Ministry Transitions

I just started at a new church and am in the midst of all of the normal ministry transition things. From one youth worker to the next, what are tips you would share for anyone as they prepare to leave and start somewhere else? As you think about it...and hopefully respond so I can repost all of your awesome answers...I will share a few of my tips and insights about ministry transitions.

1. Make sure you prepare the place you're leaving for your departure. If everything was built around you then it will crumble when you leave.
2. Leave with humility, grace, and always above reproach.
3. Don't linger around too long after you have announced the move, and don't linger after you've gone to check on how the new guy is doing...just so you can point out how you would do things different.
4. Enter your new position with excitement and energy, but don't demo the walls right away to the ministry that has already been built.
5. Start building relationships as quickly as you can. Sacrifice planning programs if you have too in order to build relationships that matter the most. You'll have time to plan programs, so don't worry.
6. Set the vision and get the people on board...this includes students, leaders, parents, and even the rest of the staff (remember to keep the student ministry vision in line with the overall church vision. No silos here.)
7. Pray. Pray. Pray. This should have been number one, but I didn't want to make it so obvious. No doubt though, prayer has got to be a part of every transition. 

(Travis Jenkins serves as Student Ministry Director at Lake Forest Church in Huntersville, NC.)