“It’s easy to get stuck in the tyranny of the urgent. We get so busy working in the ministry that we don’t have time to work on the ministry.”
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I couldn’t write this phrase down fast enough.

I was sitting with a group of kids pastors and directors at a monthly leader’s hangout when Tyler Christian, the Kids Pastor at Woodland Park Baptist Church in Chattanooga, dropped this nugget of wisdom. Everyone at the table nodded, because we could all relate.

In the midst of Sunday prep and all the logistics that come with discipling kids, it’s hard to find time to come up for air and ask, “How is this going?”

Urgency controls us like a tyrant, and less urgent (though equally important) matters of ministry get overlooked like a missing sock. More accurately, we know we need to give time to what’s important, but the demands of the urgent just won’t let us.

And if we don’t pay attention to the important but non-urgent aspects of ministry, the way we handle urgent matters will only weaken over time.

Important vs. Urgent

But what is the difference between what’s important and what’s urgent? Isn’t everything we do in children’s ministry important and marked by urgency?

Yes… and no.

Yes, our efforts (even small ones) can have tremendous spiritual impact in the lives of kids. But no, just because you’re doing something in kids ministry doesn’t automatically make it urgent or important.

How can you tell the difference? It requires two steps: define and align.

Before we can fight the constant pull of urgency and push toward what’s important, we have to define our terms.

Urgent tasks are usually time-sensitive and come with a deadline. Sunday is always coming, so anything that must be done by Sunday feels urgent. You need check-in labels for the printer. Teachers need lesson plans. These tasks live in the realm of now.

Urgent work is often reactive. You run out of snacks and scramble to restock them. A kid spills glitter, and you rush to clean it up before it spreads. A volunteer calls out sick, and you need a sub (fast). Urgent tasks usually respond to immediate needs and looming deadlines.

Important tasks, on the other hand, are vision-sensitive rather than time-sensitive. They’re measured by how much they contribute to the long-term health of the ministry.

Instead of asking, “When does this need to be done?”, importance asks, “If this is done, how much better will the ministry be in the long run?”
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For example, I love teaching kids at our church and believe God has gifted me to communicate His truth in faithful, age-appropriate ways. Because of that, finding and training other teachers may not feel urgent. After all, I’m always available and willing to teach!

But that doesn’t mean it isn’t important.

First, I won’t always be available. I’ll get sick or travel. Second, if I’m one of the only teachers, the ministry’s stability and growth depend too heavily on me, which isn’t healthy. Third, Scripture tells us that church leaders are called to equip others for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:11-13). If I’m not training others to teach, I’m not fully living out that calling.

Training leaders may not have a tight timeline, but its long-term impact is massive. Important tasks are proactive and alignment-driven. They ensure that what you’re doing day to day actually matches where God is leading your ministry.

The Matrix

Now that we’ve defined our terms, it’s time to put tasks in their proper place. The Eisenhower Matrix is a simple but powerful tool to help you do that.

The matrix comes from a decision-making principle by Dwight D. Eisenhower and was popularized by Stephen Covey in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It helps leaders prioritize work by sorting tasks into four categories.

Tasks that are urgent and important (tied to deadlines and the health of your ministry) need to be done immediately.

Tasks that are important but not urgent don’t need to be done today, but they do need to be scheduled. This part is key. Don’t just say, “I’ll get to it eventually.” Get it on the calendar (in ink) and plan to do it.

Tasks that are urgent but not important may need quick attention, but that doesn’t mean you need to do them. Things like refilling snack bins or organizing supplies can often be delegated. Living in this quadrant will keep you busy while quietly robbing you of the margin needed to lead well.

Finally, if a task is neither urgent nor important, it needs to be eliminated. This could include doom-scrolling on social media, writing unnecessarily long emails, or over-decorating events that would run just fine without extra touches.

At our church, we produce a weekly family guide. It used to be packed with catechism questions, podcast links, recommended resources, and more. It was simply too much. So, we evaluated what was both urgent and important (what is essential) and removed the rest.

The result? A cleaner guide that better equips families to disciple their kids at home.

Write. Prioritize. Execute.

Now that you have the definitions and the matrix, it’s time to put them to work.

Start by writing out your tasks. Be specific. Include what you do weekly, as well as things you hope to accomplish in the future. Then begin sorting them through the Eisenhower Matrix. Which tasks are essential? Which should be scheduled? Which can be delegated? Which needs to go?

Don’t rush this process. If you can’t do it all in one sitting, work in chunks over time. In fact, this is a perfect example of scheduling an important but non-urgent task. You can block out 30 minutes a week to revisit your list.

But writing and prioritizing aren’t enough. You have to execute.

Do what’s essential (like reviewing curriculum for biblical faithfulness). Schedule time for what’s important (developing leaders or improving systems). Delegate what you can (cutting crafts or stuffing folders). Eliminate what doesn’t matter (meetings that should’ve been an email).

If you want to overcome the tyranny of the urgent, follow my friend Tyler’s advice. Start working on your ministry, not just in it, by prioritizing wisely and stewarding what God has given you.

Hunter Williams is the children's pastor of Ridgedale Baptist Church in Chattanooga, TN, and co-host of the Cross Formed KidMin podcast. He has served in various ministry roles, including chaplain, youth pastor, and missionary with Awana. He has written articles for numerous ministries such as INCM, The Gospel Coalition, and KidzMatter magazine, and is the coauthor of How to Teach Kids Theology. Hunter and his wife, Sammie, have four children and love serving in their local church.