Church work isn't war, but defeats are.
— Knute Larson

I heard it through the grapevine: twenty-three members, pained at the changes I had made during my first days at The Chapel, had secretly met to pool their frustrations.

I immediately called the de facto leader and asked for a meeting. He said he had a list of what the group had prayed (and complained) about.

"Let's get all the concerned people together," I suggested. He agreed but wanted to meet with the trustees, not me. I contended the grievances were with me, rehearsed the clear guidelines of Matthew 18:15-17, and we agreed to convene.

I also invited all the trustees and other leaders. We had scheduled the meeting in the Fellowship Hall, and as I stepped in I was hoping it would live up to its name. But frankly, it already felt like a no-win, no-way situation.

The critical group fired away. I listened carefully to their concerns — some fair, some unfair (from my vantage of total objectivity!). A few of the complaints related to music, ...