VENT

I don't often vent on the blog. I don't think it's appropriate. But I don't always do everything that is appropriate.

I have come to understand that in the ministry, you WILL be criticized. Why shouldn't you be? You're not that special as to be preserved from criticism.

Not all criticism is bad anyway. I meet with a team of people every other week who love me, care about our church and its ministries, who are great analytical people. I have learned a ton from them. In fact, they seem to love tearing apart the sermons, micro-analyzing the bulletin design, evaluating the worship components - and I love those conversations. I'm not afraid of those talks; I welcome them because I hate status quo and so do they. I also know they are heavily invested in KFA with their hearts and they are people who love me deeply. They understand my heart and passion. They know what keeps me up at night. They know some of my personal battles and struggles. With that kind of armor, I can handle a boatload of criticism. These people have forever marked me for the better.

But there is another kind of critic. This one sees you, not as a person, but as a personality. That makes it way easier to say terrible things. I've heard some very smart pastors say they try to learn from their critics. Maybe. I'm not totally convinced.

The overwhelming majority of criticism I have faced has come from the same quarters over and over -- or worse - anonymously. I tell our administrative staff to under no circumstances pass on to me any correspondence - whether delivered by an official USPS truck or written on a white offering envelope - that doesn't have someone's name written on it. That letter is bound for The Otis File - the white porcelain round bottomless pit with the flusher on the side. Sorry, that's just how I run with that.

I don't always know if the above kind of critic is even a normal person. If you have someone who checks out your website every day to see what you 'got wrong' (which is pride, I think) - and they listen to your sermons and then critique them on-line ... uh ... is that normal?

I have let the 'bad' kind of critic take me from my family and my ministry far too often. I've occasionally lost some sleep over what they've said. Not often, but occasionally. But I am passionately confident in what God has called us to do in Kenosha - and I am obsessed with people who need Christ and believe it is our main mission as a church. It was Jesus' mission, so it has to be ours too.

I hate to make it this simple, but if God is moving in your church or ministry, if people are coming to faith, if they're taking steps toward being baptized and discipled and then those same people are reaching across the aisle to invite more people to meet Christ, let me ask you something -- who would want to tear that apart?

Get on board with us.

And be blessed.