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Comments/Complaints: Unity

Here is a series of posts about how we handle things when people have problems and/or ideas with how we do things at The Journey. We hope this will be helpful for you as you serve at The Journey, but also as you work in the marketplace or even deal with your kids/family...

We don't get many comments/complaints, but when we do we want to handle them properly. We try to avoid a negative spirit in our church while being open to evaluation and comments. When someone makes a comment to someone else, there are a couple ways to respond. It can be something along the lines of "that can be discussed or reviewed" or it can turn into an upset "yeah why not, let's do it that way". I hope as leaders and volunteers hear complaints and comments, that we will not join into negativity but respond looking for the truth, weighing it against the vision and realizing the purpose is more important than preference. You know the heart of The Journey and what God is accomplishing here. The Bible talks often about how much God loves unity. So let's stay positive and open to comments and evaluation. We can care for the person without starting a "blame-storming" event.

Comments/Complaints: Who

Here is a series of posts about how we handle things when people have problems and/or ideas with how we do things at The Journey. We hope this will be helpful for you as you serve at The Journey, but also as you work in the marketplace or even deal with your kids/family...

We don't get many comments/complaints, but when we do we want to handle them properly. As we look at comments, they are weighed by who gives the comment. If there is no name with the comment, it is discarded. It's too easy to let negative comments effect us, so if we can't follow up it's isn't even worth looking at. We won't let negativity deter us. If someone who is totally invested make a comment verse someone who rarely comes, is not invested, not in a group, etc. - well the invested person comments weighs a little more. For instance, if two people make comments about Journey Kids - one person has no kids and isn't volunteer with kids, the other has kids and is helping in the nursery - well the one person comments weigh a little more (not that the other is discarded). We have to weigh who makes the comments in any evaluation.

Comments/Complaints: Communication

Here is a post in a series about how we handle comments at The Journey:

We don't get many comments/complaints, but when we do we want to handle them properly. Most of the time all it take is some communication to resolve the issue. In many cases, the complaint is really just more of a question. Most of the things we do at The Journey have been over evaluated and are done or said for a very specific reason. I know how much time our team thinks through things and plans ahead, so almost everything is vision-driven. When someone makes a comment about something, their heart is usually in the right place. If we communicate why we do things the way we do or why we do this but not that, most of the time communication leads to understanding and the issue is resolved.

Comments/Complaints: Vision

Here is a series of posts about how we handle things when people have problems and/or ideas with how we do things at The Journey. We hope this will be helpful for you as you serve at The Journey, but also as you work in the marketplace or even deal with your kids/family...

We don't get many comments/complaints, but when we do we want to handle them properly. The bottom line for handling issues is that the vision drives our church, not people. The Journey is a vision driven, leadership led church. Many people from church experience are use to a congregational rule so this can cause some tension (there are many reasons for this, but that is for another post). As someone makes a comment, it's always weighed against if it's in line with the vision. If we let every individuals personal preferences drive our church, there is no clear direction. Everyone has different preferences - everyone. So, this is why we communicate purpose over preference. Sometimes we get comments that say..."I like everything, but this one thing...". Well, there is no such thing as a perfect church...and perfect for you is not perfect for me. So as we handle complaints that are opposed to the vision, we have to ask the individual to put purpose over preference.

Comments/Complaints: Truth

Here is a series of posts about how we handle things when people have problems and/or ideas with how we do things at The Journey. We hope this will be helpful for you as you serve at The Journey, but also as you work in the marketplace or even deal with your kids/family...

We don't get many comments/complaints, but when we do we want to handle them properly. Many times outside circumstances or a bad experience drive comments and they can get a little carried away. So, when we receive a comment we want to do some evaluation and look for the truth. What is the real issue they are commenting about? What is the truth about this situation? We try not to be defensive or pushy (sometimes it happens...we aren't perfect) and we try to look at the situation with an open mind to figure out the truth of the situation. Can you handle the truth finding the truth?