At many points in our lives and in the lifespan of ministries and organisations, leadership transitions will happen whether we want it or not. While Jesus reminds us that He alone is the One who leads, builds and grows His church, He will always use imperfect and sometimes stubborn leaders like us to become channels.

God works in seasons and times, often causing changes for things to get better. Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us, "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven."

Maybe you're a leader today for a department, a church or even an apostolic body. You should know that God doesn't plan to keep you there forever. He may cause you to take up a higher calling with added responsibility.

How do we know when it's time to turn over church leadership? Here are four signs that God could be introducing a new chapter in our ministry.

When God says so

I love Moses' response when God called him to pass on leadership to Joshua. Numbers 27:22-23 tells us, "And Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and made him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation, and he laid his hands on him and commissioned him as the Lord directed through Moses."

Moses didn't hold back position because Joshua was younger than him or because he wanted to step into the promised land first which he never did, but readily obeyed God. When God tells us it's time to pass on leadership, then it's time.

When someone is ready to replace you

Next-generation leaders need not be close to perfect and know almost everything. I bet that you, the existing leader of your ministry, don't know everything yourself. Then why would we expect the next leaders to know everything?

When Jesus calls people into leadership, it is His work that qualifies. We must trust that when someone is ready to replace us, it's time to pass the baton.

When new leadership calling awaits you

If you're far beyond retiring age or still have some fight left in you and God calls you to pass leadership, it's not because He no longer needs you, but because He needs you elsewhere. That's how it was with Paul every time He passed on leadership to someone like Titus, Timothy or Apollos. He knew God needed Him to plant churches elsewhere.

When growth comes

So your church now holds four services when it used to conduct only one. When this growth comes, you know it's time to pray for leaders to rise up to the plate and preach. The bigger the growth, the higher the need for leadership.