Evan Fine : My Leadership Pathway

When I was a junior in high school, our youth group was without a worship leader and a friend and I were asked to lead. It was an opportunity I had not only never thought about before, even though I played regularly in the band, but I also wasn’t super prepared for it; however, it wasn’t a complete disaster, and it was a very clear starting point for my journey toward church leadership.

It was a while before I realized this, but right before I graduated high school, God opened my eyes to what he had been doing in my life up to that point. He had provided experiences that not only helped me develop as a musician and a leader but guided me towards a heart of service. I pursued a degree in worship ministry at Taylor University, and when I was about to graduate, I applied to a search group for a ministry position. I was told, however, that I wasn’t quite ready for the posted ministry jobs, and I was redirected to Leadership Pathway for residency. Through some conversations and prayer, I was convinced this would be a great way to continue my growth and development as a worship leader. I couldn’t be more grateful for their help and continued coaching. 

I now serve as a Worship Resident at Greenford Christian Church in Greenford, OH. It’s been a fun but challenging process living in a totally new place and getting to know people and how the church operates (not to mention adapting to a pandemic), but I feel like progress is being made. Before I started this residency, I would have told you I was ready for full- time ministry, but now that I’m almost a quarter of the way through my residency, I can tell you I was not even close to being ready. I am hopeful and excited for what is to come!

I absolutely love the direction of this church and the mindset. They are focused on reaching people and finding creative ways to show the love of Christ to them. I also love that I am learning from someone like my supervisor and coach, Shawn Theis, Greenford’s Worship Minister. He has so much experience and wisdom to share from his successes and mistakes (he’s not afraid to share those, too), and he is so incredibly passionate about serving Christ.

As I continue in my residency, I’m looking to gain a better understanding of working with volunteers. I don’t necessarily mean how to interact with them or serving with them, but I mean scheduling, planning out teams, working on developing them, etc. 

I would say that having a residency at your church is a valuable thing for both the church and the resident, because not only does it allow for a church staff to pour into the next generation of ministry leaders, but it also forces churches to grow in their leadership development overall.

For someone considering ministry for the future, I would recommend taking every opportunity to learn from those already in ministry and soak up the wisdom they have. There is a lot of value in just spending time with those further along than you and learning from them. 

I’m Evan Fine, and this is my leadership pathway.