Not sure how to deal with this ...

[DreamsAreFree]

I have worked hard to build up my ministry in church and am about to resign. Do I want to, no, but I have seen too much that I just feel is wrong at church to continue as it is. I feel like I can do the sort of thing that I have been doing without having to be positioned where I am. Even my kids sense something as they are asking for a different church. Maybe I should ask them about that more and get a real feel for what is in their spirit.

I'm just not sure I'll be able to continue at my current church once I've stepped down as the pain of letting go of my dream and all I have worked for is hard. And how do you step into a new church where you are an unknown after being so active? This really hurts but I do know it's the right thing to do.

 

[ChristsCourage2]

Maybe contyinue this ministry out of your home if it can be done. That way you will not have to run into this sort of thing again. What is your ministry all about? Do you have a website so, I can chck it out, and, tell you if running it out of the home is a good idea? I pray that you find a church where you can be a part of, and, not have to deal with this again. GOD Bless!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Angeloffire]

The most important thing to know is "what does God want?" and then simply ignore situations and circumstances, commiting them to God and proceed to do whatever He asks of you.

I was thinking the other day of how much stuff Jesus went through. The church of the day sought to kill him constantly. None of His family believed Him at first and even HIs whole home town was without miracles due to the fact that they knew as a child and didn't respect Him.

When He was at the most difficult part of His journey, the cross, the disciples ran away! I'm not saying I'd have been any different then the disciples, but if Jesus, who was sinless was so persecuted, what should I be going through if I'm following in His footsteps?

My point is, if God asks us to go to the local bar and witness and be spat on, then we should comply...the key is to know that we are doing HIs work.

I wrote an article on finding God's will for your life, maybe it will help?

http://www.breadandwineministries.org/linked/what is god_s will for my life.pdf

Blessings,

AOF

 

[mychildsmissionary]

I agree with angeloffire, it's imperative that you make sure you've prayed about this and sought God's will. One of the things I got caught up in with the last church we were in was my involvement in ministry. I felt so sure I was where God wanted me to be. After all, I was good at what i did and a lot of people were affirming what I was doing. Somehow, though, none of it felt quite 'right'.

Because I had been praying through it and faithful in reading God's Word (sometimes God speaks to me with just the right words when I'm reading the Bible, but mostly it's just to make sure my focus is always in the right place), the Lord eventually revealed to me a very important truth.

It wasn't what I could or should be doing for Him, but what He chooses to use me for that matters. My ministry wasn't about me doing what I thought should be done, it was about Him.

Anyway, that's what I struggled with. Right now I'm at a new church - not because of the ministry I was in, but for other reasons - and things still aren't 100% 'right' there, but I enjoy the worship experience and can get involved with things using my gifts. My real ministry is a teaching blog that utilizes my God-given gifts and passion for parents. Focusing on how I can use what God has equipped me for (teaching) has allowed me to be very effective in the ministry that God had in mind for me all along.

 

[Johnnz]

There are seasons in our lives. Life is an ongoing journey. Be committed, but recognise that circumstances, people, God's ongoing development of us mean changes will happen often enough. Also recognise you ultimately serve God, not any local group of people.

John
NZ

 

[DreamsAreFree]

Thanks everyone. I just feel I have outgrown what is available to me at my church. What bothers me is more the way people are handled. i.e. confidentiality is not what it should be and the 'difficult cases' are not really wanted. Time to move on I think. If it only wasn't so hard to let go ...

 

[wonderwaleye]

When you come to the place where JESUS is all you have, you will find HE'S all you need.

You need to prepare yourself by devoting your entire life to GOD. When HE sees this is complete GOD will send HIS HOLY SPIRIT upon you. For then you shall receive:

1. TEACHER
2. GUIDE
3. COMFORTER
4. COMUNICATOR

For it's then you will know the MISSION GOD has for just you.

Playing church can be a very wicked game as you are now finding out. That is one of the hardest place to save souls. Never forget GOD does have control.




ALWAYS REMEMBER:

JESUS IS RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE AT!!! EVEN THOUGH YOU DON'T SEE HIM!!!

( left click and hold over the above to see your personal message )

 

[heron]

Make this transition a ministry. Do not think of it as deserting, or failing people, or rebelling, or demolishing what you have built. You are about to embark on a journey based on a wise choice. Treat this journey to the next resting spot as valuable as your past work.

