Thursday, January 31, 2019

Hey Fletch … I am looking to make a career change and looking for Executive Pastor positions. I was referred to you and thought I’d reach out to see if we could […]

Monday, January 28, 2019

Hey Fletch … I’m looking for a church that could train me as an XP. I’d like to get hands on training about how to be an XP. While I have a […]

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Hey Fletch … I am currently the executive pastor and will be transitioning away from this church at the end of this month. I wanted to share my resume with you in […]

Saturday, December 8, 2018

Hey Fletch … Believe it or not, there are two churches that have offered me jobs. One is still getting the offer letter together and I have the offer from the other […]

Thursday, November 15, 2018

Hey Fletch … What if one has been looking for nine years and submitted resumes to over fifty different churches with very few interviews. What should I do?

DRF—I’m sorry to hear that. […]

Monday, November 12, 2018

Hey Fletch … God has showed my calling to many and I’m starting to see it. I fell off church due to a bad relationship. I’ve been through so much and learned […]

Monday, October, 29, 2018

Hey Fletch … We need to cancel our job posting on XPastor. We placed a job on XPastor for a three month period. Exactly three months to the date, we have filled […]

Saturday, October 20, 2018

Hey Fletch … The church decided to go with an XP from a really large church. So, I didn’t get the job. Do you have any thoughts for me as I’m stinging […]

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Hey Fletch … After a long process, I learned that the church is not going to hire me as the XP. The are hiring someone else. The church wants to keep me […]

Saturday, September 22, 2018

Hey Fletch … I am looking to improve and learn additional skills to become an XP. In the mean time, is it appropriate to apply for an XP position?

DRF—I applaud that you […]

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Hey Fletch … I am becoming more and more interested in becoming a pastor. I am not sure what the best route would be. What do you advise?

DRF—This is an exciting time […]

Monday, September 17, 2018

Hey Fletch … I’d like to become an XP. Could you take a look at my resume and give me some thoughts?

DRF—I would be pleased to review your resume. Before you send […]

Thursday, July 12, 2018

Hey Fletch … I have been in management for over 25 years and now feel God’s call to move into an Executive Pastor position. I would like your help with making my […]

Monday, July 9, 2018

Hey Fletch … My boss wants me out. She came into my office last week and essentially said “You are done here.” What should I do?

DRF—Often there is a substantial backstory that […]

Friday, July 6, 2018

Hey Fletch … I was thinking about applying for the open XP role at our church. Then I found out the church quickly and quietly hired an insider. Is this typical?

DRF—I’m sorry […]

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Hey Fletch … I’m beginning to write the script for my worship reel. What do you think are the most important things to hit on in that video. What subjects do churches […]

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Hey Fletch … I’ve been on the phone with a friend where my son is on staff. He suggested that I reach out to you. I’ve served 30+ years in Worship Ministry […]

Friday, March 23, 2018

Hey Fletch … Seems it is quite hard to find a job at a church unless you have gone to Seminary school. I live in Austin, Texas. Is there a certain website […]

Recently I came across an uncommon word in my reading that I had never seen or heard before—“liminal.” After looking it up, I discovered it is a great definition of a common condition we all […]

The truth is that we are all interim pastors. There will come a day when you are no longer the pastor of your church. The key to a successful pastoral succession plan is to start […]

The only good thing I can say about hurricanes is, unlike many other of nature’s forces, they give you some time to prepare. Preparation, however, means different things to different people—some stay, some evacuate, some shutter […]

You will learn more about a person’s character when they face rejection than when they face success. It’s easy to feel enthusiastic, fearless, and prideful when we feel successful. However, being rejected or feeling defeated […]

I have worked at two different churches full-time and have learned, through my experiences, how and what to look for in a church. I do not consider myself to be an expert but want to […]

The prospective pastor was obviously a seasoned communicator, a veteran with over thirty years of experience in ministry. Leaders in the local church were impressed with his desire to facilitate healing and reconciliation between them […]

In the first article in this series, we talked about ever-present threats to our personal development and ministry as Executive Pastors. We discovered that quite possibly the biggest hindrance to our success as XP’s, […]

It is said that change is an inevitable part of life; it is inescapable. My experience can certainly attest to this old adage. As Gail Sheehy once said, “If we don’t change, we don’t […]

I’m sure you’ve had unexpected changes that came into your life over the years, some which were good, while others were not so good. As you face these changes, some of which may have felt […]

For the past two months, I have been coaching several XPs who have been asked to resign their positions. Transition is never easy and usually makes the honor roll for experiencing pain and suffering in […]

On a family trip out west, my family and I were traveling home for Christmas. After four hours of traveling, we heard a loud noise outside the car. We were traveling at seventy miles per […]