staff change...what do you do?

One thing I can promise every church, business, school, and non-profit is staff change. It does not matter if it is paid or volunteer staff there will come a time when you have a team member move on. In four years we have seen many times of leadership change when great leaders moved to new roles, moved away from Clarksville, or left GCC for another leadership opportunity. All of these times are hard because we love the people we serve with. Here at Grace Community we are in a time of change. This week Daniel Doss, one of my best friends, let the church here know he was moving to the Chicago area to help plant a new church. I have been doing ministry with Daniel and Emily for the past 7 years serving at camps, retreats, or on church staffs and I love them so much. God used Daniel here at Grace Community to help launch the church. God used Emily to help us give birth to our children's ministry. God has used them both as they had the chance to experience working with a record label, produce another album, and invest in others through music. I have talked with Daniel and he is so excited about the chance to take the GCC experience and help plant a new church. I am proud of Daniel and Emily for taking the plunge and following God's lead! Now at GCC we get to pray for him, support him, and see what God will do as the new church is launched. So, what do you do when people you love move to new opportunities...that is the million dollar question! Here is what I have learned in dealing with staff and volunteers who follow God's lead for NEXT in their life...

• Never hold key staff or volunteers back from God's NEXT plan for their life. We should always encourage our team to seek God's will with passion.
• CELEBRATE the what God did through that key staff or volunteer. Staff change gives us a chance to look back, encourage, and celebrate! Bless the team member leaving and bless the place they are going.
  
• BREATHE...yes calm down and take time to encourage the team member leaving and do not allow change to drive you to live in "worry mode." God cares about what is next for the organization you lead more than you do!
• PRAY...cover the team member with prayer and pray for your organization as you work through the transition. Staff change leads us to depend less on our effort and more on God.
  
• LEAD...staff change lets you invest and recast vision to your current team. Empower key volunteers, cast vision, and make sure everyone knows what is next for your organization.
• LOOK...staff openings provide someone else the chance to step up and lead. God has a plan and the right leader to fill the gap. Always look for the right leader not a recreation of the past leader. It is not about finding a similar leader it is about finding the right leader for your team.