A "Thursday Journal"Pastors and Missionaries: What in the World Do They Do All Week? People may occasionally wonder, "What does the pastor do all week? Doesn’t he just work a half hour on Sunday morning, with maybe an hour or so of preparation?" We picked a random day, Thursday, April 17th, and asked our RMBM missionaries to tell us what they did. Here are a few answers. Our eastern-most pastor had been up 25 hours by the time he went to bed last Sunday night so we didn’t get his journal. Bi-vocational pastors get a tip of the hat from informed, onlooking bystanders! And their busy wives? . . . Don’t ask! Gray Repke | Jim Carlson | Jim Hunter | Ed Pomelear | Dave Knight | Dave Simmons | Back to Top Gray Repke - 4:30 -- Get up, get the coffee ready, work out for 30 minutes. Pray, read the scriptures, meditate.
- 6:00 -- Start breakfast, get everyone up, and we sit down to eat. After breakfast we have family devotions.
- 7:00 -- Katy and I leave for our bus routes.
- 8:30 -- I go to the office to prepare for a noontime Bible study with the high school boys.
- 11:15 -- Leave church, pick up pizzas and pop for the Bible study, and prepare it at Hazlett’s house.
- 1:30 -- Back at the church studying for Sunday morning.
- 2:45 -- Leave church to pick up Katy for our afternoon bus routes.
- 5:00 -- Home to take care of chores around the house.
- 6:00 -- Katy is gone to Missoula so I put supper together. The rest of the evening is spent with the family.
- I keep Thursday and Friday evenings open for events at the high school.
Gray Repke | Jim Carlson | Jim Hunter | Ed Pomelear | Dave Knight | Dave Simmons | Back to Top Jim Carlson - 6:30-7:15 -- Bible reading, meditation, coffee.
- 7:15-8:00 -- Breakfast with the boys.
- 8:00-9:00 -- Message prep, meditation thereon.
- 9:00 -- Walk.
- 10:00 -- Drive to Stevensville for track meet, visit with local folks, noon meeting with Stevensville Youth for Christ—shared on resurrection.
- 1:00 -- Home for lunch.
- 1:45 -- Office/admin.
- 3:15 -- To Lone Rock to fetch Kevin, to Hamilton for tennis match, visit Judy Raser in hospice care.
- 8:00 -- Home.
- Not a typical day, but...well...you know.
Gray Repke | Jim Carlson | Jim Hunter | Ed Pomelear | Dave Knight | Dave Simmons | Back to Top Jim Hunter - Wake up, cup of tea, watch a little news.
- Mary and I have our Bible reading and prayer time together.
- Exercise, shower.
- Go to church to study for an hour or two.
- Put together camping gear for outing with Micah when he gets home from college.
- Work on some home repairs until Micah gets home.
- Leave with Micah for an overnight camping trip up in the woods somewhere. Hope there’s no snow.
- Mary did housework, paperwork, and enjoyed some peace and quiet and solo use of the TV remote control.
- Hope this helps, though as I say, it’s an atypical day.
- 9:30 -- We hit the hay.
Gray Repke | Jim Carlson | Jim Hunter | Ed Pomelear | Dave Knight | Dave Simmons | Back to Top Ed Pomelear - 5:30 Rise. Coffee. Devotions. Reading The Word of God in English by Ryker.
- 6:30 Newspaper, online & TV news.
- 7:30 Hygiene, breakfast.
- 8:30 Office, e-mails. Thursday is my day to focus on sermon preparation
- Spent some morning hours on website work for Drummond and Lone Rock, and uploading some pictures for Utmost
- Spent time finalizing (almost) Shepherds’ Conference forms, brochures, and signs.
- Coordinated people to help with offering at the Mike Hagen Strength Team Crusade.
- 11:30-5:30 Finished preparing Sunrise Service and Resurrection morning sermon: "The Glorious Resurrection," I Corinthians 15.
- After dinner: Relaxed with family (TV movie, talking, and planning the weekend).
Gray Repke | Jim Carlson | Jim Hunter | Ed Pomelear | Dave Knight | Dave Simmons | Back to Top Dave Knight - 3:10-5:35 -- Get up; deliver newspapers. (I walk between five to six miles, seven days a week, length depends upon weather conditions and size of the newspaper.)
- 5:35-6:00 -- Wash, change, have breakfast, read newspapers.
- 7:35-9:00 -- Devotions and reading.
- 9:00-10:00 -- Post office, see Linda Greenlief, Lisac Car Center, Brenda Florist.
- 10:00-11:00 -- Work on New Members material.
- 11:00-12:00 -- Lunch.
- 12:00-1:00 -- Read.
- 1:00-3:00 -- Nap.
- 3:00-5:00 -- Yard work.
- 5:00-6:00 -- Watch news.
- 6:00-7:00 -- Supper.
- 7:00-8:00 -- Check e-mail.
- 8:00-8:30 -- Read.
- 8:30 -- Bed.
- Note: Schedule varies, many variables. Getting ready for a trip now too.
Gray Repke | Jim Carlson | Jim Hunter | Ed Pomelear | Dave Knight | Dave Simmons | Back to Top Dave Simmons - 7:50 Read Scripture.
- 8:14 Prayer.
- 8:33 Sunday message.
- 9:30 Measured length of pipe needed for outdoor wood stove for the garage/library and house.
- 10:00 Left for Axmen in Missoula to purchase pipe. Then went to Home Depot; purchased supplies for outdoor wood stove. Lunched at Costco. Picked up library book for Kathy.
- 2:20 Back in Drummond. Inquired about depth of propane line I have to cross with pipe. Record debit card purchases.
- 2:45 Study Ephesians. Robin C. calls: propane line is 18" deep.
- 4:02 Prepare wood fire in church for Adult Bible study. Work on deck off dining room. Back to Ephesians.
- 5:25 Phone Lee S.; time for excavation work for pipe. Watch the news.
- 6:00 Go light wood fire at church. Back to Ephesians.
- 7:00 Adult Bible Study in Ephesians at church.
- 8:35 Phone calls relating to the Passion Play in Missoula. (John F., Carol B., Carmen S.) Sent e-mail to South Shore Baptist Church, thanking them for special monetary gift.
- 9:30 Time off, read in bed, lights out!
Gray Repke | Jim Carlson | Jim Hunter | Ed Pomelear | Dave Knight | Dave Simmons | Back to Top |
