Shepherd Leader

The next logical question is, “Who cares for the pastor?” This can get complicated. Probably the best answer is to encourage the elders as a whole (or to delegate to one or two), to provide contact and concern for the pastor and his family. It is true that pastoral ministry can be a very lonely calling. Think how beneficial it would be for pastors

Provide new members with a basic orientation to Matthew 18:15–20 in context. Remind them that this foundational passage for church discipline is immediately preceded in the text by the story of the good shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to seek after the one lost sheep (18:12–14).

What is the next logical question? “How do you shepherd those members who are not in small groups?” This usually results in a blank stare or even a statement such as, “People who want to be shepherded come to small groups.” Doesn’t this put the burden in the wrong place?

It is sad to consider how much of the work of the Lord is carried out in our own strength, without seeking the Lord’s blessing.

In order to maximize the mutual knowledge of the shepherd-sheep relationship it is essential that the members of the church be delegated among the elders of the church in order that each elder will know which sheep he is responsible for and the sheep will know the identity of their shepherd.

Every member should have a personal connection with at least one elder. Real sheep “know they belong to a shepherd. They are named, known, and counted every day.”[143] The elders must not merely know the names of those members who are “his” sheep but must strive to know them personally.

Examples of those wolves might be materialism, sensuality, pluralism, relativism, and the panoply of sins flowing from them. In a culture saturated with these destructive values, the sheep not only need to be warned about the dangers but equipped to stand against them.

It is fascinating to note that, in the discussion of the emerging movement, the expression “emerging leaders” is used without pause. How do these individuals become recognized as leaders? Who authorized them to speak for the movement? Is it because they are ones who have the most influence? As the saying goes, “if everyone is the leader, then no on

You can see that many in the emerging church movement have reacted to their view that any church structure is “modern” by not only “flattening” church structure but by a reluctance to move away from affirming those whom the Lord has called, gifted, and authorized to serve as leaders in his church in favor of “leaderless” groups.[120]