The Healthy Church Staff Podcast
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The Healthy Church Staff Podcast
The Hidden Cost of Leaving Well
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Okay, you finally made the really hard and tough decision to resign your ministry role. Maybe it was right, maybe it was necessary, but now you're living with a strange, lingering emotion. Guilt. That was coming. In this episode, we're going to explore the emotional and often spiritual weight that often follows ministry resignations, even the healthy ones. So if you've ever left a role and felt conflicted, you're not alone. Let's talk about why it happens and what to do about it. Hi there, my name is Todd Rhodes. I'm one of the co-founders over at Chemistry Staffing.com, and you're listening to the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. All right, you did everything in your power to do everything right. You left with grace. You said all the right things. People even told you how proud they were of your integrity. And yet something just doesn't feel right. You just feel a little bit unsettled. You're kind of second guessing. You feel like you're letting people down, and you're wondering if maybe you gave up too soon or you left too soon. Why does it still hurt so much to walk away from a church role, even when it was the right thing to do? Let's talk about that today, about the resignation guilt that nobody ever warns you about. Okay? Let's start here. Ministry's personal. You know that it's not just professional. And leaving a church staff isn't like leaving a corporate job. You're not just walking away from tasks, you're walking away from people, you're walking away from relationships and trust and shared spiritual experiences over the past years that have impacted your life and the life of your family. So when you leave, it often feels like a breakup. Not because you're being dramatic, but because your identity was just deeply wrapped up in who you served and where you served. The real guilt, even if you want to call, even if it was the right call. The real guilt you might feel looks something like this. It could feel like like you abandoned people who counted on you. It could feel like you might feel guilt because you feel like maybe you quit before you finish the job, or like you're now viewed as maybe disloyal or selfish. But let me speak some truth into you today if you're experiencing this. Sometimes healthy decisions still hurt. You can't wait for unanimous support to make a move. And you can't measure a decision's wisdom based on how easy it felt. So how do you heal this guilt, this kind of nagging feeling? Feel guilty. You just say it out loud. Share it with a trusted friend, maybe a coach, a counselor. Put language to that grief and remind yourself you didn't walk away from people. You walked toward health. You walked toward new opportunities that you felt that God had for you. And you did so out of embi out of obedience to Jesus. And you did so to impact his kingdom. So you need to remind yourself those things. Now that guilt, it might come back and it might visit you from time to time, but just don't let it live with you. Don't let it live with you. You don't need that. So here's the thought for today. Leaving well is noble. And talk to hundreds of candidates, thousands of candidates probably in the last years. I always tell them, take the high road, leave, but even when you do that, even noble exits come with scars. And if you're feeling guilt after resigning, don't ignore it. Name it and grieve it, and then move forward. I'd love to hear from you today. Podcast at chemistry staffing.com is my email address. Have you ever felt guilt after leaving a church role? I'd love to hear your story. I read each and every story that comes in, and I love hearing from you. Podcast at chemistry staffing.com. And maybe you're experiencing guilt, or maybe you need some help on your church team to make it healthier or to find your next staff hire. I would love to be able to have a conversation with you to see if there's a way that we can partner or help you here at Chemistry Staffing. You can reach out to me anytime. Podcast at chemistry staffing.com. All right, that's it for today. Hope you're enjoying your week, and we will be right back here again tomorrow on the Healthy Church Staff Podcast.
