{"id":32047,"date":"2022-09-10T15:54:09","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:54:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/4-difficult-people-youll-encounter-in-ministry-and-how-to-handle-them\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T15:54:09","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:54:09","slug":"4-difficult-people-youll-encounter-in-ministry-and-how-to-handle-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/4-difficult-people-youll-encounter-in-ministry-and-how-to-handle-them\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Difficult People You’ll Encounter in Ministry\u2014and How to Handle Them"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Andre Hunter photo – Unsplash<\/div>\n

By Chris Surratt<\/em><\/p>\n

Almost every group will have one or more of what I call \u201cEGRs.\u201d EGR stands for: Extra Grace Required<\/em>. These are well-meaning but high-demanding people who can derail a group discussion if not dealt with in a healthy, biblical way.<\/p>\n

1. The Dominator<\/h3>\n

Your group may have at least one member who has a tendency to dominate the conversation. They have been a Christian for a while, and it\u2019s difficult for them to let others express their thoughts first. Here are a few ideas you can try with a dominator:<\/p>\n

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  • Sit next to him or her during the discussion time. There is something about that proximity to the facilitator that can help quiet a dominator.<\/li>\n
  • Don\u2019t make eye contact first with the person when you ask a question to the group.<\/li>\n
  • Intentionally ask another group member a question directly before offering it to the group.<\/li>\n
  • Meet with him or her after the group time to ask for help in giving less seasoned Christians in the group the opportunity to express their thoughts first.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    2. The Dodger<\/h3>\n

    Opposite of the dominator, the dodger is the person in the group who never enters the conversation. They never make eye contact and seem disengaged with group life. Here are a few things you can do to engage the dodgers in your group:<\/p>\n

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    • Don\u2019t force someone to talk in the group before they are ready to. Some people just need time to feel comfortable with the group before they can open up.<\/li>\n
    • Give everyone in the group the opportunity to share their story in five minutes or fewer. You need to give them at least a week\u2019s notice before sharing.<\/li>\n
    • Ask for her opinion on a question that is not too intrusive or difficult. Icebreaker questions like, \u201cWhat superhero did you want to be growing up?\u201d are ideal for getting everyone into the conversation and comfortable using their voices.<\/li>\n
    • Arrange for coffee or a chat outside the group time. Many people are more comfortable opening up one-on-one rather than in a large group.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      3. The Debater<\/h3>\n

      You will hit topics in your group that will be controversial to some. In fact, if you are committed to studying the whole Bible, that will definitely be the case. When that happens, you may have people in your group who want to debate either side of the issue. Some debate is healthy, and leaders must learn to differentiate between primary gospel issues and secondary issues. <\/p>\n

      On primary issues\u2014for example, the full humanity and divinity of Christ, the reality of Christ as the only way of salvation, and the necessity of sharing the gospel with the world\u2014God\u2019s truth must ultimately be agreed upon. On less important matters\u2014for example, debates about finer doctrinal points like the definition of predestination or views on the end times\u2014it\u2019s okay to leave some disagreement. <\/p>\n

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      Ultimately, the goal of your group is discipleship, not mere theological training. Here are a few things you can do to keep that goal in sight:<\/p>\n