Personal Leadership

Twenty-one months ago my family and I transitioned to a new ministry, city, and church.

Transitioning ministries can be difficult. Especially when the ministry you go to is unhealthy. I went from a ministry I built from the ground up with a church plant to taking over an already established ministry. The ministry I came to was very self-focused, a secret society to newcomers and void of leadership from adults and students. It made me miss my previous adult leaders and student leaders immediately!

I had no one who knew what healthy ministry was. I had nobody to help me cheerlead changes from what was to what is healthy. It felt like I had a 14-month operation with a wound reopening each week. It was painful and exciting with hints of joy being felt all at the same time.

Going through ministry changes are weekly for some of us. We all experience some that, to a certain degree, can force us to question our ability and competency. It can be a defeating moment, month, or season in ministry.

It was challenging personally to get through. I had to rely on 4 key things.

1. I am a child of God. No matter how good or bad the week was, I had to fall back knowing that I am
“saved, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saves u through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life” Titus 3:5-8.

My identity could not be bound by what I do in this ministry. People upset with changes or the fact that I am not the previous guy couldn’t define my identity. My identity had to be found in who I am—A child of God.

2. I had to rely on God’s power to do some supernatural and spiritual changing in the lives of students and people. I had to trust God’s spirit over my voice. I had to step back and let go of everything I had to be vulnerable and teachable.

3. I needed an “inner circle” so I wasn’t alone. One of the first things I did was seek out three people who knew what healthy ministry was and asked them to serve in the student ministry. They became an outside voice to help me navigate how certain changes would look to students and how we could make things happen.

4. I needed time to reprogram. I went back to Youth Ministry 101 for myself. I went basic. I was okay with little steps at a time. I read a ton to refresh my mind. I challenged myself to rethink what I had always known. I needed this ministry to be unique to its setting and situation.

If you are in a season of change, know you’re not alone. Hang in there!