5 To Do’s When Starting At A New Church

Change is a natural part of life. We graduate from middle school, start a first job, move on from our first job, get married, have children, and the list goes on. Change is everywhere but that doesn't make it easy, especially when it has to do with our church. 

Why is starting a new job at a church so hard? I would argue that a large reason the transition is so difficult is because it not only affects your professional life, but it also affects your personal life.

So what should we do? And how should you and I respond?

TO DO’S…REALLY?

Okay, before we get going, a few things.

I realize making another to-do list may not seem appealing while already starting a new job.. It is maybe even a bit ridiculous. But I want to offer a few thoughts because I’m passionate about the mission of the church.

So, out of my love for the local church, consider these suggestions, not demands.

1. Make your first goal “personal” 

If you are like me, you have a “to do” list. In fact, more often than not your senior pastor or direct report has a to do list for you. This to-do list can easily become swamped with an unimaginable amount of “to dos.” My recommendation, put one at the top of your list that will impact the rest. 

Let me explain: At the church I work at in Cincinnati, they do something called a “workflow plan.” My workflow plan consists of four term goals, and my first one (yes behind reaching people, and prayer), is a personal one. What is it you ask? Well I’ll tell you mine, but you have to find what works for you. For me, it is to find a mentor. Why? Because I know I could do all the tasks. I could pray with all the people, meet with all the parents, go to all the games, the meetings, and if I didn’t have anybody pouring into my life, then I would accomplish tasks that would be leading towards a downward trajectory, personally. However, if I can get this reversed, I could just possibly create a trampoline to spring forward to meet other goals, instead of the other way around. Therefore, for me, my first “to do,” and work goal HAS to be a personal one. 

2. Put people over projects

When I stepped into my call for ministry, I never assumed, or even imagined that “projects” would take up the majority of my day. I imagined myself meeting with PEOPLE. I pictured myself in hospitals, living rooms, and schools… Actually, pretty much anywhere people were. However, you and I unfortunately know that people may get us into ministry, but projects are what seem to advance ministry. In fact, the task right above this, talked about a “project” of finding a mentor. So slowly we begin to fill our calendars with tasks that will move our ministry forward and people slowly become an inconvenience to the tasks we want to get accomplished. 

Well, if I had any advice for those starting out at a new church, it would be to use your unique opportunity of a clear calendar to reprioritize people over projects. This is something Jesus did better than anyone. One time he met a woman at a well and she had decided that her job was a project, and that was to get water. However, Jesus was there and decided he would put people over the project, no matter the result. “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 

The woman focused on the project, while Jesus focused on the person. It isn’t natural, but it is crucial to ministry. 

3. Care more about what happens in 3 years than what happens in 1

According to ministry jobs.com, the average youth pastor stays at a church 18 months. Now to many, this seems like a lifetime, however, this is not enough longevity to turn around a program. One of the many “to dos” on the mind of youth pastors is to get their student ministry program turned around immediately. However, what if we had the mindset that we were here to stay? What if we had the mindset that the first year was just a building year, because something much bigger was behind it? 

The problem with making the “to do” list full of 3 year goals, is it means we have to stay. It means youth pastors have to decide to come into a church with a willingness to build, not to just become higher up on the org chart. I cannot emphasize enough that caring more about the 3 year goal has to be one of your first “to dos” when stepping into a new role. 

4. Ask. Yep, you heard me, ask 

Ask for more support, budget, time off, meetings with people two organizational levels ahead of you. As my momma always said, the worst they could say is “no”. 

Many people step into a new church with the mindset that they should be humble and sit in the background and learn.God has called us biblically to be humble, but he never told us to sit in the background. The two are not synonymous. One of the best “to dos” you can do when stepping into a new church is simply, “ask.” 

Many church leaders would rather have to tell you to slow your reigns rather than have to push you along. Asking can show initiative while also showing leadership as you receive the “yes” and “no” answers accordingly, that you are seeking out the answers. 

5. Be solution minded, not problem minded. 

One of my all time favorite quotes comes from author Clay Scroggins as he states, “Waiting for others to do something negatively affected the gift of leadership within me.” Clay talks about the struggle of waiting for other leaders to fail, rather than stepping up and leading where God has called us to lead. I call this being problem minded over solution minded. Problem minded individuals bring problems with the intention of others receiving blame while solution minded people bring solutions with the intention of solving the problem someone else caused, instead of pointing out the blame of that problem. 

This has to be one of the first “to do’s” when starting at a new church. There will be plenty of problems one can find. However, if you want to get your leadership's eye, begin solving these problems, rather than pointing them out. Begin using the giftings and the calling God has put on your life to move forward the kingdom of God rather than wallow it, and just maybe this “to do,” could realign you to why God has you there in the first place.