Before You Go - Are You Running To or From Something?

The current episode delves into the complexities of church staff transitions, emphasizing the importance of understanding whether you’re running toward a calling or away from something challenging. Pastors are encouraged to reflect thoughtfully on their motivations behind moving and to seek clarity through prayer and community support. 

• Discussing the importance of mindful transitions 
• Highlighting the challenges church leaders face 
• The difference between running to calls and running from problems 
• Reflecting on personal motivations for change 
• Emphasizing prayer for guidance and perspective 
• Evaluating new opportunities for alignment with gifts 
• The value of consulting trusted friends and family 
• Encouraging journaling to uncover thoughts and patterns 
• Acknowledging growth opportunities in challenging seasons 
• Invitation for listener stories and support 
• Offer for free book "Before You Go"

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

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:12

Hey there, welcome to the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. I'm Todd Rhodes, one of the co-founders over at chemistrystaffingcom, and I'm so glad you're here because we are tackling we're in a series based on Wade Hodges' book Before you Go, and we're talking about today. The topic is I think this is a good one are you running to something or are you running from something? That's a question that can really transform how you approach a transition. Are you running to something or running from something? And again, this is all based on Wade Hodge's book Before you Go Questions Every Pastor Must Ask Before Moving On to a New Church, and if you'd like a free copy of that, stay tuned to the end of the podcast. I'll tell you how you can get a free, absolutely free copy from me and my colleagues over at chemistrystaffingcom.

Speaker 1: 1:06

Okay, so let's talk about transition. That's what this series is all about, and when you're considering a transition, it's really easy to focus on what's wrong with your current situation. Maybe you're feeling burned out or unappreciated, or stuck, and while those feelings can be valid or stuck, and while those feelings can be valid, wade challenges us to ask the question that we've already mentioned Are you running from something that you need to face or are you running toward something that God has prepared you for? Okay, here's why this distinction really matters. Here's why this distinction really matters. If you're leaving primarily to escape challenges, those same challenges often show up wherever you go in your next role, you might find yourself in a cycle of disappointment. And if you're disappointed and you don't take care of that disappointment where you are, if you don't really figure out what the root cause for that disappointment is, chances are, six months into your new role, you're going to feel disappointed again.

Speaker 1: 2:09

Running to something can bring you purpose. When you're running toward a new role that aligns with your calling and your gifts, it can create energy and excitement and clarity. Perhaps you've been there I know I have been in ministry when I'm running toward something. But if you're desperate to leave, you might settle for a position. That's not right, I mean, and it's really easy Usually in your heart. Right, am I running toward something? Am I running away from something? If you're running away from something and you have a new opportunity, you're usually not as excited about it as if you really feel like this is something that God has prepared you for and actually called you to. So remember, if you're desperate to leave. If you feel like man, I just got to get out of here, there's a lot higher probability, a lot higher chance that you might settle for a position that's just not right, not a right fit and I see this happen all the time. You take a position that's not the right fit and six to 18 months afterwards, you're talking to me saying, todd, I made a huge mistake. Can you help me find something different? So taking time to reflect really ensures that you're making a good and thoughtful decision.

Speaker 1: 3:20

Sometimes the hard lessons in ministry are where God does his best work in us. You might not want to hear that if you're in a hard season of ministry, but running too quickly can mean missing out on some growth opportunities and transitions are we talked about this a couple days ago? Transitions are a lot more. They're about a lot more than just you and they're about a lot more than just your next job. They're about discerning God's will and really trusting his timing. Here's the bottom line for today. I want you to run toward something, not away from something.

Speaker 1: 3:57

If you're considering a move, take the time and we've been talking about this all week on the podcast take time to reflect on your motivations and here's some steps to help you discern. We've already asked you to do this. List your reasons, write down why you want to leave your ministry role and why you're drawn to a new opportunity, and it could be that there's a specific opportunity that you feel drawn to. It could be that, and usually if there's a specific, if you're not really looking, there's a specific thing, you're running towards something. If you're just looking and you don't know where you're going to go, you just got to get away. A lot of times, that's you're moving away from something.

Speaker 1: 4:34

So, make sure, be honest about your feelings and your frustrations, but write down, first of all, why do you want to leave your current role and why are you feeling like it's time to leave. Why are you feeling like you're drawn to a new opportunity? Ask God to reveal whether you're running away from challenges or toward his calling. Prayer brings perspective. We talked about that on Monday of this week. If you missed that episode, go back and listen to it. I think you would really enjoy it.

Speaker 1: 5:00

And then evaluate the opportunity. Is the new role that you're looking at, is it a good fit for your gifts and your passions? Does it align with your long-term goals and your calling. Does it align with how God has wired you? And talk with your spouse about this. Talk with others friends, mentors, family members that can help give you some perspective.

Speaker 1: 5:22

And I've been saying all this week, take some time, take a half an hour and just journal out what really excites you and what really concerns you about your potential move. It could just be a generic hey, I think God's transitioning me. It could be no, I've got a church that's interested in me and you're looking at a specific church. But write down those reasons what excites you, what concerns you, and look for patterns to reveal Again this really key question Are you running to something or are you running from something? Okay, are you wrestling with whether you're running to or from something? I'd love to hear your story. Email me anytime. Your emails are totally confidential, but I do read every email that I get at podcast at chemistry staffing podcast at chemistry staffing. I say this often on the podcast, but your journey matters and I am here to help and our team here at chemistry staffing is here to help. Make sure you subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any future episodes. And also, hey, if your church is navigating some staffing transitions. Maybe you need to hire some new people this year. Maybe you need some staff realignment, maybe you need to transition some people off the team. That's really what I try to specialize in my role at Chemistry Staffing. So I would love to talk with you and if there's a way that we can help you build a healthier team in 2025, I would love to do that.

Speaker 1: 6:44

Finally, earlier I promised how to get a free copy of the Wade Hodges book before you go. It's the book that we've been basing this three-week series on. Just pop me an email. Podcast at chemistrystaffingcom. Podcast at chemistrystaffingcom. Podcast at chemistrystaffingcom. I know that you're going to love this book. It's going to make you laugh. Sometimes it's going to make you say, oh, my goodness, he's reading my email. It might even make you shed a tear or two along the way, because it's just, it's a really good work. All right, thanks for joining me today. Remember, running towards something means stepping into a new season with confidence and purpose, and I want to help you do that as much as I can. Reach out to me anytime and take care. I will see you again right here tomorrow on the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. You.