Surviving Transitions in Ministry – SYMC2012

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” – Deuteronomy 31:8

Making a major transition in ministry to another state means everything is different. The local news channel personalities are not what you’re used to listening to and seeing every night at 11:00. Radio stations even seem to play different music as you drive unfamiliar streets finding your way around. The barista at the Starbuck’s isn’t your regular barista that knows your name and what you drink and the regulars are not…your regulars. And on a night you’re expecting God to move through your new students, something doesn’t go quite right and you’re left feeling discouraged and defeated.

Yes, everything is different and sometimes even a little scary. I doubt for a moment that any of you who have had to make a major transition in your ministry and life can say you never felt a little scared of what’s ahead, unsure of yourself and slightly discouraged no matter how long you’ve been in ministry.

It’s these scary, frustrating, discouraging and sometimes confusing moments that I have the privilege to share my own experiences with youth workers from all over the country who are facing transition in the ministry. For my second year in a row I’ll be leading the Surviving Transitions Connect Group at the Simply Youth Ministry Conference being held in Louisville, KY from March 2nd to the 5th.

This year I’m particularly excited about it as I’ll have my wife by my side for the first time. She’ll be available to share her experiences about surviving transitions from the stand point of the spouse.

How does transition impact our families? So often when we talk about transition in ministry we only focus on how it impacts us in our ministry, but we rarely discuss the impact it has in our homes and on our families.

So as I prepare to lead the Surviving Transitions in Ministry Connecting Group at this year’s SYMC, I’ve been giving a lot of thought about the personal care of youth workers that are in transition based on my own experiences. I am looking forward to connecting with you and other youth workers who are or will be facing transition of some sort in ministry to hear their stories, pray and be an encouragement to them.