4. Am I Leveraging Resources and Opportunities to Take My Next Step?
Many churches offer valuable resources, classes, small groups, and serving opportunities. These resources and options are great avenues to stimulate growth. If we rely solely on the worship experience for our growth, we’ll likely become dissatisfied. We need relationships (usually found in small groups or peer accountability) as well as places to exercise our gifts (inside and/or outside the church). This doesn’t mean that doing more church activities is always the answer. Reveal’s research showed that involvement in church activities does not predict or drive long-term spiritual growth. The key is to identify the right next step to keep you growing (which may or may not be tied to a church activity). Assess your spiritual growth and then identify the resources and opportunities you can leverage as your next step. Perhaps your next step is connecting or serving. Maybe your next step is to develop a spiritual practice you’ve been avoiding (such as fasting, generosity, or solitude). All of us have a “next step” in our spiritual growth journey. What’s yours?
5. What Does the Pattern of My Life Reveal?
Church hopping isn’t new. As long as there’s more than one local church in your city, people will move. But I would encourage you to examine the pattern of your life before making a transition. How often do you move? Do you take the flavor of the month and then change when the newness wears off? One of the keys to spiritual maturity is to find a community of faith where you can grow closer to Christ and connect with His people. None of us were created for isolation. The only way we can experience true Biblical community is to get rooted in a community. Roots take time to grow. If you bounce from one church to the next every couple of years, you’re not letting your roots grow deep. Before you leave a church because you’re not being fed, reflect on the pattern of your life. Does your life consist of a series of hops? If so, what does this reveal about your spiritual growth and maturity? I’m not talking about job transfers, but rather choosing a church (warts and all) that you believe in, invest in, and commit to. There is no perfect church. And if you have kids, it behooves you to set down roots so their spiritual development isn’t continually interrupted.
6. Is It Time for a Healthy Transition?
You may confidently answer the questions above and still believe God is leading you to make a transition. If that’s you, take the leap. The key is to transition in a healthy way. To make a healthy transition, consider the following. First, determine how to transition out of serving roles in a manner that makes it easier on the leadership. Vacating a role without any warning to your leadership is difficult and even hurtful to the ministry you serve. Use wisdom. Second, are there any time-bound commitments you’ve made that you should honor? What will you do about these commitments? Third, talk with your leadership. Simply disappearing and then complaining that nobody contacted you does not benefit Christ’s Kingdom. Have the courage, and the integrity, to approach your leadership and let them know why you are leaving. Season this conversation with grace, heartfelt thanks, and appreciation. You shouldn’t have to avoid your pastor the next time you see him at the grocery store because you didn’t leave on good terms. Finally, leave quietly. By quietly, I mean leave without creating dissension or division.
Question: What other practical steps can you take when you feel like you’re not being fed?
