Pastor’s Office Hours
Hello Chapel Hill,
It has come to my attention that some of you have had difficulty contacting me when you drop by the church. This comes as no surprise. Although my days in the office are often as long as 10 or 12 hours, the life of a minister can be rather frantic, oftentimes filled with numerous church meetings, hospital visits, various ministry issues, or matters concerning church’s operations.
To address this, I am setting up regular office hours from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the morning on Monday and Tuesday, and 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, during which time you can visit with me at your convenience. If you can’t make those times Monday through Wednesday, please feel free to call me at 469-360-9173 or email me and we can schedule an appointment or we can talk on the phone if you prefer at that time. Alternatively, you can contact our new office manager, Debbie Gross, at 972-241-3491 to set up a meeting.
Beginning October, I will save Thursday to work on my sermon and teach my Disciple Bible Study on Thursday night. Friday and Saturday are my days away from the office unless meetings and events require my presence. Although they are my days off, I have used them, during the past 15 months, for pastoral calls, following up work requirements, responding to emails, officiating funerals, planning future events, hospital visitation and last, but not least, studying and working on sermons.
On Sunday, I’m at church from 8:30 a.m. until after worship or after the last meeting scheduled which may sometimes run late into the afternoon.
Pastoral care requires hours that are far above and beyond the regular hours of the church office. Anytime you wish to visit with me as your pastor, do not hesitate to text or call me. I’m here for you seven days a week. If it is an emergency, please call rather than email me. I’ll get back with you no matter how late or how early in the day. I’m willing to meet with you as early as 6:00 a.m. and as late as 8:00 p.m. seven days a week especially when your work schedule or your circumstances dictate the need for meeting during such hours.
Please note that I’m a member of the Metro District Committee, which meets on Mondays once a month during the school year. I’m also a member of the Board of Ordained Ministry of the NT Conference and will sometimes be unavailable for regular office hours. Otherwise, I will be available to meet with you during those times.
Finally, I will be taking vacation for the first time in over a year over the next few weeks. I have arranged for appropriate pastoral coverage during these times. Hopefully, this will solve our problem successfully.
~ Mai
Comments are closed.