Members of a church community can be the most sensitive people you will ever meet. Often leaders can offend members with the smallest blunders, sometimes even unintentionally doing so. That's because God meant for his house to be a place of trust and deep relationships, and without God's grace leaders can mess these relationships up completely.
As leaders, we are to be vigilant not just of our own opinions and feelings, but of the opinions and feelings of other people as well. But this doesn't mean that church leadership should turn into a group of people pleasers. At the end of the day, we are here to please God and not man, but it does help to be considerate of the welfare of other members of your congregation as well. After all, Jesus died for them in the same way He died for you.
Here are common ways that church leadership can offend their members.
Micromanaging volunteers. Being watchful of every single move your volunteers make can be more harmful that helpful, and as much as you don't want to mess up church services neither do they. It's good to always be around whenever they need your help, but while it's obvious that your volunteers are doing good, allow them to do the work they love to do.
Judging them for their hardships. Christians may sometimes go through rough times even though they aren't doing anything wrong, but how easy it is to label a debt, broken marriage or loss of employment as their fault. When restoring members who have experienced hardships, always give them the benefit of the doubt. Sure they're sinners and it could possibly be their fault, but they already know that. What they may have forgotten is the promises God has for them so be there to remind them of that.
Valuing rules over relationships. When someone breaks the worship team guidelines for coming on time, being wary of relationships or dressing up, leaders must always step to the plate to bring correction. However, remember that correction is always done so in love, so focus on the relationship just as much or even more than the loss of trust.
Not receiving rebuke well. Leaders need to be rebuked as well, and often God calls his congregation to do so. A lot of pastors, evangelists, worship leaders and discipleship leaders are not very good at accepting rebuke, and we must learn to do so because we need it as much as anybody.
Turning down blessing. Sometimes, in an attempt to make people feel like you don't need their money, we turn down a check or free massage from someone. It might be nice to refuse politely at first, but if you know there is no ulterior motive and the person wants to bless you, it would be best to take it and say "thank you."
