The Beginning of the End

Yesterday was a weird day for me. A good day, just kind of weird. Yesterday was the first official day of me training the person who will be replacing me on an interim basis at the church. There is about a three week overlap between her hiring and my last day. This is to allow some transition between the two of us and what we are doing.

My replacement is fantastic. A young excited seminary student with worlds of potential. I’ve had the opportunity to work with her the past two summers as she was a summer intern here at the church and she has served in the worship ministry here for many years. She is going to do awesome.

One of the reasons it was a weird day was trying to remember and pass on as much information about what I do without in anyway trying to interfere or squelch what my replacement is capable of. I want to provide her with everything I can. Show her every resource I have but not direct the way in which she would use it. I want her to have the freedom to take this ministry in the direction she (along with the leadership) see fit and don’t want my being here for her first few weeks to lead her into the way I would want it to go.

It also feels weird to be coming so close to the end of my time here. I’ve known it was coming for many months but when I started here three and a half years ago I never thought this time would come so soon. I am very excited about what the future holds for me and my family and I know this is the right decision for us (as well as for the church).

Despite knowing this is best it is still very difficult and I am feeling some sadness. This is a job I thought I could and would be doing for a very long time. There are many people here I have grown close with, especially a number of young people.

However, I am getting more and more excited everyday as I’m interacting with potential clients and as new partnership possibilities for the studio present themselves. It’s kind of scary leaving your only source of stable income (especially in an economic downturn) but it’s going to require more and more trust in God and his leading for me and my family. As we trust him more and more I’m hoping that will help us grow closer to him and follow his leading even more.