PODCAST EPISODE 295: NO MUD, NO MESS – EXITING STAFF WITH GRACE AND GRIT

Jul 22, 2025 | Leadership, Ministry Leader, Pastor, People Leaving, Transition

Last week, we unpacked key ideas for building a church hiring playbook. This week, we turn to the less exciting — but equally critical — side of the people equation: a church firing playbook. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to staff transitions and trying to...

PUTTING THE GOOD IN GOODBYE: A HEALTHY CONVERSATION ABOUT THE COMINGS & GOINGS OF CHURCH PEOPLE WEEK SEVEN: WHEN A STAFF MEMBER LEAVES

Aug 24, 2023 | Leadership, Ministry Leader, Pastor, People Leaving, Transition

Sometimes those who’ve left our churches at some point decide to come back. Last week we learned how to handle that gracefully. In today’s post we talk about another type of leaving as we evaluate Chapter 7 of Putting the Good in Goodbye. We’ll walk through a process...

PUTTING THE GOOD IN GOODBYE: A HEALTHY CONVERSATION ABOUT THE COMINGS & GOINGS OF CHURCH PEOPLE WEEK SIX: WHEN PEOPLE COME BACK GO

Aug 17, 2023 | Leadership, Ministry Leader, Pastor, People Leaving, Transition

In last week’s post we dug deep. Dredging up the feelings of processing departures can be emotional and exhausting. Hopefully you found some peace and tangible tools in our dive into Chapter 6. This week we continue to Chapter 7 of Putting the Good in Goodbye . . ....

PUTTING THE GOOD IN GOODBYE: A HEALTHY CONVERSATION ABOUT THE COMINGS & GOINGS OF CHURCH PEOPLE WEEK FIVE: WHEN PEOPLE GO

Aug 10, 2023 | Grief, Leadership, Ministry Leader, Pastor, People Leaving

A healthier way of saying goodbye begins with a healthier way of saying hello. We learned that in last week’s post from chapter five in Putting the Good in Goodbye. This week we will discuss Chapter six . . . what to do when people go. When a church member departs, it...

PUTTING THE GOOD IN GOODBYE: A HEATHY CONVERSATION ABOUT THE COMINGS & GOINGS OF CHURCH PEOPLE WEEK TWO: WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?

Jul 20, 2023 | Calling, Leadership, Ministry Leader, Pastor, People Leaving, Transition

Thanks for coming back to our dive into Putting the Good in Goodbye! This week we continue taking an inward look in the mirror when it comes to the arrival and departure of people in the churches we lead. Last week, we laid the foundation upon which we’ll build. Today...

ESCAPING LEADERSHIP TRAPS

Apr 28, 2022 | Alignment, Clarity, Core Values, Leadership, Ministry Leader, Pastor, People Leaving, Playbook, Uncategorized, Vision

Leading an organization is invigorating, an honor, a privilege, a huge responsibility . . . and at the same time, often fraught with peril. Hidden traps exist that threaten to at a minimum, derail a leader, or worse, take him or her out. Here are three of the most...