1. Talk to your children. If they are hinting about moving on, then respecting their input could bring a leap in their spiritual growth. They want to be heard. They need to learn how to make wise decisions, so you can walk through this together, and you will train them for adulthood.

If you are calmly honest about what you believed was right and wrong about the situation, they will feel even better about the move, and how you all made it.


2. Talk to the church leadership team, and be as professional as you can. Tell them that you feel God is calling you out of this church. Affirm what was good. Resist being negative. If they ask you to reveal negativities, remember that confidentiality was one of their problems, and you may dig your own grave. Prepare your answers so you don't break down under unexpected pressure.

3. Make a list of how the change will impact people you minister to. How dependent are they on you... what do they need at the next step. Are there people you need to write notes to, have one last meeting with, or will you need a full mailing.

4. Pray about whether there is someone in the congregation that you can train to take your place. Raise up others to carry on what you built up. Don't worry if you don't trust them to do it as well -- of course they won't! Everyone has to learn in the beginning. (If this involves educational training, ask around if anyone else is trained.)

5. Be open to referrals from your pastoral team. Even if you don't want to take on their suggestions, get the information and thank them. Ask individuals if they would write recommendation letters in advance of what may come up.

Be as professional as you can, and try to think of all these loose ends as opportunities to serve people. They can learn courtesy and respect for confidentiality from you... that can be your legacy.

 

[rob64]

Thanks everyone. I just feel I have outgrown what is available to me at my church. What bothers me is more the way people are handled. i.e. confidentiality is not what it should be and the 'difficult cases' are not really wanted. Time to move on I think. If it only wasn't so hard to let go ...

Please explain the 'confidentiality', and 'difficult cases'

Are you saying that you aren't 'getting fed'?

 

[heron]

Please explain the 'confidentiality', and 'difficult cases'

Are you saying that you aren't 'getting fed'?

In case Dreams doesn't respond today... how I interpreted that, was related to people she ministered to. If she offered counseling, the confidentiality of the client discussion was not respected, and maybe files were read by the pastoral staff. In that situation, difficult cases would mean people who annoyed them, showed little promise, or appeared too needy might be tossed aside as not worth helping. I might be wrong.

But she was the one ministering to people.

 

[DreamsAreFree]

In case Dreams doesn't respond today... how I interpreted that, was related to people she ministered to. If she offered counseling, the confidentiality of the client discussion was not respected, and maybe files were read by the pastoral staff. In that situation, difficult cases would mean people who annoyed them, showed little promise, or appeared too needy might be tossed aside as not worth helping. I might be wrong.

But she was the one ministering to people.

Heron has it right. I don't want to go into too many details or be too specific but this is on the right track. I will see where we go and when the moment feels right, resign. I have already indicated to one of the pastors this will be happening but citing time factors as a reason. Which is a big part of it too. It's very multi-faceted.

 

[BereanTodd]

Without naming churches or names let me share my experience. I was on staff as a pastor of missions at a small church I helped plant. In fact it became a not-so-small church as we built it up to 300 in attendance.

I began many ministries, saw baptised fruit, was just on cloud 9 with my ministry walk. I felt that we needed to get more involved in foreign missions and was encouraged by the rest of the staff, including the sr. pastor to pursue this.

We had a Missions Week where we brought in some foreign missionaries who gave lessons, met with small groups, taught the youth, preached to the whole church. We had meetings with these missionaries, myself, and two other pastors - including the senior pastor.

In those meetings we promised to take up support of this missionary couple, helping to send them back to the field (they were on their year of home ministry at the time). Promises were made, hands were shaken.

A couple of months later budgets are submitted and I of course request the promised support. But the budgets never got released. The church voted on the budget in fact without the figures being released for us to see. The next budget year began and still I didn't have my budget back to know what I had money for. A month into the new year I am given my budget with no support in there for the missionaries.

Now they flew into our town on their own money. We gave them no love offering, did not cover their air fare, promised support and now weren't even going to give them that. I couldn't take it any more, it led to some discussions with the sr. pastor which ended in me resigning and moving on.

Was it difficult to go to a new church after being so involved - and I was very involved in the previous church - and then settling into something new? It wasn't easy, no. But it was something I had to do. And God has blessed that decision. I have had a fruitful ministry at the church I went to for 4 years now, and God has really grown me during this time. It was the right move to leave.

If you are truly taking a stand on something of importance and value then do it. God will bless your faithfulness to His calling in your life. It won't always be easy, but then following Him rarely is.