Comments on: It Takes 12 Months

By: Tony Morgan Talks About Patience | Vanderbloemen Search

Tony Morgan Talks About Patience | Vanderbloemen Search — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:18:01 +0000

[...] (This is just part of Tony’s reflections on this subject. To read the full post and lots of other good things Tony has to say, check out the full article and his site here). [...]

By: One Year and Counting « More Than DodgeBall

One Year and Counting « More Than DodgeBall — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:47:20 +0000

[...] reasons that a new article called 12 Months over on Tony Morgan’s blog hit me this morning. 1) I just crossed the one year mark as the [...]

By: Check These Out [Feb. 28, 2009] (GBrenna.com)

Check These Out [Feb. 28, 2009] (GBrenna.com) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 19:40:31 +0000

[...] It Takes 12 Months – This caught my attention because OSLC is currently going through the hiring process for a new Youth Director. This is a very important leadership position in the church and I believe Tony Morgan is correct in his post here. It took me awhile to decide how I would grow my position in the church into a leadership position. Remember… I was hired right out of high school. I was simply a “do-er”… now I’m a “leader”! [...]

By: Jeffrey J.

Jeffrey J. — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:20:22 +0000

Thanks for the great insight. I just recently transitioned into my first opportunity as young lead pastor after spending 13 years in another ministry. I’ve been discouraged at times going through the learning curve and feeling so in the dark about things that used to not evade me. Feeling better now after being reminded of the ‘process’.

By: Mark

Mark — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 20:20:40 +0000

I think you are on track with 12 months. I have been in my current position (Small Church Youth Minister) for 9 months and am leaving next week because the church can not financially support the position. When I was brought here the financial problems were not even mentioned to me so I came in with the expectation of being here for years. Now right as I am starting to know my Job and form relationships outside of the church, I am leaving.

To me this is the most difficult part, now students who are forming relationships with me no longer have the person they have started to trust. And there was nothing I could do to stop the problem.

I am leaving so that the church may be saved. Wow, why do churches continue to expect youth ministry to bring in money (another unstated expectation).

Grace and Peace
Mark

By: Chris Harrison

Chris Harrison — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 01:55:47 +0000

Couldn’t agree more. I was just thinking about this the other day. After two years, I’m seeing the “fruit,” or value, begin to appear in the organization (church). The first year, I willingly entered into guiding my department through healthy deconstruction. Over the two years, new things have happened that I couldn’t have planned. I’m left to follow what Jesus is doing on those fronts.

I’m also gathering that it has taken these two years to build trust with the congregation. Staff positions, I think, are forced to move trust up on the timeline unless there is some deep underlying reason to hold out. It may be the same for military structures.?

Peace, Tony.

By: Hal Hunter

Hal Hunter — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 17:40:11 +0000

This begs the question- is the 12 months organic to any leadership transition, or is it a function of the people and organization involved? If it is functional rather than organic, what mechanisms can we use to shorten the period and improve organizational effectiveness?

Remember, military organizations undergo leadership transition every 2 to 4 years, and leadership effectiveness there is often a life-and-death situation. Of course, understood rightly, so is what we are doing in our churches.

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 14:59:07 +0000

What does this say for church planters who arrive on the field with their team and are supposed to launch in 6-9 months? Maybe this is part of the reason why so many new churches struggle and even dissolve.

By: dan ohlerking

dan ohlerking — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 04:03:26 +0000

i agree with you particularly on the part about having some distrust for those who’ve never experienced crossing that 12 month mark on a job. longevity is huge for relationship and relationship IMHO is huge for a great work environment, ministry or otherwise.

By: Matt Bowman

Matt Bowman — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:00:25 +0000

Hey Lee, go check out swerve.lifechurch.tv it’s the blog for lifechurch. Just about a week ago there was a series of posts entitled “Should I Stay Or Should I Go?”. Very thought provoking & helpful stuff in that series.