There are few leadership moments more painful than realizing a friend on your staff may need to transition out. And in a church, where team and family often overlap, that weight can feel unbearable.

In this episode, Scott, Mark, and Hunter talk through how to navigate that moment with clarity, courage, and compassion. The conversation explores why delaying the decision usually creates more pain, how clear expectations can bring honesty long before a transition is on the table, and how to lead staff change in a way that cares for the church and the person involved.
They also unpack a practical path for handling this wisely:
• using expectation + timeframe cycles (90-day clarity windows)
• separating friendship from stewardship responsibility
• bringing spouses in at the right time to avoid confusion or surprise
• keeping the final conversation short, surgical, and grace-filled
• building severance policies before emotion clouds the moment

If you’re carrying this kind of weight right now, you’re not alone — and you’re not a bad leader for feeling it deeply. This episode is here to help you lead from stewardship, not fear, and stay faithful to what God is asking of you.

0:00 — The pain of firing a friend in ministry
1:10 — Why churches feel this deeper than other organizations
2:30 — Stewardship vs. friendship: obedience to God first
3:40 — “Choose your pain” (why delaying makes it worse)
4:55 — How credibility leaks when you avoid hard calls
6:10 — Trusting God that the transition is good for both sides
7:55 — Step 1: clarify expectations before anything else
9:35 — Using 90-day clarity windows (and repeating if needed)
11:20 — Don’t fly solo: get counsel before the decision
12:45 — The “we’re family” model—helpful or harmful?
17:05 — Spouses in the process: preventing confusion & surprise
23:35 — Severance policies set before emotions hit
27:55 — Final encouragement & prayer for leaders in this moment

If you have a question or topic you’d like us to tee up on a future episode, email us at hey@readysetgrowchurch.com