No one takes on a new role at a church dreaming about the day when you need to leave. When we begin we are full of hope and fueled by our call to a new adventure. My prayer is that we have more leaders staying plugged into their church as long term leaders but there is a time when you have to walk away. The difficult part is navigating when it’s time to make the move. Here are 4 reasons you should start processing a ministry move…

1. Leave when God has made it clear it’s time to go / Sometimes things are not “wrong” and God simply lets you know He has a new challenge for you. This is the way we always want it to happen. No matter the circumstance this has to be our anchor for when we stay or when we go. God’s direction over our desire is the most important factor.
2. Leave when you can’t follow your senior leadership / When you can’t follow anymore then it’s time to make a move. When you look to your leadership and you can’t trust where they are heading it is time to look for what is next. Lack of trust in the leadership will erode your effectiveness over time.
3. Leave when your mission is maintenance / When your only role is to maintain what has always been then it might be time to leave. If your being held back from leading so that you can maintain with shackles as a Christmas bonus it might be time to leave.
4. Leave when vision has eroded / When you look around and you find the vision of the organization has been eroded by selfishness or even forgotten due to constant distraction it might be time to leave. Any organization without a clear vision for tomorrow will simply walk in circles.

What are some indicators that have helped you know when it’s time for a move?