To be the effective leader of a drama ministry, you must learn how to manage your time, as well as the time of every member of your ministry. Let’s put this in dramatic context:

The protagonist – the drama leader

The antagonist – time

The need – to present a quality presentation at a set time

The conflict – your race against time

The resolution – did you meet our performance date deadline or did you have to reschedule?

Time is the silent enemy of a drama leader. You are constantly at war with time. Time is a deceiver! Just when you think you have enough…wham!...it’s gone. You find yourself saying things like, “Where did the time go?” and “My, how time flies”. Before you know it, either, your performance date has arrived and many things you hoped to accomplish are left undone, or the presentation does not possess the level of quality you desired it to have.

You must learn how to live ahead of the present time. You must be able to function today as if you were living in the future. Depending upon the type and size of your production, you must learn to think weeks, months, and possibly a year ahead of everyone else. Your presentation is the tip of the iceberg, that which is visible to the audience. The many weeks of planning and preparation are underwater. By the time you complete 75% of the preparation and rehearsal for your current production, you should already be thinking about (planning) your next production. Unfortunately, the last 25% of the current production preparation is the most time consuming. Time seems to pick up in pace and the final days appear to race by. It’s a challenge that is faced by every drama leader.

Good planning and developing a schedule is the key to living ahead of time.

Step 1 – Write it down - Don’t try to remember what you need to do.

Step 2 – Make categories – (i.e., Costumes, Rehearsal, Props, Promotion, etc.)

Step 3 – Define tasks – List every task to be completed under each category.

Step 4 – Set dates – Set a target date to complete each task.

Step 5 – Assign someone – Assign a person to complete each task. I realize that sometimes it’s quicker for you to do it yourself rather than depend on others, however, try to delegate as much as possible. The more people involved in the planning process, the stronger your ministry foundation will be.

As new tasks are identified, add them to your schedule under the appropriate category. Managing your production by a schedule will enable you to effectively work ahead of time, better manage your time, and present your production on time.

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