~less than 900 words - 3 minutes
I get the same call several times a year. Not the same person, and often there is a slight change in wording, but the core of the conversation goes like this:
This is especially true for lead pastors in their early to mid-50s. They often have had a good run, and God has blessed their work and their minds to pastor well over the last few years.
“I am discouraged today because one of my heroes has fallen.” Or “I have no idea if I can carry on and finish well. I want to, but I need some direction.”
OK – here are some of my common ideas that I run to. And thanks to a helper, I have composed them into an acrostic.
Using the acrostic "FINISH," here are six key points for a pastor between 45 and 55 to consider when thinking about their future and finishing well in ministry:
F - Financial Plan
Normally I would not start with this one. Sounds less spiritual. But to fit the acrostic..
The leader needs to develop a robust financial plan for the future.
Ensure your retirement savings are in order, including clear milestones and goals. This is not financial advice, and I intend to write a longer piece on finances later this year. But you do need a personal financial plan.
I want leaders to have enough to gain a “freedom to serve” season where their pay is unnecessary.
Review your compensation package, benefits, and other long-term financial considerations like housing or debt.
Typically, in this season, long-serving pastors seek counsel regarding their compensation and whether they have been underpaid, and some corrections can be considered with a good runway.
Many wise pastors seek guidance from a financial advisor who understands the unique needs of pastors and can help them plan for the future. For all my clients in Senior Pastor Smart Succession™ who have felt good about their savings, they have had a planner help them in the last decade.
I - Intentional Succession Planning
At this stage of life, between 45 and 55, you don’t need to confirm a detailed plan. But you do need to cultivate younger leaders through mentoring, discipleship, and team teaching.
One of the few regrets I hear among clients approaching retirement is the lack of time they gave to preparing younger leaders in more formal ways.
It is reminiscent of the college head football coach who has a coaching tree of former assistants who have now become head coaches around the college or football scene and have done well.
They know that some of their ways and philosophies of coaching have created success elsewhere.
Those churches with pastors who have led residency and training programs over many years have similar networks of pastors who have some of their church's DNA within them.
That season typically begins in this stage of life, giving plenty of years to multiply leaders.
Alternatively, expanding the teaching team with intentional training and coaching of other teachers/preachers raises up new talent that can be utilized in many ways. As a bonus, it begins to adjust the congregation to hear God’s word from multiple voices in regular cadences.
Finally, normalizing a regular conversation with your leadership board about emergency succession plans makes the longer-term eventual plan easier to raise and discuss.
Story Continues after the ads….
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back to the story…
N - Nurture Key Relationships
This is a hectic season for many pastors. In most cases, if there are children, they are leaving the nest. Hopefully, looking after parents is still a few years away.
It is a great season to reconnect with old friends and family. It is very sad when I see a pastor coming to the end of their ministry and they have no good connections with people outside the church.
It is easy to have your time dominated by staff, current church members, and connections inside the church and to keep your relationships inside that bubble.
But find trusted colleagues and friends outside the church. Ministry can be isolating, so having a close circle of friends who understand your challenges is critical. They will bring balance and perspective that those inside the church or staff team cannot.
Intentional time with these people can help keep you grounded, offering support, accountability, and encouragement. And many of these will be the bedrock of your core relationships after you step down from being the key leader at your current assignment.
I - Invest in an Outside Network
Pastors fail at finishing well because their networks grow smaller, not larger.
These will not be your 3 a.m. friends but the weak-tie networks that help you gain fresh perspective, advice, and encouragement.
You do need the “3 a.m. friends” (see the item above), but a wider network keeps you thinking, stimulated, and more clearly about your situation.
Strive to form these outside some of your normal denomination or tribe. Sometimes a trusted advisor consultant can help you in these ways, or suggest new avenues of relationships or conferencing to support this idea.
An outside network helps prevent ministry burnout by giving you access to new ideas and support systems. For most pastors, new ideas stimulate them to think about how their ministry is different and unique and perhaps fitting to their context. But you don’t know until you have some comparison base.
Many tell me they gain this through reading. But that fails to help at the relational side of learning in many ways.
We will move on next time to the next set of letters in FINISH WELL.
What do you think they will be?
Prizes for getting three of them right. Just send them in.