Have you ever felt like you were ready for a change?  Whether it be a change in vocation, change in status, or just a change in scenery, at some point I’m sure everyone looks for change.  I am trying to stay ready for change and thought I saw an opportunity recently.  For a while now I have had a desire to move out of my current role in the production department at my church to a student ministry or worship leading position.  There is an opening in the student ministry right now but it is not the right time for me to fill it.  Through meeting with the person who will provide direct leadership to whoever fills the opening I learned a lot about myself and came away with several ways to be ready for the next opportunity that comes up.  The following tasks are specifically helpful when looking for a vocational change, but are good practice for anyone who just wants to follow God’s will.

1 – Be diligent in my current position.  It is God’s will for me to be where I am right now.  Diligence is a matter of character and to be in a position of leadership in the church requires it.

2 – Work on my weaknesses.  I specifically need to work on my time management.  I am committed to accomplishing goals and tasks but my poor time management sometimes causes me to have to work through the night.

3 – Give my current employer good reason to give me the best recommendation.  Going along with diligence is going above and beyond in my current position.  More often than not the prospect with the best review from their current boss wins the open position.

4 – Pray with my wife about calling.  Over the past few years, I thought I knew my calling.  The fact is, I know some of my passions but calling goes beyond that.  Am I called to continue working at the church I have been at for 21 years or am I being called into ministry somewhere else?

5 – Be active in other areas of ministry to learn about my passions.  Many people don’t realize how much they enjoy children’s ministry until they do it.  I will be seizing opportunities to teach anywhere so that I can develop and hone those skills.

6 – Continue to grow spiritually and in accountability.  This should be for Christian, let alone those who are in ministry.  It becomes even more important in positions of leadership in the church.  If you think you can grow without accountability, you are likely to become stagnant.  If you are not being held accountable, are you really growing?

7 – Always be ready for opportunities in the future.  One thing for certain in the local church is that change can happen at any time with or without warning.  Out of these changes can come opportunities for vocational transition or advancement.  Change is similar to how I described failure in my last post in that it births great opportunities.

Some of these tasks are tougher than others.  The one that scares me the most is #4 because it means that I have to be willing to leave the place I’ve known as home for 21 years.  It’s like being willing to put my son on an alter.  I am willing, I just hope through prayer that it is not what I hear from Him.