{"id":4402,"date":"2013-04-15T10:27:19","date_gmt":"2013-04-15T14:27:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/?p=4402"},"modified":"2014-07-21T10:08:53","modified_gmt":"2014-07-21T14:08:53","slug":"leaving-is-a-celebration-finish-well","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/leaving-is-a-celebration-finish-well\/","title":{"rendered":"Leaving is a Celebration; Finish Well"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m about to complete both an M.Div. degree and an internship. For three years, I’ve been rigorously training so that I could leave seminary and pastor a local church. This church\u2019s visionary leadership has provided me with an opportunity to both obtain a master\u2019s degree AND attain three years experience in pastoral ministry. I have been able to preach, counsel, marry two great friends, lead leaders, solve problems, organize large community events and grow in prayer. I will always be grateful to my gracious God who moved this congregation to create a program that has trained me for pastoral ministry.<\/p>\n

Leaving is a cause for celebration!<\/h2>\n

In July, I will be leaving Faith. I am so excited to be moving into a pastoral role at a church in Western Mass.<\/a>, but I want to make sure that I leave this great church well before I head out East. The fact of the matter is that leaving is a cause for celebration! It is a sign of success. I made it!<\/p>\n

Here are my goals in leaving:<\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Communicate clearly and often that I am extremely grateful for my time here.<\/li>\n
  2. Equip people to take my place so that the ministry isn’t affected by my departure.<\/li>\n
  3. Love the people here as if I were staying for the rest of my life.<\/li>\n
  4. Document what I’ve been doing so that my replacement can hit the ground running.<\/li>\n
  5. Prepare the lay leaders to smother my replacement with grace and thankfulness.<\/li>\n
  6. Recruit friends who will continue to pray for me and keep in touch after I\u2019m gone.<\/li>\n
  7. Remember all of the blessings that I have received while I am here.<\/li>\n
  8. Prepare for my new life and new role.<\/li>\n
  9. Reconcile any relationships that have been hurt by my sin. I\u2019m running out of time to make things right!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    I’m tempted to begin focusing on the future and ease up on ministry here. But God wants me to work hard where I am. He wants me to give everything I’ve got to the people I\u2019m with now while being excited for the new ministry options I\u2019m going to have.<\/p>\n

    God wants me to work hard where I am<\/h2>\n

    For all the graduating college students, fellow seminarians and people in transition, finish strong<\/em>. Love the people around you. Leave your ministry and relationships in a stronger place than when you got there. Leave with out regrets, and equip people to take your place<\/em> so that things are successful without you.<\/p>\n

    This post was contributed by Joel Bertles. He is a Pastoral Intern at Faith Church, and he going to be pastoring at a\u00a0church in Western Mass<\/a>\u00a0after he graduates in June. You can follow him on twitter:\u00a0jcbertles<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    I\u2019m about to complete both an M.Div. degree and an internship. For three years, I’ve been rigorously training so that I could leave seminary and pastor a local church. This church\u2019s visionary leadership has provided me with an opportunity to both obtain a master\u2019s degree AND attain three years experience in pastoral ministry. 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