Do You Have a Scarcity or a Generosity Mindset?

Staff leaving
How do you deal with it when a staff member wants to leave?

Pastors, what do you do when staff wants to leave and join the staff of another church? And I’m not talking about the staff you want to leave. I’m talking about the “star” that really moves the vision of the church further, faster.

Now, let me preface the rest of the blog with this note: I haven’t had this happen to me yet.

But in one of our executive team meetings, I asked our team, “How would we respond if a staff member believed God was calling them to join another staff?”

I then said we have two options: We can lead with a generosity mindset or a scarcity mindset.

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A generosity mindset is established in Ephesians 4:7-16:

  1. Jesus loves His church.
  2. Jesus will provide gifted people for His church.
  3. Jesus will build His church.
  4. Therefore, when staff feels called to another ministry or another opportunity, we can graciously bless them and help them because the Lord Jesus loves His church, will provide gifted people for His church and will build His church.

This takes faith rooted in Jesus.

A scarcity mindset is rooted in a lack of faith in Jesus. A scarcity mindset:

  1. Believes the staff belongs to them.
  2. Believes their church is the best church and have a “How could anyone leave our church?” attitude.
  3. Therefore, leaders manipulate, control and guilt staff. A scarcity mindset can create a very cult-like environment.

I pray that the words I have written will serve me well when the time comes that I will have to practice what I’ve preached. I pray that this helps you too. I know it’s helping the future me.

Jesus loves His church. Trust Him to provide for and build His church.

Derwin L. Gray is the founding and lead pastor of Transformation Church, a multiethnic, multigenerational, mission-shaped community that loves God completely, itself correctly and its neighbors compassionately in Indian Land, S.C., just south of Charlotte, N.C.

For the original article, visit pastors.com.

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