How To Create A Ministry Routine

As an apostle in ministry, establishing a consistent routine is important. It not only sets you up for a more productive week but also allows you to navigate each day with clarity and purpose. Having that structure in place can provide the foundation needed to effectively fulfil your calling while balancing life’s responsibilities.

My Routine as an Apostle

From the moment I wake up, which is often naturally and without an alarm, I begin my day with prayer and fasting. This can range from three hours or even longer, depending on the day's demands and my personal needs.

I intentionally carve out 30 minutes for myself to reflect and prepare, followed by 60 minutes of fervent connection with God. After this time, I have a nourishing breakfast before diving into my work within my ministry. This typically begins around 11 a.m. and continues until about 3 p.m. During the day, I make sure to take a well-deserved lunch break that lasts anywhere from one hour to an hour and a half, allowing myself to recharge. I then continue working on or in my ministry for another two hours, all while leaving space for the moving of the Holy Spirit to guide and inspire my work.

Tips for Building an Effective System for You and Your Ministry

Create a system that works for you and your ministry. This can be a time-consuming process, especially if your current system is not helping you stay organised or productive. The goal is to establish a routine that allows you to seamlessly manage the various roles you play on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.

If you're struggling to find a system or routine that works, don't worry! Here are five actionable tips that can help you streamline the process:

1. Maximising Your Ministry Time

Determine the Best Time to Work

Whether you're working part-time or full-time in ministry, establishing which day or time of day is most productive for you is essential. Creating a routine that aligns with your productivity levels will help you to work more efficiently. For instance, if you're not a morning person, waking up at 5 a.m. to work on your ministry may not be the best idea. However, if you're more productive in the afternoon or evening, waking up later in the day may be ideal.

Find Your Productive Hours

Identifying your most productive hours can also be helpful. For example, if you find that you're most productive from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., schedule your work during that time frame. This will allow you to be more focused and efficient with your time while still honouring God.

By finding a routine that works for you, you'll be able to spend your time productively and honour God with your work.

2. Make a Checklist of The Essential Tasks and Activities for Your Ministry

Building a ministry online requires a lot of effort. From content creation for your ministry platform to setting up your website, there's plenty of work to be done. However, it's essential to determine the type of ministry God wants you to create and how you should go about it. This checklist should include tasks and activities that you need to complete within a daily, weekly, or monthly timeframe. Once you're clear on these, you can move on to the next step—sorting each task into relevant ministry- or business-related categories.

3. Categorising Your Ministry Tasks for Better Organisation

When it comes to organising your ministry tasks, it's essential to categorise them properly to optimise your productivity. The categories will differ depending on the type of ministry you are involved in. For a more detailed approach, you can divide each task into subcategories. Here's an example:

• The Business Side of Ministry (admin, finances, sales, systems, website views, etc.)

• Ministry Platform (content, products, projects, services, etc.)

4. Set A Focus (Goal) For Your Ministry

Setting a focus for your ministry can help you stay on track with your overall mission. It will give you something to work towards on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis. Your goals don't have to be big, but they do have to be achievable.

Here are some examples of goals you can set for yourself:

• Content Creation: Post a blog post once a week, post 3 podcast episodes a week, or upload 2 times a week on Youtube.

• Product/Services: Create a freebie once a month, create a course, design a digital product for Etsy, or book 3 clients every month.

• Marketing: Develop a strategy for marketing my ministry online with God

5. Review and Edit Your Routine (Monthly)

After 30 days, take a moment to review your routine and its effectiveness. It's okay if it's not perfect right away. Remember, finding a system that works for you and your ministry takes time. Also, routines can be seasonal, so if you find that your current system is not working in six months, it's time to make some adjustments. This can mean altering the system completely or just certain elements to fit the season you are in. 

Just remember, you and your ministry will go through different seasons; it's part of the process. Your task is to determine how each season will impact your ministry now and in the future. Overall, creating ministry routines is an excellent way to stay organised and set up the business side of your ministry for success. 

I hope this encourages you to establish daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly routines that cater to your unique needs.