In the Aftermath of Painful Job Loss

Several weeks ago I received an email from the managing editor of Canadian Mennonite seeking permission to print one of my church employment articles as a sidebar for a feature story. You’ll find their feature story here: When your services are no longer required which explores “how corporate personnel strategies have crept into the church, and why they are not appropriate there.”

Given my interest in church employment issues, I was intrigued both by the article’s story telling and its view that church organizations need to find a better way of handling personnel that includes “compassion and love in the name of Christ.” I quite agree–even if employment relationships need to change, we are still brothers and sisters in the same church and need to treat one another with appropriate respect and Christian love.

So yes, I gave my permission for the Canadian Mennonite to use an edited version of my original article. Here it is:

Advice for those ‘no longer required’

Since I shared my husband’s painful job loss through no fault of his own, I’ve received many emails and other private messages from people who have also experienced difficult endings in their employment. Some have changed churches or denominations, or left ministry all together. Some have been close to suicide and still struggle with depression and anxiety.

At the same time, some also report that God surprised them with something even better. They didn’t exactly “get over” their painful termination, but for the most part it’s simply become a part of their past, part of who they are today, and no longer a defining event or preoccupation.

So how do people manage to grow beyond a painful job termination? Here’s the advice that I’ve collected so far:

Read the rest of this article at the Canadian Mennonite….

Writing/Reflection Prompt: Compare the Canadian Mennonite version and my original article: How to Get Over a Painful Termination–Or Can You? What got edited out, and why do you think that might be?

I’ll engage that question myself in the next couple of weeks [Sept. 8, 2016 – please see Is there a better way to terminate an employee?]–for more on church employment, please sign up for free updates from When You Work for the Church. For more faith-focused and writing-related articles, you can also sign up for free updates from Writing and Other Acts of Faith. Either way or both, I’d love to keep in touch with you!