When to Leave - Have You Learned All You Can?

Leadership in ministry requires ongoing growth and reflection, and recognizing when you’ve outgrown your role is essential. The episode discusses signs of stagnation, the importance of evaluating personal growth, seeking new challenges, and the role of prayer and mentorship in navigating transitions. 

• Understanding the continuous learning process in ministry 
• Identifying signs that indicate stagnation 
• Evaluating personal growth and recent challenges 
• The value of seeking new learning opportunities 
• Importance of prayer and clarity during discernment 
• Talking to trusted individuals for guidance 
• Creating an action plan for reflection and growth

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:07

Well, hey there, welcome back to the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. I'm Todd Rhodes, one of the co-founders over at chemistrystaffingcom. As always, I'm here to help you navigate kind of the ups and downs of ministry leadership, and today we're diving into a question that's worth serious reflection have you learned all that you can in your current role? And we're continuing our series through the end of this week, inspired by the Wade Hodges book when to Leave, how to Know when it's Time to Move On Before you Stay Way Too Long. And today we're going to explore the science that you might have outgrown your current ministry position and what to do next.

Speaker 1: 0:46

So you know, ministry is a constant learning process. That's a nice way to say it. Right, ministry is a constant learning process. But what happens when you've kind of reached your point where you're no longer growing? I mean you're not being challenged, you don't feel like you're learning in your current ministry role. We've talked about this.

Speaker 1: 1:09

Staying in a stagnant position can not only affect you but also your church, and Wade points out a few signs that you may have learned, a few signs that you may have learned all that you can where you are. And the first is just, you feel like maybe you're repeating yourself. Do you feel like every sermon, every meeting or event is the same as the last? It's just kind of ho-hum, business as usual. Everything is just kind of the same right? This is a sign that you may have reached a plateau in your growth. You know, if you're not feeling challenged, if the work seems too easy we talked earlier about you know, I can do this job with my eyes closed, and maybe you're, maybe you have been doing that. Maybe your job just feels too easy. It's too predictable. It might mean that you've outgrown the role. Maybe you've stopped seeking new ideas. Maybe you used to be a really curious person and used to have a big desire to kind of innovate, but now you don't. You just lack that curiosity. You lack any kind of desire to improve things or innovate things. That can be a red flag that you've kind of maxed out your learning opportunities.

Speaker 1: 2:22

And here's an interesting one too that Wade brings out. He says maybe you're more comfortable than you are excited. Growth rarely happens in your comfort zone. You know that, as a leader, growth rarely happens in your comfort zone If you're more content than motivated. It's worth reflecting on why it's really important to remember that outgrowing a role isn't a failure. It's not. It's just a natural part of leadership development, and God often uses these moments to prepare for what's next. So here's the bottom line for today when you've learned all you can, it's really time to discern what's next.

Speaker 1: 2:58

And if you're feeling stagnant, here are four steps that can hopefully help you to move forward. Number one evaluate your growth, and that's just, you know, identifying the problem. Ask yourself when was the last time I was truly challenged? When was the last time I really felt challenged in this role? Am I learning or am I just going through the motions? So evaluate your growth. Number two seek new learning opportunities. You know, before you decide to leave, before you jump ship, explore ways to grow where you are. This might include attending a conference to get some new perspective, maybe starting a new ministry or initiative, maybe seeking some mentorship, but see if there are some ways that you can kind of jumpstart that sense of wanting to learn and want to improve where you are. Learn and want to improve where you are.

Speaker 1: 3:45

Third is just pray. I mean pray for clarity. Take your feelings of stagnation to God and God is always there to listen and ask for wisdom and guidance about whether it's time to stay, or whether it's time to maybe grow where you are or to step into something new. And then talk to somebody that you trust. Maybe it's a coach, maybe it's a mentor, maybe it's a counselor, but share your feelings with someone who knows you well and knows ministry well. You know, sometimes they can offer some perspective and help you discern your next steps.

Speaker 1: 4:14

So your action plan for this week if you're feeling this way, just you know it doesn't take a ton of time, maybe 30 minutes to reflect on what you've been learning in your current role and identify areas, any areas where you might still have room to grow. And if nothing comes to mind, it might be time to consider what's next. Are you kind of suffering with this? Suffering might be too strong of a word, but dealing with this, have you reached a point where you feel like I've learned about all I can learn here, where I'm at? I'd love to hear your story. I hope you navigate this decision. You can reach me anytime. Podcast at chemistrystaffingcom. And if you would like a free copy of Wade Hodge's book when to Leave, you can get one at chemistrystaffingcom. Slash when dash two, dash leave. And also we're doing a podcast on this very topic when to leave and how to discern and you can catch us at chemistrystaffingcom slash learn. You'll find dates and times for our podcast and how to register for absolutely free.

Speaker 1: 5:18

All right, thanks for joining me today. It's such an honor to have you join me. As I've mentioned, podcasts are very much one-on-one and I feel like you taking time to spend with just me here on the Healthy Church Podcast tells me a lot about you and about your ministry, and I really appreciate our time together. Remember today, ministry is a journey of growth and outgrowing a role. It's not a failure. It's not the end. It could be the beginning of a new season and a time where you really need to trust God to kind of guide you as you reflect and learn and discern what's next. All right, take care. I'll see you tomorrow right here on the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. Have a great day. We'll see you next week.