should I go?

Youth and Children's pastors catch a ton of flack for changing ministry settings quickly. NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND...here is the truth. Many of us are young, are trying to figure out where we fit, and what leadership environment we need to thrive. When you hire young leaders you can never guarantee them to stay ten years. It might happen, but probably these same young leaders are still IN PROCESS. No matter what position you have (volunteer or paid staff) there are times to leave your current position. Should you go? Here are some factors that might lead you to move on...

• God. Yes, I do believe God opens doors and gives us new opportunities to lead. I believe God can move us, call us to a new adventure, put a vision in our heart that cannot be ignored. When God makes it clear it is time for you to start a new adventure in life, begin to make plans to tackle that challenge. I can promise when God calls for you to leave it will be hard, that is just how God worked in scripture and still works today. Get ready for an adventure.
  
• You can't follow and support leadership. When you loose respect and trust in your current leadership it is time to move on. It's not your job to be divisive and you probably do not have the authority to change who is your supervisor. If you can't follow anymore quit talking about leaving and take action. Vote with your feet, move on, forgive, and continue to serve with passion. You also may not be able to follow your current leadership because you have do not believe in the direction and strategy of your current organization. You may love the people you work with but not agree with the direction of the organization. If you have worked to bring change and discovered there will be no change then it might be time to go.
  
• You are in cruise control. If the is no personal challenge in your position, it might be time to go. When I say cruise control I mean that you are not taking risks to advance the Kingdom of God in your ministry setting and you rely on doing the things that have worked for you in the past. Basically when you find yourself going through the motions of ministry it might be time to change.

Should you go? That is a hard question that demands tons of prayer and advice from trusted friends. Never make your choice to leave in a vacuum. Seek God, seek wisdom from trusted friends, take your time, and make sure when you leave you are headed in the right direction to the right position not just A POSITION. You will make your greatest impact in ministry when you partner in ministry with people you love and respect, serve with an organization your totally believe in, and invest for significant amounts of time so relationships can flourish.