. Keeping your energy level balanced and healthy is a challenge for the modern day pastor. The demands on your time can either boost or drain your energy. Obviously, like any healthy bank account, we want more deposits in our energy account than drains or withdrawals.

If you could wake up tomorrow with significantly more positive and focused energy to invest in your work, how significantly would that change your life for the better? This question is asked in the opening chapter of the book The Power of Full Engagement by Tony Schwartz and Jim Loehr. It's a good question. It's an important question. It's a life changing question. How would you answer it?

As pastoral leaders our energy level has a direct correlation on whether or not our presence inspires or demoralizes, mobilizes or paralyzes, focuses or distracts. Taking care of our energy centers, physical, emotional, mental and spiritual can make a huge difference in our own personal health and the health of the church. Or as Schwartz and Loehr put it...
"Learning to manage energy more efficiently and intelligently has a unique transformative power, both individually and organizationally." And aren't we in the business of transformation?