I was blessed with the opportunity to read Brian Berry’s New book Criticism Bites. We have all had to go through criticism from Youth Parents, bosses, family members, spouses, and even the voices in our own head. Brian does a great job reminding us that while we are linked to what we do, we ARE NOT what we do. Our job as Christ Followers is to please God and love on people, not the other way around.
I wish this book had been available several years ago as I went through a very tough season in my own ministry. It would have been a huge source of encouragement. I am glad it is available as a resource now for youth workers and volunteers to use for building healthy ministries. If you are in ministry, I highly recommend that you go get it NOW!
This is not a “sugarcoated I’m OK, you’re OK” book. Some very difficult questions are asked, like.. “If someone stripped away everything i owned, everything, I’ve done, and the value I feel because certain influential people happen to like something I’ve done – How big of pile would I have left?”
My favorite chapter overall was the chapter that dealt with communication, mis-communication, and getting the point across clearly. The illustrations were a huge help there. For Example, the diagram below is a great application of communication within Youth Ministry!
You can get your copy here: Criticism Bites
Disclosure: I was given a copy of this book by the Publisher (Group/Simply Youth Ministry) to review.