Damage Control
The shortest mistakes are always the best.
Molière
He who errs quickly, is quick in correcting the error.
Francis Bacon Thick containment shields cover the best designed nuclear reactors. Should something go wrong, these shields provide the first line of defense by containing explosions, and thus contamination. If radioactive debris and gasses remain within the shield, the extent of the damage stays limited, and mop-up operations are possible. When clergy error causes a runaway reaction in the parish, containment is again the word. Little mistakes have a way of becoming big, sometimes insurmountable problems — if they are not contained. Pastors have found, usually the hard way, that when the disaster alert sounds, some actions contain the damage better than others. A Parish Chain Reaction
On a prominent suburban corner stands a beautiful church complex, newly built and lushly landscaped. Josh, the senior pastor, is a gifted preacher, a warm pastor, and a successful leader. Sitting in his finely appointed office, you get the feeling Josh must do a lot of things right. But he made one mistake that won't let him go. Several years back, he inadvertently stepped on the most stubborn toes ever bruised. Those toes belonged to Tony, a man Josh helped rescue from a life of drug abuse. Once converted, Tony became a zealous church member. Initially Josh was pleased with Tony's drive, but his unbounded and erratic nature sent caution signals to Josh. Tony had plenty of free time since he was independently wealthy, and he constantly pushed Josh to be his mentor. Josh did his best to stall Tony without discouraging him. He didn't think weekly one-on-one sessions with Tony would be the best investment of his time. Tony soon realized he was being ...
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