New Staff @ PCC

This past weekend I announced that our current student ministries pastor, Matthew Davis, will be transitioning to our executive team as the Development Director. He will be overseeing all of the discipleship and spiritual growth ministries - ie., Membership, New Believers Class, Assimilation, Pastoral Care, Benevolence and Community Groups.

PCC began a nationwide search for a new youth pastor 6 months ago and we are excited to introduce you to Andre and Mandy Anderson and their 6 month old son, Isaiah. Andre and Mandy are currently living in Chicago and will be moving to Pocono in a couple weeks to join our church family as the new Student Ministries Pastor. They are a a fun-loving couple with a passion to reach this generation for Christ. Please keep the Anderson's in prayer during this time of transition.

Explaining Why Staff Leave

I recently read an article in Rev! Magazine which gave some practical insight on explaining why staff leave. I've had more than my share of staff transitions in the past 6 years and while each change was unique, there are some similarities I've discovered over the years. Here are some of my notes from the article which best summarizes what I've discovered:

There are all sorts of reasons why staff leave, but here are some positive ones:

A Stage in Life

Sometimes staff leave because they have to take care of an aging parent, the desire to go back to school, marriage or even retirement.

A Stirring of God

Sometimes staff change ministry venues because God simply calls them to another mission field. 20 percent of Americans move every year. It's no wonder that pastors will often make transitions too.

A Season of Healing

Sometimes staff have to take a break from ministry in order to focus on their family, a marriage or even a wayward child. That's biblical. Ministry can be grueling. It can overtake a persons life and leave them drained. Some times staff need to take a break because of physical or emotional issues.

A Situation of Privacy

On rare occasions, some staff leave ministry due to private matters. In those cases, I've tried to protect their privacy and not publicize why someone is leaving.

Thoughts on Transition

Yesterday I announced the resignation of our Executive Pastor Kevin and his wife KyAnne (our kids director). They will be moving to Kansas where Kev will be pastoring a church previously lead by KyAnne's aging father. We will certainly miss them and their leadership here at PCC. Even though they were here for a brief time (almost 2 years) they made a huge impact on our church and community. 

Here are a few things I've learned about staff transitions:

+When someone feels released from a ministry, let them go. Don't try to convince them to stay. You will most likely do more harm than good. Let God be God and trust Him alone in the transition

+Give honor to whom honor is do. There are good transitions and then there are difficult ones. However, whenever possible, celebrate the staff and be generous. You can't go wrong being generous with outgoing staff.

+The spirit and attitude of the leader during the transition will generally be the attitude of the congregation. In other words, the most important part of a transition is not the transition itself, but how the leader leads through the transition. 

+How you leave a ministry speaks a lot more to your character and integrity than how you start a ministry. I've had my share of staff transitions here at PCC and how you exit says a ton more about you than how you enter.

+Keep a positive perspective. Seize the transition as an opportunity for growth and a new season for change.