40% of you will quit this year

We’re starting to notice this trend on LinkedIn (of all places): worship leaders “finally” feeling freedom after leaving ministry and job-hunting in the marketplace. They are met with applause and a warm welcome from others who have recently who have transitioned out of ministry as well. What is happening? Read on…

In Today’s Email

1. Is Leaving Ministry Your Next Best Step?

2. Likewise School of Worship!

3. Paul on Pressing On

Is Leaving Ministry Your Next Best Step?

On a platform like Instagram or Facebook, these stories often go unnoticed. This is possibly because the happiest and most exciting parts of life get featured.

But LinkedIn has become a place where these stories are highlighted. The main reason? Worship leaders are leaving ministry and transitioning to the marketplace. Many are using LinkedIn to connect with others and find jobs.

There are currently coaches out there who specialize in helping people make the transition from ministry to marketplace. And there is a growing support community for those whose lives are looking different these days.

In lots of these posts, there is this sense of absolute relief that there is something other than ministry out there. 

At Likewise, we would acknowledge those feelings as signs and symptoms of burnout. Burnout is a buzzword with lots of meanings and connotations. We like to define it this way:

Here’s the current reality: about 40% of worship pastors will leave ministry this year.

There are lots of reasons this will happen. Everyone has their own story and journey.

So, in this edition of the Healthy Leader, we wanted to remind you why Likewise Worship exists…

Some of you will have read that definition and identify with that feeling: that ministry is heavy and you think you (or the church) would be better off if you closed that chapter.

That is a lonely place. Guilt can live there. Confusion can live there.

If that is you, we would love to connect with you.

This isn’t a sales pitch! Most of the things we offer at Likewise are completely free. All of us are worship leaders and we just love worship leaders.

We have a community of leaders working together to help one another love Jesus and be faithful to our ministry roles and our families. We have monthly gatherings in 8 different US cities. If you’re close, please come on by! Check out our gatherings and event calendar.

If you’re feeling any of the things below and you don’t have someone to process it with, we’d love to be an encouragement. Our team is on calls each week with leaders from all over the country working through these things:

If any of that resonates, fill out this form and start a conversation!

If you’re exhausted and looking for a set aside time to pause, reflect, and recharge - consider joining us for our retreat this fall in the mountains of Southern California. These are our favorite few days of the year and we would love to have you join us.

If you’re feeling stuck on the practical ministry side of things (building sets, building culture, leading a team, etc), our team has over 300 years combined experience leading worship and leading teams in churches of all shapes and sizes. We would love to encourage you in this way. Click here for more info on coaching!

Ministry can be tough. Ministry can be lonely. But we don’t have to go it alone. And when we go together, we go longer and we go further - all for His glory and kingdom!

P.S. If you are in a sweet, healthy season of ministry we encourage you to seek out other leaders in your area and begin building relationships with them! You never know who is down the street looking for someone who just gets it.

You can find all info about Likewise here!

Likewise School of Worship!

The FIRST SEMESTER of Likewise School of Worship begins September 2025… and REGISTRATION is OPEN!

We are SO excited to announce the launch of Likewise School of Worship - hosted by Mariners Church in Irvine, CA.

Check out all of the info - including curriculum, tuition, and schedule - here!

Paul on Pressing On

Join our community!

• Gatherings - Looking to connect with other leaders? Come to our free monthly hangs with local leaders in select US cities or join us quarterly online!

• One on One - Looking to process your ministry, your faith, or your challenges with a third-party you can trust? Set up a meeting with a member of our team.

• Vocal Coaching - Feeling stuck or discouraged vocally? We offer professional in-house voice coaching specifically to worship leaders. Best part? We raise funds so we can give you a BIG discount. Schedule a consultation with our team!