Take Your Critics To Dinner

Ever notice how a growing, successful, thriving ministry attracts willing volunteers? It also brings it's share of criticism. Do you have a critic? Is there one person that finds fault with you, your ideas, your programs and your ministry, no matter how well thought-out and executed they are? Perhaps it is a parent, or a worker, a fellow staff member, or a board member. Whoever it is, it's easy to have a sour attitude towards that person and to dismiss everything that person has to say. But you shouldn't. While you may consider that person to be a thorn in your flesh, your critic is actually a gift to you and your ministry. Yes, a gift. You can have a more effective ministry by listening to and accepting what your critic has to say.

TEN TIPS TO 'WINNING OVER' YOUR CRITIC

1) Listen honestly and openly to your critic, without interrupting.

2) While listening to his or her complaint, avoid offering excuses or even reasons as a rebuttal.

3) Thank your critic for bringing the 'problem' to your attention.

4) Consider the area your critic feels is a problem. Is it? Even if the situation isn't completely as your critic sees it, would a small re-working of the project satisfy any of the critic's legitimate concerns while still accomplishing ministry objectives?

5) Ask the critic to help supply two or three (not just one) viable solutions to the issue at hand.

6) Pray for your critic. No, not that God will strike him or her with a bolt of lightning, but that He will bless them and give them a heart for your ministry, an understanding of your ministry, and a compassion for you.

7) Recruit your critic to do a specific short-term task in your department.

8) Take your critic to dinner or to some other social setting away from the area that causes stress between you. Don't talk 'business.' Talk about family, friends, hobbies, hopes and dreams, etc. Show interest in your critic and his or her life. Help your critic to see you as the caring, genuine person that you are. Conversely, look for and capitalize on the good qualities in your critic. It's hard for someone to criticize a person they like. Pursue the relational aspects with him or her.

9) Ask for the critic's input on an unrelated project. Be prepared to implement some of their ideas.

10) Jesus commanded us to love our neighbors. Love your critic.

It's true, some people simply like to complain. And some will not give up that condemning attitude, no matter how great your effort is to win them over. You may have to distance yourself from a critic that is so entrenched in their misery that your attempts can not reach them.

These tips will not always solve a situation overnight, but can bring about a "win-win" in the long term. Do everything under the banner of love, bathe yourself and your ministry in prayer, and sprinkle your conversation liberally with God's Word and praise for Him. Your 'critic' will soon be your strongest ally.

Church Humor

FUNERAL FAUX PAS

A newly appointed young preacher was contacted by the local funeral director to hold a graveside service at a small country cemetery. There was to be no funeral, just the committal, because the deceased had no family or friends left. The young pastor started early to the cemetery, but soon lost his way. After making several wrong turns, he finally arrived a half-hour late. The hearse was no where in sight, and the workman were relaxing under a nearby tree, eating their lunch. The pastor went to the open grave and found that the vault lid was already in place. He took out his book and read the service. As he returned to his car, he overheard one of the workman say, "Think we should tell him that's a septic tank?"

BLIND FAITH

There was a man called him Jim who lived near a river. Jim was a very religious man. One day, the river rose over the banks and flooded the town, and Jim was forced to climb onto his porch roof. While sitting there, a man in a boat comes along and tells Jim to get in the boat with him. Jim says "No, that's ok. God will take care of me." So, the man in the boat paddles off. The water rises, so Jim climbs onto his roof. At that time, another boat comes along and the person in that one tells Jim to get in. Jim replies, "No, that's ok. God will take care of me." The person in the boat then leaves. The water rises even more, and Jim climbs on his chimney. Then a helicopter comes and lowers a ladder. The woman in the helicopter yells down instructions for Jim to climb up the ladder and get in. Jim calls back to her, "That's ok." The woman says "Are you sure?" Jim says, "Yes. I'm sure God will take care of me." Finally, the water rises too high and Jim drowns. Jim gets up to Heaven and is face-to-face with God. Jim says to God "You told me you would take care of me! What happened?" God replied "Well, I sent you two boats and a helicopter. What more did you want?"

THE TATE FAMILY

Do you know how many members of the Tate family belong to your church? There is old man Dic-Tate who wants to run everything, while Uncle Ro-Tate tries to change everything. There's sister Agi-Tate who stirs up plenty of trouble, with help from her husband, Irri-Tate. Whenever new projects are suggested, Hesi-Tate and his wife, Vege-Tate, want to wait until next year. Then there is Aunt Imi-Tate, who wants our church to be like all the others, Devas-Tate provides the voice of doom, while Poten-Tate wants to be a big shot.

