God created the world in six days – but then He didn’t have any paperwork, right? With computers now as common as feedback from your microphone on Sunday morning, the paper pile up is higher than ever. The question is : Are you at the bottom of the pile trying to dig out, or are you on top and in charge? Or, have you been out of control so long that you’ve developed the “throw it all away every three months” strategy? Why even bother? Can organization really improve your ministry effectiveness? Here are three important reasons to unpile the pile:

1. To Sharpen Your Focus. Our minds are consumed by what our eyes can see. When faced with a pile, part of your brain can’t stop feeling overwhelmed.

2. To Use Time More Wisely – One of the top time bandits is clutter, because you waste time searching for everything you need.

3. To Increase Creativity – Besides narrowing your focus, organizing the paper pile will give you time to be more creative.

Six Tips On How To Unpile The Pile.

1. Get Rid Of the Clutter – Get rid of the junk today. If your personality requires clutter for peace of mind, then clutter a shelf or two on your bookcase or credenza.

2. Use A Simple System – One big time-waster is handling a piece of paper multiple times. Have you ever done this with a letter? You open it and read it. Then you set it aside for a while. Then you have to read it again later before responding! To avoid this, you need a system designed to do something with each item, therefore handling it only once. I like this “4-D” system.

               · Dump It: Throw it away.

               · Do It Now: Take quick action.

               · Delegate: Hand it off to someone else and follow up on the progress.

               · Delay: File for later use, or place in a visible pending file that you check everyday.

• It’s easy to organize with a system that you can understand and own.

3. File, Don’t Pile – Trust me on this – use a simple filing system! Design a simple topical file, in alphabetical order. Put most files in a file cabinet in your office. Use your desk drawer only as a “holding tank” for material you use regularly.

4. Notebooks Work Great – Back to the basics is sometimes the best route. For special projects, minutes from meetings, charts, and anything that needs to be mobile, use labeled three-ring binders with dividers.

5. Use A Secretary Wisely – Give your secretary all the paper work you can, so you can focus on the ministry to people. And no matter how small your church is, you can always recruit administrative assistance. For the first five years of my pastoral ministry, my secretarial assistance consisted entirely of volunteers, and they did a great job.

6. Don’t Over-Organize – Don’t confuse order with compulsive neatness. I know some “Neat Freaks” who are totally unorganized, and some “Sloppy Joes” who are very organized. Don’t delight in the system: instead focus on your productivity. Getting organized isn’t about personality type or giftedness. It is a pathway available to everyone, and its result is greater productivity.

— By Pastor Donald Bryan