Leading When You Want to Quit
by Bill Allison
I was twenty-two years old and in my last year of Bible college when I got a phone call from a senior pastor telling me that the vote to hire me as a church youth pastor was 35 to 5. I liked the 35 part-but was more than a little concerned about the 5 people who voted against the idea of me taking the position. When I told the senior pastor that I was a little worried about the 5 no votes, he said, "You have less no votes than I had when I accepted the call to be the senior pastor of this church!" So, with some apprehension and assurance from my senior pastor, I accepted the position.
During the very first week I served in that church as youth pastor, each of the people who voted against my coming to the church decided to drop in and visit me. They came into my office one at a time and said the most hurtful things-doing their absolute best to discourage me. (Have you ever noticed that some people in church seem to believe that discouragement and criticism are their spiritual gifts-and that they want to use them on you?) "Students will never like you," one snorted as I imagined little horns starting to protrude from his head. Another told me in no uncertain terms that I was "out of the will of God" for accepting the position - and was so angry that she got her tail caught in the door of my office as she stormed out. Another held her pitchfork tightly and flatly said, "You will ruin this church." With the exception of the horns, tail, and pitchfork - everything in this story is as it happened.
In all seriousness, to this day - these many years later, I can still feel the sting of their words - though the hurt is not as sharp as it was once. Let me confess that I spent a full year of Sunday mornings dealing with my bitter emotions. On the outside, I appeared to be okay. But seeing "them" every Sunday wrecked me. Multiple times while my pastor was preaching his heart out, I would silently confess to God the vindictive thoughts that plagued my mind.
It's no fun to lead when you feel like quitting. After 30+ years of trying to follow Jesus, I know. That's why I want to invite you to take a journey of encouragement with me - via this edition of Cadre Connection. We'll begin to unpack the art and skill of leading when you want to quit. Why? Because I'm sick and tired of seeing the best and the brightest vocational and volunteer ministers not only drop out of the ministry, but out of the faith. Hopefully, by the time we are finished, you'll be able to apply a clear and biblical strategy for dealing with the depression, despair, and discouragement that has come to be a part of the church ministry experience. One thing is for sure. Discouragement and his ugly cousins, Despair and Depression, will try to sink their sharp bloody teeth into your very soul and take you down for the count. What's up for grabs is: How will you deal with discouragement when it comes? That's why you must read Leading When You Want to Quit (Free PDF Download).
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Who is one person in your life that really needs encouragement right now? What are you waiting for? Tell them about this now! |
Free Download
Leading When You Want to Quit
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It's FREE from your biggest fans at Cadre Ministries. But since it's FREE, it's too good NOT to share. So why not tell a friend about the FREE download, Leading When You Want to Quit. Download it now: GO HERE. |
[Note: Leading When You Want to Quit is chapter 10 in Grow, Minister, and Lead-Book 2, Cadre's book of ten training sessions.]
Pastor Appreciation: A Radical Idea
[Note that when we speak of appreciating pastors, we mean any and all pastors at your church: senior pastor, associate pastor(s), youth pastor, children's pastor, etc.]
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Perhaps the greatest gift you could give your pastor for Pastor Appreciation this month is a congregation that is equipped with the seven biblical ways God wants them to encourage the pastor. (It sure beats a generic card signed by insincere trouble-making malcontents.) This 28-page study guide is great for Sunday school, small groups, and leadership gatherings. What are you waiting for? It's time to get busy equipping the congregation with what God says about encouraging the pastor! (Okay, the aforementioned card is way easier and less expensive... but in the long run equipping the congregation to live out their biblical responsibility is way better for everyone.) |
If you want to do something a little more substantive for Pastor Appreciation, here's a FREEBIE for you to share with others from your church/ministry: |
Just for Fun
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BRAND NEW Stuff in the Cadre Store!
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We're your Cadre missionaries! As Ephesians 4:11-12 missionaries of encouragement and equipping, we live by faith and trust God to financially provide for our families and our ministry with Cadre. We know we can't do this wild and wonderful Cadre adventure without God and crazy friends like you.
Cadre Ministries: Equipping Local Churches to Make Volunteers WILDLY Successful!
Cadre Ministries is a [501(c)(3)] not-for-profit ministry.
To be trained to take Cadre training to your church/ministry, contact info@cadreministries.com and ask about Cadre's certification process.
For information about bringing a certified Cadre trainer to coach and train the volunteer teachers, leaders, and youth workers in your church/ministry, contact info@cadreministries.com.
For Cadre training resources visit www.cadreministries.com/store. Cadre's fun-loving staff serve as support-based, God-dependent missionaries who can only do this ministry with Cadre because of generous friends like you. To make an online, tax-deductible donation to Cadre Ministries:
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All other tax-deductible donations can be sent to:
Cadre Ministries
PO Box 278
Sycamore, IL 60178
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