Transition is something that every church staff will experience. What matters is how those transitions take place. In this conversation, we discuss how to facilitate and enact healthy transitions.
Transitions can be beautiful if we’ll embrace them… when I arrived at New Life, I arrived in a healthy condition [because of how I was sent]…
A lot of times, transitions get messy when people arrive with a predetermined future… but when you come openhanded, you give people a chance to send you into the next place…
No one should be punished for exploring other opportunities… if you’re a senior pastor, you have to lead the way in this way…
I have found that the greatest joy I have as a leader is finding out what’s going on in the hearts of the people on my team… I want to call that out so that it manifests for the greater good…
If you bring up the fact that you’re thinking about a transition [to your leadership], you’ll be able to transition in a healthy way, or you’ll see that your desire for transition was actually a little bit of boredom and you’ll grow more fond of the ministry you’re doing…
It’s important not to stay around too long; once your heart has left an organization, you’re not going to give your best… so agree on a timeline that’s good for you and for the team…
The onus is on the leader to create a safe environment for people to share their hearts; the onus is on the young leaders to respect and honor…
The church is known more for its divorces than its marriages… in the case of Gateway and New Life, it was more like a wedding… Gateway felt it wasn’t losing a staff member but gaining a family of people in Colorado… 10 and a half years later, I still go back there to speak…
When I am willing to send out good leaders, I am sent good leaders… the same way we teach about generosity with resources and time, we need to be generous with leaders…
QUESTIONS FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM
- Is your culture one in which an emerging leader would feel empowered to share about their desire for transition? Why or why not?
- Are you regularly checking in with members of your team to see whether they are thriving in their current roles? Why or why not?
- What can you do to create an environment where the emergence of leadership gifts and callings is not threatening but celebrated?