Six Reasons Why “People Are Saying . . .” Is the Most Frustrating Comment for Church Leaders

Episode #562
August 13, 2019
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When a pastor hears the phrase “People are saying . . . “, it brings a great deal of anxiety. But should it? Today, we discuss the reasons for the anxiety and how to deal with it.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

  • We should address grievances directly with one another in the church—not through gossip.
  • Critical views are typically held by only a few in a church, but their size often gets magnified when they are anonymous.
  • Criticism is often magnified beyond its real scope.
  • The negativity of one criticism often feels 10 times greater than the positivity of one compliment.

The six reasons we discuss are:

  1. It is an unbiblical cop out.
  2. It fails to address the critic directly.
  3. It is usually magnified beyond reality.
  4. It is very much like an anonymous letter.
  5. It causes dissent and disunity.
  6. It is a diversion from what really matters.

Resources mentioned in today’s podcast


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