How to Keep Up on Reading

“I don’t have time to read!”

That church leaders’ mantra is confirmed by a recent study commissioned by Duke Divinity School’s Pulpit & Pew project. Clergy from eight denominations reported spending an average of only four hours a week reading other than for sermon preparation. Episcopal clergy were highest at five hours per week; Nazarenes were lowest at two hours. Just over 10 percent of all clergy reported that they spend one hour or less.

We are confronted with millions of words each day from news sources, books, blogs, magazines, journals, and other media. And leaders in ministry must keep current with thoughts and trends, just like leaders in any other profession.

Here are five ways to stay informed.

Use a Feed Aggregator

The blog has replaced the professional journal as the medium for peer communication. There are now some 30,000 “high authority” blogs compared with only 17,000 magazines in print. Use a feed aggregator such as Google Reader or Bloglines to gather your favorite voices into a daily feed. This includes online news services. Limit yourself to 30 minutes a day perusing these sources.

Read a Little Each Day

Giving up on books is not an option. Whether in hard copy or in new media such as the Kindle or Sony Reader, books are still the place where major ideas are explored and paradigm-shifting concepts are unveiled. Feed your mind with ideas in the same way you sustain your body with food—in daily portions. Establish a 30-minute reading time each day for books. That will yield 3.5 hours a week, enough to consume one or two books a month.

Use Audio Books

The average commuter spends 48.8 minutes going to and from work each day. By listening to audio books while driving, you could gain four hours of reading time each week. If you jog or use a treadmill for exercise, use that time to take in information as well.

Seek Recommendations

The single greatest factor influencing the purchase of a book is the name and reputation of the author. Recommendations from friends are a close second. Shorten your reading list by finding out what other leaders are reading. Read reviews of books before spending hours on the books themselves.

Vary Your Sources

Reading from only one source or in a single genre produces boredom, then burnout. Read a variety of material including news, opinion, books, blogs, and even fiction. Above all, maintain the daily habit of reading the Bible. Solomon’s advice is still good: “Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body . . . Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Eccles. 12:12–13).

The church leader who doesn’t read has no advantage over the one who can’t. Enlighten yourself and those around you by establishing the daily habit of reading.

So what’s on your nightstand?