My Ministry Transition: 3 Things I Wish I Knew (and 3 That Actually Helped Me Leave Church Staff Well)

✅ 3 THINGS THAT WERE HELPFUL

The ministry transition was the toughest transition and one of the most difficult things I have ever done.

Amidst the one full year of discerning and wrestling, “Should I work in ministry or not”? And then the full year of looking for a job, there were some things that were very helpful to me.

But I learned a lot about discernment and transition. So I hope this is helpful to you.

I recorded a video that you can watch, or you can read the highlights summarized in the rest of the newsletter below.

There were three things that were really helpful for me in my transition.

1. Putting words around my frustrations with the work by taking a personal values assessment.

This allowed me to objectively see the difference between what was important to me about work and what was important to the powers that be. Rather than being constantly frustrated, I became neutral. Values are not good or bad, but they are mine, and they run deep. I wasn’t going to change the leadership. They weren’t going to change me. That was good to know.

To find these, I took a free values assessment online. There are plenty that are great. But we created one for you that you can download here.

2. Aligning my decision making with my vision for my family’s future. 
   
   

There was no upward mobility in responsibility or financially, unless I took on roles that I didn’t want to do. It was already plain that culturally I wasn’t a fit, but my skill set also lent itself to roles that did not exist (and would not). The vision my wife and I had included time and financial goals that would never have happened working in a church context. 

3. Paying attention to what was interesting to me and where I spent my free time.
   
   

My coworkers and friends at the church spent their lunch breaks, their off time, their Fridays studying theology and learning Greek and Hebrew. I spent that time studying for an MBA and reading leadership articles.

My initial thought was, “Look at the wonderful diversity of thought and expertise I will bring to this organization!” But combined with point number 1, I quickly realized that made me an outlier rather than the norm. When the executive pastor at the church learned I was studying to take the standardized test for an MBA, he told me that he believed I was valuable to the church, but my skills might be better used in a business context. That was incredibly freeing for me.