the new kid.
thanks for your candor in sharing what is probably more of an issue within the church than most would care to acknowledge. yours is an unenviable position, to say the least. at the same time, you have a brilliant opportunity to exhibit the grace, mercy and love of Jesus to your sphere of influence... and to this bitter leader.
a few suggestions:
1. pray more than you say. bitterness, malice, distrust, at their root levels, are spiritual issues. i have too many times tried to shift an issue practically that can only be rearranged spiritually. if that is true, then we DESPERATELY need the Holy Spirit to do what only He can do. pray for your students. pray for your church and its leaders. and pray for your predecessor. whether right or wrong, he is obviously hurting. hurt people hurt people.
2. trust is the currency of relationships. where this is no trust, there is no relationship. there has been a breach of trust between students and a leader, the church and a leader, and even you now as a new staff member. remember: trust is earned. it is not gifted. your consistency over an extended period of time will eventually win the hearts and minds of students and adults alike. don't expect trust... earn it. how? perhaps the smallest yet greatest thing any of us can do is to DO WHAT YOU SAY YOU WILL DO.
3. do not throw gas on the fire and face the brutal facts. do not contribute to the pain by gossiping or harboring ill will because of what you have inherited. be truthful and honest about what has happened, but resist the urge to spin the issue. someone very wise once said that ministry would be great if it weren't for people. truer words could not be spoken. however, ministry is unnecessary unless there are broken people, and that includes ministry leaders as well. do we as leaders have a really high standard to adhere to? absolutely. but remember: a high standard does not mean we are infallible. high standards usually mean we sometimes slip and fall trying to reach the standard. this in no way means condone what has been done. however, if you are not careful, you can quickly become judgmental and far from helpful.
your integrity will set the course for your students and church in the near future. i am praying that you will be far above reproach so that others can follow you. please let me know if there is any way i can serve you.
stuart hall
director of training. xp3. rethink group.
