josh whitehead

Recently I was in a conversation with a friend who is trying to decide if his time is done in his current ministry position. He has seen a lot of significant things happen there but is unsure about the future. He asked me on the spot to give him some thoughts about staying or going. After I finished talking, he said, “You should write an article on that.” Well, here you go.

1. Has your job outgrown your leadership? Believe it or not, I ask myself and my pastor this question on a regular basis. Honestly, I do not want to limit the opportunity that Faith Promise has to impact our community and world for Christ. We are entering unchartered territory for my leadership as the church approaches 3,000 weekly attenders & 40 staff members. One day my job may outgrow me – that’s okay. I really want someone to tell me if it does.

2. Are you still able to influence change both up and down the org chart? Influence allows us to see things change as we lead. If you have noticed that none of your ideas are being accepted, then you may need to begin looking for a change yourself. If you lose your influence you cannot be effective at your job.

3. Evaluate if your pastor is teachable. My Pastor, Chris Stephens, is one of the most teachable men that I have ever met. He is an incredible communicator, visionary & leader – but he is always willing to listen and consider new ideas from his peers & staff. He has grown churches from 25 to almost 3,000 – and he can still listen to others. Sometimes we disagree and go his way; other times we go the teams way (this happens more often!). He empowers his team to lead & listens to them. If your pastor is not teachable then I would recommend that you look to head somewhere else.

4. Ask where you stand in your current position? It seems like churches are notorious for letting staff members waste their lives when they are not satisfied with their work. Ask your supervisor where you are in your position and what needs to change – but only ask if you are willing to change!

This topic and others will be considered at the XPastor Seminar February 3-5, 2009 in Dallas. You should consider going. Also, what are some other signs that you should consider leaving. Give me some feedback.