When to Leave - Final Thoughts on Leaving With Confidence

The episode centers on navigating career transitions within ministry, focusing on trusting God's timing, finding closure, and creating intentional plans for the future. It emphasizes the emotional complexities involved and highlights the essential role of community support during these changes.

• Trusting God's timing encourages patience and faith during uncertainty 
• Finding closure involves reflecting on past experiences and expressing gratitude 
• Defining next steps is essential for building confidence in future roles 
• Embracing community can provide critical support during transitions 
• Transitioning well leads to new opportunities and growth 

If you're in a transitional phase in ministry and looking for guidance or resources, reach out to us at podcast@chemistrystaffing.com.

Have questions or comments? Send to podcast@chemistrystaffing.com

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:07

Hey there, welcome to the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. My name is Todd Rhodes. I'm one of the co-founders over at chemistrystaffingcom so glad that you joined us. Today we are ending finalizing our three-week series and I've really enjoyed going through Wade Hodges' book when to Leave how to Know when it's Time to Move On Before you Stay Way Too Long. I've enjoyed going through this book with you and next week we're going to start another book by Wade Hodges. He's written two volumes on transition. Next week we're going to start a three-work series. We just did when to Leave. The next one is Before you Go.

Speaker 1: 0:50

So if you've decided that 2025 is a year of transition and you're in the midst of that transition, you're going to want to join us for the next three weeks. And even if you're not, there's going to be some valuable insights for you as you lead and you're probably going to end up transitioning at one point or another. This can be really helpful information for you. So today we're going to talk about just some. We're going to wrap it up and talk about some final thoughts. Yesterday we talked about okay. So this whole series has been on when to leave, but for the last two episodes we've talked about okay. So you've decided that 2025 is going to be the year that God is calling you to move somewhere else or to transition. So we're going to explore how to walk into this next season with some peace and purpose and how to really trust. Okay, let's start here. Okay, if you're in a time of transition, if you know that God is moving you on, if you know that maybe you're in the middle of it, you've already submitted your resignation, but maybe you're six months away know this leaving a ministry role.

Speaker 1: 2:02

This transition is never easy. I often joke and say I work at Chemistry Staffing one of the co-founders there, and we talk with candidates, hundreds of candidates, thousands of candidates every year actually. And I don't know and I've been doing this for a long time I don't know that I've ever heard anyone say I love this process, I love writing my resume, I love the search process, I love the interview process. I love this process, I love writing my resume, I love the search process, I love the interview process, I love the negotiate. Nobody ever says that and if you're just entering in or you're in the middle of a ministry transition, that it's not easy. It's never easy. But let me tell you this it can be done well. And when you leave with confidence, you're not just closing a chapter, you're stepping into a new season with intention and trust. It's an exciting time. It's a sad time, mixed emotions all the way around, whether you're in a healthy situation or you're leaving an unhealthy situation. It's never, ever easy.

Speaker 1: 3:03

So here are some key principles that Wade shares in his book when to leave, just to keep in mind as you prepare to move forward. The first is trust god's timing. Whether you're leaving because of a clear calling or maybe some on health or some difficult circumstances, don't second guess God. Trust that God is guiding your steps. It's never too late. His plan is always good. I wish, and sometimes I wish, and then I don't wish because I know my mind wouldn't be able to comprehend it. I wish sometimes that God would just share, instead of sharing just the next step. Share exactly. Where am I going to be in a year, god? Where am I going to be in the next five years? What's going to happen? I don't think. I don't think. I think there's a reason he doesn't do that. He just gives us enough to keep our feet grounded and to look to him for next steps and to trust, and you can trust God's timing. He's never late. His plan is always good. It might not make sense, matter of fact. I've made transitions where it makes absolutely no sense, and yet I had confidence that I was doing what God wanted me to do. So trust in God's timing.

Speaker 1: 4:18

Find closure. However, you can Take time to reflect. This is a very reflective time on your ministry journey. Take time to reflect. This is a very reflective time on your ministry journey. We've mentioned celebrate the wins, grieve the losses, thank the people who have made an impact on your life. And as you find closure, you're putting aside what's past, but you're also looking to the future and you're embracing the unknown. And transition often brings uncertainty, but that uncertainty also brings opportunities and it's an exciting time as well. Keep your eyes open to what God is calling you to do and how he would have you live in this transition and where you're going to end up being, and then define your next steps. Maybe it's taking a sabbatical, maybe it's starting a new role immediately. Maybe you're exploring a different career path altogether that God's called you on.

Speaker 1: 5:07

Create a plan of what's next. Confidence grows when you're intentional about your future. We talked about that yesterday a transitional plan for where you are, but also make it a transitional plan not just for what you're leaving but what you're stepping into, and then give yourself some grace. Transitions are messy and they're emotional and they at times can be exhausting. So be kind to yourself, take care of yourself as you navigate this change. It's okay to feel that that it's. It's hard to explain. It's a mix of excitement and sadness and uncertainty, all wrapped up and tied with a bow. It's, it's crazy. So embrace that and make sure you take care of yourself during the time. Okay, here's the bottom line for today. Leaving with confidence means trusting God and his plan and taking intentional steps forward.

Speaker 1: 6:04

If you're in a season of transition, be sure to leave with gratitude. Make sure you set some new goals of what you want to accomplish in this next season. Lean into that excitement and lean into the community. I mean, in some ways, leaving your church and going to a new church is incredibly. It's unlike any other kind of career transition. If you're a plumber or a scientist or something, you are leaving not just your church and your employment, but you're leaving your small group, you're leaving your friends, you're leaving everything. Make sure you lean into community, surround yourself with trusted friends and mentors and family who can support and encourage you during this transition and lean in into your new community where you can make new friends and new relationships.

Speaker 1: 6:52

If you're going through a time of transition, I would love to hear from you. If there's any way that I can help. If you're not sure where God is calling you, if you don't have your next job lined up but you're looking for opportunities, reach out to me. We have plenty of resources over at chemistrystaffingcom, but you can also reach out to me personally by just sending an email to podcast at chemistrystaffingcom. Whether you're stepping into something new or just beginning to explore the idea, I'd love to offer some encouragement.

Speaker 1: 7:19

A couple of resources as we leave here today and get you onto your weekend. First of all, if you would like a free copy if you've not taken the time to download, we're going to. This is a limited opportunity here. If you would like a free copy if you've not taken the time to download, we're going to. This is a limited opportunity here. If you would like to download a copy of Wade Hodge's book when to Leave, you can do so at chemistrystaffingcom.

Speaker 1: 7:37

Slash when, dash, two, dash, leave, and then we are also getting ready putting the finishing touches on our webinar on when to leave and just an open discussion on what we've talked about here the last three weeks. You get to ask some questions. Podcasts are recorded so you can't really interact. But webinar, you can ask some questions and hear me go off the cuff, like I do here on the podcast. But I'd love to have you join us for the podcast. You can see the dates and times over on our website at chemistrystaffingcom slash learn and thanks so much for spending time with me today throughout this series. If you missed any of it, go ahead and hit that subscribe button. Wherever you're listening, you can go back and listen. We're here every Monday through Friday for 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 minutes of encouragement, motivation and friendship here on the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. Take care and I will talk to you again on Monday when we start a brand new series. Have a great week you.