But not all members of the family are bad. Brother Facili-Tate is quite helpful in church matters. And a delightful, happy member of the family is Miss Felici-Tate. Cousins Cogi-Tate and Medi-Tate always think things over and lend helpful, steady hands. How about it - do you know anyone in the Tate family?

SINNER OR SAINT?

There were two evil brothers. They were rich and used their money to keep their ways from the public eye. They even attended the same church and looked to be perfect Christians. Then, their pastor retired and a new one was hired. Not only could he see right through the brothers' deception, but he also spoke well and true, and the church started to swell in numbers. A fund-raising campaign was started to build a new assembly. All of a sudden, one of the brothers died. The remaining brother sought out the new pastor the day before the funeral and handed him a check for the amount needed to finish paying for the new building. "I have only one condition," he said. "At his funeral, you must say my brother was a saint." The pastor gave his word and deposited the check. The next day at the funeral, the pastor did not hold back. "He was an evil man," he said. "He cheated on his wife and abused his family." After going on in this vein for a small time, he concluded with: "But, compared to his brother, he was a saint."

MARK 17

A minister wound up the services one morning by saying, "Next Sunday I am going to preach on the subject of liars. As a preparation for my discourse, I would like you all to read the seventeenth chapter of Mark."

On the following Sunday, the preacher rose to begin, and said, "Now, then, all of you who have done as I requested and read the seventeenth chapter of Mark, please raise your hands."

Many hands in the congregation went up.

Then said the preacher, "Since there is no seventeenth chapter of Mark, you must the people for whom this sermon is intended."

GIVING THANKS

There's this guy who had been lost and walking in the desert for about 2 weeks. One hot day, he sees the home of a missionary. Tired and weak, he crawls up to the house and collapses on the doorstep. The missionary finds him and nurses him back to health. Feeling better, the man asks the missionary for directions to the nearest town. On his way out the back door, he sees this horse. He goes back into the house and asks the missionary, "Could I borrow your horse and give it back when I reach the town?"

The missionary says, "Sure, but there is a special thing about this horse. You have to say 'Thank God' to make it go and 'Amen' to make it stop." Not paying much attention, the man says, "Sure, ok."

So, he gets on the horse and says, "Thank God," and the horse starts walking. Then he says, "Thank God, Thank God, " and the horse starts trotting. Feeling really brave, the man says, "Thank God, Thank God, Thank God, Thank God, Thank God!" and the horse really takes off.

Pretty soon he sees this cliff coming up and he's doing everything he can to make the horse stop. "Whoa, stop, hold on!!!!" Finally he remembers, "AMEN!!"

The horse stops 4 inches from the cliff. The man leans back in the saddle and says, "Thank God."

JESUS VS SATAN

Jesus and Satan were having an argument as to who was the better programmer. This went on for a few hours until they agreed to hold a contest, with God as the judge. They sat at their computers and began. They typed furiously for several hours, lines of code streaming up on the screen. Seconds before the end of the competition, a bolt of lightning struck, taking out the electricity. Moments later, the power was restored, and God announced that the contest was over. He asked Satan to show what he had come up with.

Satan was visibly upset, and cried, "I have nothing! I lost it all when the power went out."

"Very well, then," God said, "Let us see if Jesus did any better."

Jesus entered a command, and the screen came to life in vivid display, the voices of an angelic choir poured forth from the speakers.

Satan was astonished. He stuttered, "But how?! I lost everything, yet Jesus' program is intact! How did he do it?"

God smiled and said, "Jesus saves."

LENDING A HELPING HAND

A minister is walking down the street one day when he notices a very small boy trying to press a doorbell on a house across the street. However, the boy is very small and the doorbell is too high for him to reach. After watching the boy's efforts for some time, the minister moves closer to the boy's position. He steps smartly across the street, walks up behind the little fellow and, placing his hand kindly on the child's shoulder, leans over and gives the doorbell a sold ring. Crouching down to the child's level, the minister smiles benevolently and asks, "And now what, my little man?" To which the boy replies, "Now we run!"

A WHALE TALE

A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales. The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though whales are very large mammals, their throats are very small. The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale. The teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was impossible. The little girl said, "When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah." The teacher asked, "What if Jonah went to hell?" The little girl replied, "Then you ask him."