Effective Communication

Pastor Scott Vander Ploeg

Pastor

Employer

Friend

When I think of an effective communicator, the picture of the man above immediately pops into my head.  Pastor Scott Vander Ploeg is one of the best communicators I think I have ever met.  The first time I met him was in my job interview.  

I was planning on moving to a new city, and during a brief visit, I set up an interview with a church for the opening of a preschool office assistant.  I was looking for something temporary until I found something in the finance field, which was my background at the time.  This was a Christian Reformed church, and I was raised Catholic; it was my first experience with a church outside the denomination.  I met with the director of the school and we talked for quite a while.  After our discussion she said she would call in the pastor to meet with us.  I was extremely nervous and had no idea what to expect.  My only experience had been with priests my whole life and could not imagine what type of conversation we might have!

When Pastor Scott entered the room he was not at all what I expected. His warm smile, genuine personality, and friendly demeanor put me immediately at ease.  He spoke with us briefly about the background of the school and the future possibilities.  His passion and excitement was immediately evident, and I felt myself drawn toward him, his mission, and the school.  They invited me to attend church there on Sunday so I could get acquainted with the atmosphere.

Church was strange for me to say the least.  When I arrived their was a band playing and people were singing, clapping and smiling.  This was not like any Catholic service I had been to.  When Pastor Scott came out, he read a passage from the Bible and then began to tell a story about his own personal life.  At first, the story seemed to have nothing to do with the Bible passage, but in the end, it all tied together somehow and I was totally drawn in.  It was almost as if I was attending a college course on theology.  He was not preaching to us, but teaching us.  Explaining things first from his perspective, and then offering examples from other people's stories that may apply to several of the people in the room.  It was then I knew that was the place for me.

Although I initially accepted the job as something temporary, I am now the director of the school.  At the time I began working we had two classrooms in the church and about 40 students.  Not long after I started I enrolled in school, completed my necessary coursework, and began planning for an expansion that has now led us to 7 classrooms and 180 students, only 5 years later.  The reason I stayed is because Pastor Scott gave me something to believe in, to follow, and to admire.  His love of others and passion for education was so strong I could feel it, and I wanted to exude that same passion among my staff and families.

Pastor Scott has been my inspiration and I try to emulate his communication characteristics.  He listens first and is very attentive to what those around him are doing and saying at all times.  He considers others feelings and is not judgmental.  He is very open and willing to consider all possibilities before making a decision.  He is a team player.  He is not uptight, and in fact often acts silly.  Others are always relaxed in his presence.  He often offers examples of his own shortcomings and is not afraid to let others know he is not perfect.  People know that he cares about them.   When it comes to delivering difficult information, which he does every Sunday in church when teaching the Bible, he breaks it down into familiar terms everyone can understand.  He explains the root of everything before uncovering the big picture.

I am blessed to work so closely with this man and feel we make a great team!  I only hope to continue to develop my communication skills and be as effective as him one day!