On today’s Equipping You in Grace show, Dave and Dr. Joel Beeke discuss some of the best ways to respond to and deal with criticism in ministry, the role friends play in helping ministry leaders process criticism in ministry, using the Pauline sandwich model when giving criticism, along with his book, Pastors and Their Critics A Guide to Coping with Criticism in the Ministry (P&R, 2020)What you’ll hear in this episode* Taking criticism personally and to the Lord.* Learning to deal with discouraging thoughts in the ministry.* Learning to take our thoughts captive.* Learning to use the Pauline sandwich model when giving criticism.* The importance of being humble, not defensive, and look to Jesus in the midst of criticism.* Some of the best ways to respond to criticism as a ministry leader.* How ministry leaders can learn not to take criticism to heart but take it to the Lord.* The role good friends play in helping ministry leaders process criticism in ministry.* Advice to seminary students as they prepare for a life of ministry to prepare for criticism.* How pastors and elders can create a safe place for criticism to be heard and taken seriously in the local church.About the Guest Joel R. Beeke (PhD, Westminster Theological Seminary) is president of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, where he also serves as professor of systematic theology and homiletics. He is a pastor of the Heritage Netherlands Reformed Congregations in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and the author of several books, including Truth That Frees, The Quest for Full Assurance, and A Reader's Guide to Reformed Literature.Nick Thompson is a graduate of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary and is pursuing ordination in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.Subscribing, sharing, and your feedback You can subscribe to Equipping You in Grace via iTunes, Google Play, or your favorite podcast catcher. If you like what you’ve heard, please consider leaving a rating and share it with your friends (it takes only takes a second and will go a long way to helping other people find the show). You can also connect with me on Twitter at @davejjenkins, on Facebook, or via email to share your feedback.Thanks for listening to this episode of Equipping You in Grace!