Thoughts When Moving Locations and During Transitions

Here are some things that I'm learning and that surprised me during our recent move from an elementary school to a theater:

THE PLAN IS ALREADY THERE!
God already had a plan; I just needed to listen and obey. It sounds obvious, but I think as leaders, we have a tendency to think that we've got to figure it all out and "make it happen". Or at least I do. But as we took steps to move to the new location, I found that the details and issues were already in place for us to move forward. Ex: I felt prompted in prayer and while jogging by a theater to pursue leasing it. An hour later I got a phone call from a guy in my church saying that he'd found a great location for us and that they were interested in leasing it- the same theater! That Sunday, we were notified by the school that they wanted us out in 2 months. You see what I mean!

BE BOLD!We've asked our landlord and others for crazy things. Don't be afraid to step out and ask. Ask business owners, a landlord, volunteers, etc. There are people that are as passionate as you to make it happen. Sometimes all they need is an opportunity or to be asked. Also, we have not because we ask not. Volunteers have worked harder than I expected. People have given more than I imagined. The landlords have given us more latitude and opportunity than we hope.

DON'T ASSUME ANYTHING! Just because you hope something will happen doesn't mean it will. Cross your "t"s with the lease, building codes, etc. It's our responsibility as the leaders to plan ahead, think through various options, and come in with an idea of where things are going. Have contingencies if something looks questionable.

DON'T TAKE SETBACKS AS SETBACKS! Challenges are blessings from God. Don't see conflict or difficulty as a problem but as a window for growth. Ex: We made our regional news for an outreach we did shortly after moving into the theater. Well, the commissioners noticed and pulled our permit records, but when they didn't find any, they told us we'd have to get building permits, etc. At first, we were frustrated, but decided this was for our best. It's turned out to be a blessing in disguise. We've built great relationships with the County and owners.

DON'T LET OTHER CHURCHES OR LEADERS DETERMINE YOUR VISION OR LOCATION! If you've heard from God, follow through on the plan He's given you. Simple example: when we began looking at the theater, I felt a lot of pressure to go nuts with lighting, sound system, etc. And this would have cost tens of thousands that we didn't have. We already are pretty edgy, and we decided we weren't ready for a ton more. When you stick with your vision/ passion, it'll pay off long term. Plus you won't have others constantly thinking that they can dictate the vision, style, location, etc.

Just some simple thoughts off the top of my head.