Before You Go - What’s Motivating Your Move?

Understanding your motivations for a potential church transition is essential for making a wise decision that aligns with God's purpose. We discuss the significance of identifying healthy and unhealthy motivations and offer actionable steps for self-reflection and discernment.

• Exploring the importance of reflecting on motivations before transitioning 
• Highlighting healthy reasons for moving on 
• Cautioning against running from challenges 
• Addressing the complexities of burnout in ministry 
• Encouraging self-reflection through writing down motivations 
• Seeking feedback from trusted mentors and friends 
• Emphasizing the need to evaluate efforts within the current role 
• Stating that clear motivations lead to confident decisions

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Transcript

Speaker 1 0:07

Hey there , welcome to the Healthy Church Staff Podcast . I'm Todd Rhodes , co-founder over at chemistrystaffingcom , and I'm so glad you're here . We're starting our series . Actually , we started it yesterday on Wade Hodges' new book . It's called when to Leave , and today we're diving into a crucial question that really every pastor and church leader must ask before moving on to a new role , and we talked about this a little bit yesterday . But here's the question what's motivating your move ? Now , this series we started yesterday , going for the next three weeks or so , is inspired by a book written by Wade Hodges a while back . It's called Before you Go Questions Every Pastor Must Ask Before Moving On to a New Church , and I really think this series stay tuned , listen , subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any episodes but I really think this series if you're contemplating a move in 2025 , I think this series will help you identify some of the driving forces behind , maybe , if you should move , why you should move , where you should move , all those things , and today we're talking about the motivation behind your move . End of this episode , you'll have the tools to really dig a little bit deeper into your motivations and assess whether or not they're hopefully leading you in the right direction . Okay , so we talked about this yesterday a little bit .

Speaker 1 1:34

Transitions in ministry are significant , and many times they're fueled by a mix of emotions . Some of these motivations are really healthy and God-honoring . Others stem from frustration or fear , or even restlessness , and that's one of the things that Wade emphasizes is the importance of examining your why before you make a move . So here's some common motivations for leaving where you are and , like I said , maybe you're considering that , but it's the start of the year . You always reflect at least I do at the start of the year what's God have for me this year , and maybe you're thinking 2025 might be the year that God's calling me to go do something else . So here's some common motivations for leaving where you are and going somewhere else .

Speaker 1 2:24

First is just maybe you feel called to a new opportunity . Maybe there's just a crystal clear sense of calling , and that's actually one of the healthiest reasons to transition . When God opens a door , it's worth exploring . So maybe there's an opportunity out there and you're really excited about it and you want to investigate it . That's a great reason . Maybe , though , maybe you're running from some challenges . Be honest , are you thinking about leaving because the current role is maybe tough . Maybe you're running into some problems that don't solve themselves and it often means that if you don't solve them where you are , unfortunately they may resurface in your next position . So be careful about that .

Speaker 1 3:11

Maybe you're seeking some personal growth . Growth is a valid reason to want to move and we talk to a lot of candidates that say I just feel like I can't go any farther where I am . I feel like God's calling me to do something new where I can grow a little bit more than what I am . I feel like God's calling me to do something new where I can grow a little bit more than what I am . You need to make sure that the new role truly offers those opportunities to stretch and develop your skills .

Speaker 1 3:34

Another reason could be maybe you're escaping burnout . Burnout's real . We've talked about that many times here on the podcast and sometimes stepping away is just absolutely necessary for your health . But if you're thinking this , ask yourself have I addressed before I just up and leave have I addressed the root causes ? Or am I just thinking that a new role will fix everything , because it's between you and me ? A lot of times it doesn't . Maybe you just want a fresh start , and sometimes a fresh start is necessary , but just make sure and ensure that it's driven by discernment , not just a desire to escape your current discomfort .

Speaker 1 4:16

Understanding your motivations helps you make a decision that's grounded in wisdom and not just emotion . So here's the bottom line for today your motivation matters . It shapes how you approach any kind of transition and whether or not it will be successful . So here are some steps I would love to have you take . If you're in this mode right now and if you're not , take some notes here . At some point you probably will be in this mode . First of all , write down your why At some point you probably will be in this mode .

Speaker 1 4:46

First of all , write down your why . I mean take time to listen , to list out your reasons for considering a move and be really brutally honest with yourself and pray for clarity . We talked about the importance of prayer yesterday on the podcast . Ask God to reveal any blind spots in your motivations and to align your desires with his will and talk to people that you really trust . Chances are , at this stage you can't really talk to too many people in your church , but maybe you've got some other ministry colleagues from other churches . Maybe it's a college roommate , maybe it's your counselor . Give me a call . I'd be happy to talk with you , but share your reasons with your mentor or your trusted friend , because a lot of times they can see blind spots that you don't see and they can offer some perspective and help you work through and evaluate your why .

Speaker 1 5:37

And then here's something that I want you to consider today as well have you done all that you can ? Where you are , I mean leaving . Well , often means leaving at the right time and for the right reasons . So here's what I'd love to have you do . If this is really you're like Todd , this is where I'm at , this is what this is what's in my head . I would ask you to take , I ask you to take 30 minutes . I would just yesterday . I would ask you to take 30 minutes and continue to look at what you wrote down yesterday . If you did , if not , start on a brand new piece of paper , write down your motivations for leaving , why you would leave , identify which ones feel healthy to you and aligned with God's calling , and which might seem a little bit sus , might need a little bit more reflection . And I think this whole series is going to be how do you leave once you decide to leave .

Speaker 1 6:30

If you're wrestling with your motivations for leaving , I'd love to hear your story . You can email me anytime . Podcast at chemistrystaffingcom . Your journey matters . This is what I've given my life to and my ministry for is helping people just like you If you're going through a hard time to try and work through that and find a great place for you to serve in your next ministry role . So I'd be honored to walk alongside you . You can email me anytime . Podcast at chemistrystaffingcom . Podcast at chemistrystaffingcom .

Speaker 1 7:03

And if you would like to download a copy of Wade Hodges book it's called Before you Go , you can just email me . Podcast at chemistry staffingcom . Podcast at chemistry staffingcom . This book , it's absolutely free . It's a PDF . It's packed with insights to help you navigate the season with wisdom , and I'm here with you along the journey here on the podcast . All right , thanks for joining me today . Remember understanding your why . It's one of the most important steps in making a healthy transition and when your motivations are clear and when your motivations are aligned with God's purpose , you can move forward with confidence and peace . Take care , I'll see you tomorrow right here on the Healthy Church Staff Podcast . Have a good one .