Handling Complaints In A Healthy Way

6/ Our motivation for raising issues is not to get our way and put others down but to encourage people, to build them up in love and help people and the church grow.

Scripture is quite consistent that God is constantly trying to build us as His community.

A community centred on Christ and his Gospel.

And the way we deal with complaints and differences is a way of reflecting who Christ is.

This affects not only the complaints we raise, but also how we raise them.

When we raise complaints in a Christian and loving way there are many good things that can happen.

God will often use our disgruntlement to help us and the congregation.

More often to help us.

When we take complaints to others;

• We can clarify the nature of the complaint and any misunderstandings.

• We can discuss complaints, discover why issues occurred or why things are happening.

• We allow people to defend themselves, explain their actions or provide another side of the story. Often we are not privy to everything and often we are not thinking of the big picture. As a pastor when I make a decision i often have to consider a wide range of people and issues.

• We are educated of why and how certain things are occurring or not occurring, and even what it means to be church in 2009 at Portland-Heywood Lutheran Church.

• We can get to know and appreciate each other far better. Such discussion often helps us build and improve our relationships.

Our aim as a Christian community is to live as God calls us to live. In Ephesians 4 we hear;

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit— just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

And the way we live and handle difficulties is important as we head towards a year of evangelism

Listen to John 13 verses 34 and 35

34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Let us pray