If there is one thing that I learned over my fifty-plus years in ministry, it is that you cannot please everyone. There will always be criticism. Even when it was not expressed verbally to me, I always knew there would be side conversations where I was the topic of conversation. I also learned that the larger the congregations, the more people who had expectations. As a director of Christian education, I not only had a senior pastor, board of elders, and church council to answer to, but parents and the volunteers who came alongside me. Dealing with criticism was part of my world.
Another thing I learned was that no matter how trivial the matter, there was probably some element of truth and lesson to be learned. I have always attempted to filter criticism through God’s words, seeking to determine His expectations for me.
There were times when it was helpful to seek advice from a third person to help me process the criticism. While in full-time ministry, I always had fellow professionals whom I could lean on for support and encouragement.
That is where the district care and coaching team can offer help and encouragement. Coaches are not there to give advice. We hold to the belief that most people have the resources to solve the problem; they just need someone to help them process the information and develop a plan. Reach out to a member of the Texas District Care and Coaching Team today: https://txlcms.org/texas-
By Christiane Hobbs