Before You Go - Have You Done All You Can Where You Are?
•Todd Rhoades•Season 1•Episode 279
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This podcast episode delves into the crucial question every church leader must reflect on before considering a transition: Have you truly completed your assignment? We explore the significance of unfinished tasks, relationship building, and the opportunities for growth and reflection before making life-altering decisions.
• Highlighting the core question of completion in ministry • Discussing the risks of leaving prematurely • Addressing unfinished relationships and projects • Emphasizing the growth opportunities in challenging times • Understanding the distinction between frustration and true calling • Identifying the importance of resolving conflicts before leaving • Encouraging feedback from mentors and peers • Offering support and resources for staffing transitions • Sharing details about a free book offer from Wade Hodges
Hey there , welcome to the Healthy Church Staff Podcast . I'm Todd Rhodes , co-founder over at chemistrystaffingcom . I'm thrilled to have you with me here today . We're continuing our journey through the questions that every pastor , every church staff member , should ask , actually must ask , before moving on to a new church , and this series started on Monday and is going for about three weeks , and it's inspired by Wade Hodges' insightful book Before you Go Questions Every Pastor Must Ask Before Moving to a New Church .
Speaker 1
Today's question is a big one have you done all you can where you are ? Have you done all you can where you are ? It's easy to think about leaving when things get tough , but before you go , it's really essential to ask yourself whether or not you've completed the assignment that God initially gave you when you took the role that you're in . And Wade emphasizes that leaving prematurely , leaving too soon , can result in missed opportunities for growth and for healing and for impact . So let's unpack this a little bit . Let's talk about some of the signs that you might not be done yet where you are , and maybe the first thing is there's just unfinished work . Are there projects , are there relationships , are there challenges that just are currently unresolved ? You've left them unresolved . Walking away too soon can really leave a gap that's hard for others to fill . Maybe there are growth opportunities . Are there areas where you are , where God is still growing or stretching you ?
Speaker 1
Often it's the hardest seasons . We talked about this a couple of days ago . Sometimes it's the hardest seasons , the seasons where you just feel like man , I need to get out of here . Sometimes it's those hardest seasons that produce the most growth when we stick with them and it can produce . Those seasons can produce the most growth in your church , but they can also produce the most growth in you spiritually . Maybe there are some relational bridges . Have you done all that you can to reconcile some strained relationships or strengthen some bonds with your team or congregation ? Maybe it's clarity of calling . Maybe are you leaving because you feel called to go or because you feel frustrated where you are . Frustration alone isn't a clear sign to move on . I think a lot of people I'm frustrated it must be God's wanting me to move on . But frustration alone , if it's just frustration , that's not a clear sign to move on .
Speaker 1
So before making a decision , it's really important to pause and to reflect , and that's what we've been talking about this week . As we're in this reflection stage . Should I go , all those kind of things Pause , reflect and ensure that you've done everything possible to leave your current role . So here's the bottom line for today okay , finishing . Well , where you are sets up the stage for what's next . It sets up , obviously , the stage of what's next for you and for your family , but it also sets the stage for what's next for your church , the place that you're currently at , the place that you've given so much of your life and your energy and your ministry to .
Speaker 1
So , if you're considering a move , you take time to reevaluate or evaluate whether or not your current season is really complete . Have you completed your current season ? Here's some steps that might help . So maybe you just need to take some time to reflect on your contributions , take some inventory on what you've accomplished in your current role , celebrate the wins , identify any unfinished tasks that you might have and then , maybe , before you can really make a clear decision on whether to stay or whether to leave , maybe you need to do your best to resolve some conflicts .
Speaker 1
Are there unresolved conflicts ? Are there tensions that exist that you really need to take care of ? Just biblically , you need to take care of them . You need to live at peace with people , take some steps to address those . Leaving on good terms honors God and protects your reputation . And maybe you just need to seek some feedback and we've talked about this often as well from some other leaders , from some mentors , from some friends , from some relatives , and just ask some point blank Do you feel like I finished my work here ? Sometimes an outside perspective can really bring some clarity . So if you're wrestling with this question of Is my work really done here and you don't have anybody to talk to , pastoring and being on a church staff is lonely sometimes and I realize that a lot of us are in positions where we don't have anybody that we can freely talk about this kind of stuff to .
Speaker 1
If you're wrestling with whether or not your work is done , I'd love to hear your story . Email me , tell me a little bit about what you're going through . Podcast at chemistrystaffingcom . I'm here to encourage and support you in this journey . However I can , I'm happy to hop on a call with you a quick Zoom call and hear your story and see if there's any way that I can help . And again , just reach out to me anytime . Podcast at chemistrystaffingcom .
Speaker 1
And if your church is navigating through any kind of staffing transitions . Maybe you're hiring or firing or readjusting staff or need some help with salary recommendations those kind of things . Of course , you can visit Chemistry Staffing anytime chemistrystaffingcom . But also just reach out to me podcast at chemistrystaffingcom . I'd love to work with you and your church . It's what I do and I would love to help you find new staff , work through any existing relationships and staff problems you might have . We're all about healthy teams . I'm all about getting a healthy team for you and your church and if I can help you do that in any way , I would love to .
Speaker 1
Okay , finally , we've been working through this Wade Hodges book . Before you go , and if you would like a free copy of that book again , just feel like I've pushed my email address . Enough here . But one more time , podcasting and chemistry staffing Just say hey , todd , I would love to have a copy of the Wade Hodges book . I will happily send that to you absolutely free of charge , just because you're my friend and you listen to the podcast . Okay , thanks so much for joining me today . You're my friend and you listen to the podcast . Okay , thanks so much for joining me today . Remember that finishing well , where you are just isn't about crossing items off a to-do list . It's really about honoring God and your church and your future church and yourself and your family . So take time to reflect and reconcile and rejoice in what God has done through you , where you are . Okay , take care , I'll see you again right here tomorrow on the Healthy Church Staff Podcast . Have a great day .
