Take This Job And . . .

image courtesy of jon gos via flickr

I want to be out of this job.

You heard me. I want out of this role as director of an after school program (you probably know what it is, but there is current discussion on whether I'm allowed to use the name of this organization on this blog).

Do I sound like a disgruntled employee? Or do I sound like I’m already worn out? Or maybe I’m just crazy to be giving up on a job in this environment of high unemployment.

I should probably clarify.

I love my job, particularly that I get to work with kids. I am blessed to have had this opportunity to help re-launch this program (after being dormant due to funding issues for about 18 months). This job has been challenging to say the least, having to get at least 100 children signed up, plus get volunteers, plus get the building ready. Oh, and we’ve had to figure out what to do with all these children for up to 4 hours every day after school. God has shown me more of who He is and who I am in the past few months.  

But I don’t want this job forever. While this job is a good fit and it came at just the right time (in God’s perspective), I would like to transfer this role over to someone else within the next few years. I have no idea what that next step would be for me. But the big reason I want to be out of it is that I hope to be able to equip someone from this community to serve in this role. Nothing wrong with hiring folks from the outside, but how much better would it be to create a culture where we are developing our own leaders from within?  

I am glad to be here, and we want to be a part of what God is doing in Allendale. But we are not just thinking of what we can accomplish over the next few months, or even the next few years. We are thinking of the next 20-30 years. One day, we hope this community produces and gives more than it consumes and receives. We hope that Allendale says, “We love you and we want to stay connected with you, but we don’t need your help anymore. In fact, can you help us figure out what other counties we can send folks to, in order to do long-term ministry? We have been blessed and equipped, and we are ready to give to others.”

That’s our real job here. Not to make programming happen for 100 kids, but to build relationships and to build into others, for the sake of long-term change. And we are so thankful that God is letting us be a part of it.


Related Link:

• Mission: Allendale