Friday, May 6, 2011
When do I know to leave?
This article is about seven steps one should take when leaving his or her ministry to make sure that it is done right. The interesting thing about this article is that the seven steps are all related to the idea of making sure that it is right to leave. It seems that the author is implying that in order to leave right the ministry leader needs to make sure that it is right for him or her to leave. It is important to note that the author comes is a children's pastor and comes from a background that sees a lot of people transition in and out of new positions. He talks about how there are several reasons why people leave positions both positive and negative. These seven steps are for those who want to leave in a positive way regardless of the reasons for leaving. He sees these steps as being universal. The seven steps are: Listen to the right voice, Remain faithful to the vision of the house, Don't go looking for greener pastures, Don't get into fear, Remember no matter what God is in control, If it is time to go never look back and God operates by the law of mutual benefit. One of the best aspects about the article is that after mentioning the seven steps he briefly addresses the issue of what the ministry leader is supposed to do if God tells them to stay. He states that the two keys are to get a renewed vision and keep changing the systems of your ministry.
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I'll take this one.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading Wideman’s 7 steps for leaving a ministry the right way. The steps that I found the most helpful were steps two and three. In step two, Wideman says that we must “Remain faithful to the vision of the house.” By this he means that even as we are considering leaving our current ministry, we are called to continue to do things the right way. I’ve found that when I’ve become frustrated with a ministry, or feel that I am being led in a new direction, it’s easy to begin to lose motivation. We’re called as leaders to always serve as if unto the Lord, and even if I know that I’ll be leaving my current position soon, I want to honor God and those I’m serving in the present moment. The third point is “Don’t go looking for greener pastures.” As soon as I feel a pull toward something new, or the honeymoon phase ends in a position, I begin looking everywhere for the next “big thing.” The search for something new can then take over our prayer life, our worries, and our day dreams, and we lose the ability to serve well in our current position.
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