Have you ever sat in a service and wanted to tell the minister afterwards that something he said confused you, or that you disagree with something he said? Probably. But have you actually done so? We do not mean in a mean-spirited, fault-finding way, but sincerely. If you have held back, we submit that you were wrong. Ministers need critics, not the nasty sort, but those who are genuinely concerned for the effectiveness of the Gospel ministry. We tend to develop bad habits over time, and it is only constructive criticism (we count personal remarks about the minister as out of court and unhelpful) that will allow us to spot these bad habits and correct them. So take care of your minister, and remember, unless he is completely self-centred and a fool, he will thank you for criticism. What he will not thank you for is holding back.
Despite rumours to the contrary, and claims by those who should know better, ministers are not pysychic. We do not know what you are thinking unless you tell us.
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3 comments:
I once had a lady confront me on how I didn't place enough emphasis on Free Will during my message centered on total depravity.
;)
At least she didn't suffer in silence!!!
Thank you for this post. I have been urging just this sort of thing for a long time...long before I was ever called to preach. The minister is a man, and a fallen one. He needs the brethren to come alongside him and (frankly) help train him up in the way he should go. The comments that have been most helpful to me are the ones in which someone confesses that they did not understand what I was trying to say: for it forces me to strive for greater clarity in the future.
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