Sometimes ministry can bring some strange characters into your life. Grace Community Church, where I pastor, is a church designed to reach broken, hurting, confused, even difficult people. Occasionally though the characters can push a button and it’s no longer fun. Let me explain…
Yesterday our small groups pastor, Ben Reed, had a “fun” voicemail from church member Estavon Williams obnoxiously demanding he be allowed to lead a small group. Ben, of course, dropped everything to get him signed up to lead.
Today I got the call. Listen to Estavon’s complaint against me by clicking HERE
How would you respond? Now keep in mind, I’m not as nice as Mr. Reed and prefer the direct response. I plan to go running soon, with my shorts (that are not that short BTW) and don’t want to feel intimidated into recognizing everyone who happens to honk. Normally, I get lots of honkers.
What would you do?
(PS. This is all part of office fun…This is a joke! Estavon is a fictitious character. Sometimes we take life to seriously. If you can’t laugh…you’ll miss out on a lot of fun in our office…Just saying)
The 'Estavon's' of the world (real or fictitious!) need to be dealt with firmly, directly and lovingly. That sounds contradictory, but leaders know what I mean. We all seem to have these folks in our lives, although few as hilarious as Estavon!
Thanks Scott. I agree.
Tell him to give more money-then let me chat with him.
Gotta love a chaplain with a sense of humor…you'd fit in fine around here…why don't you come home?
I'm thinking less people would honk if you didn't wear pink shorts. :0)
The light pink doesn't seem to bother people, but as soon as I pull out the hot pink…that's when there's always trouble.
Dear Pas. Ron,
We listened to the voice mail messages he has left at yours and Pas. Ben's. We felt sorry for him.
This man really needs God's grace and mercy. We hope and pray that God will bring him back to his senses.
We also pray that the Holy Spirit will help you and Pas. Ben while handling this issue.
One humble question though. I think blogging about this will make the situation worse. What's your idea?
I'm very sorry for the confusion Be sure to read the PS This is a hoax
I think you should definitely train on this 'character' b/c we all deal with them and walking away is not the Jesus answer. Facing them head on with the sword of the Spirit is. Life is hard & messy.
Remembering to cover it all in love. That is prob why today I could not say anything today. Spanish is not my strong suit. When I'm in the spirit, I feel like Moses, and God speaks through me and the words come. Today when that jerk was ripping my head off- I had nothing. Good thing Mr. Compassion didn't speak english.
My family moved here in 2003 from Chicago – you can read the story on our blog. But now we work with ministries and government that have kids in out of home care, training and providing support. We are doing a country wide training of all the Judges completing that tomorrow on Adoption Sensitivity. The LORD is opening doors to adoptions down here big time. We are opening a teen girls home, signing the lease and beginning repairs in the next couple of weeks.
My big heart right now is a country wide registry or database of children at risk. Currently all kids in 'the system' are on paper files and you need a miracle to find them once they go in. Arrow Child and Family Ministries, our ministry, signed an agreement with the government to do a registry in the whole government of each child under 18 and under. The computer system will list and reference location, court status, parent location, child location, medical record, and other information that normally can not be found. It is a huge undertaking.
We'd love your prayers.
Thanks. I'll check out your story. Thanks for sharing. I'll be praying with you.
I'm getting this is a joke. So, with that what would I do seriously:
I'd call him and invite him in for a meeting. Really. As leaders it is our job to deal with these a**h***
(yes, i'm human)
today, had an extra special human experience. i live in honduras. traffic was horrific today. i came up to a turn around and this woman was laying in the median. thought maybe she was dead. i stopped, threw on my flashers, jumped out to check on her. she was alive. did a scan to see what to do. she woke a bit. i had drank an ice tea from mcdonalds in the truck and had ice in the cup so i got and gave her a cube to suck. she couldn't answer any questions. wasn't 2 minutes. maybe 90 seconds. maybe less. a guy comes from across the street, i swear i think it could have been from out of a catholic church (i have no catholic church issues) to yell at me for blocking traffic b/c all the cars are honking. this guy is screaming at me. leave her! go! get out of here! i'm speechless, which if you knew me, is remarkable. she's laying there, pregnant, blood between her legs, unable to move, feels like she has a fever. people suck. but its our job to tell them they suck. and we suck too.
rock on with short pants:-)
We are seriously thinking about taking this "character" and using it to teach some leadership principles.
What are you doing in Honduras? That's a wild day!
KISS MY GRITS??? Whoa, is this for real? I would play that message and the one he left for you to SHOW him why he's not fit for leadership.
Seriously, the message left for you was a threat and as a woman I'd call the cops. You dudes tend to duke it out more. I wouldn't mess with that. Left foot of fellowship for him! LOL!
Ha! Yea, it's a joke…
We aren't but 5 years old…we have no guy by that name…that I know of…and NO ONE would talk to me like that….we'd duke it out! Ha!
How much do you want to bet that when it comes up for money to be spent, this guy is the one that has all the objections, but all "in love" of course! And people wonder why you have an office with a door on it! LOL!
I think he sounds like Billy Bob from Sling Blade!
Of course…
Sounds like a prank…a pretty good one too.
Ha! You think?
LOVE that he has been contributing for 50 years! LOL I think you have 45 years worth of checks to find! haha
We are on it!
I have had real calls that could almost mirror that exactly except for the shorts ofcourse! Once had a lady think I was mad at her because I didnt wave at her in the parking lot. She wouldnt talk to me for several days.
Yea…me too unfortunately.
That's true Ben. I've had some amazing ones too…Some people think they can talk anyway they want to a pastor because they aren't "allowed" to hit back…Or for some reason like that…
I could pick either one…funny
this is hilarious. I can't decide if that guy sounds more like Jerry Jones or Billy Bob Thornton in Slingblade
So he's contributed for 35 years or 50 years? Which is it?
Yea, that's what I want to know…especially since our church is only 5 years old…
Welcome to the wonderful world of ministry! I once got a call at our church in Tulsa from a lady who called and said "I just wanted to know that when you first got here, I hated your guts". Eyes wide open…lol. I'm listening. Then she went on to say how the love and passion I shared with everyone "swayed" her into loving me for who and Whose I am. Whew…
Then another time after accepting a call to a church in IL we got the most remarkable emails from people we didn't even know on the praise team. Very frightening to say the least (some would call them hate emails-that's exactly what they were and as they were intended). Nobody believed people would say those things…until I showed them to the Sr Pastor…
Ministry would be easy if it wasn't for people…lol. But God love 'em, they make 'ya smile!
I will totally get the first punch…
Good for you!
This guy is a trouble maker… I would ignore him and hope he goes away. Is he really going to punch you in the throat?
Walking away is not the answer with this guy b/c he says he is a member of the church
Yea It is a joke though Even a phony name
Oh my. You might have to add some combat gear to your "short shorts". *grins*
I suppose a pre-emptive strike is out of the question?
Heh.
Got em…
Love that PS!!!!!
You know how serious my readers can be…
I would STRONGLY recommend the guy take 3 and then do not call….EVER AGAIN!!!! 🙂 Just saying……
Good plan
That's funny! And, as a pastor, I have had calls almost exactly like that, where the caller says, "I don't much like you anyway!" Watch your throat, Ron.
Yea, glad this one I can easily handle…
Sounds like Estavon needs to take a laxative. Recommend he takes two Ex-Lax and doesn't call you in the morning. 🙂
I like that suggestion!