By Michael C. Mack
READ THE MAIN ARTICLE: “Good to Great Groups”
READ THE SIDEBAR: “Great Small Groups Need Shepherds”
God”s Word is rich in its discussion about shepherding. Here are just a few passages that describe the great shepherd-leader”s role.
“Be shepherds of God”s flock that is under your care” (1 Peter 5:2).
The apostle Peter addressed his appeal to elders in the first-century church. These leaders were called to shepherd the groups in a particular city or churches that met in specific homes. This passage also applies to what small group leaders are called to do in today”s church.
An important concept in this passage is that being a shepherd-leader is an act of stewardship.
In the next verse, Peter says not to lord it over those “entrusted to you.” The people in your group belong to God, he has entrusted them to your care for a short while, and you will someday give an account of your stewardship.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep” (John 10:11-13).
Jesus differentiated true shepherd-leaders from those who take no sense of ownership or stewardship:
“¢ The shepherd cares to the point of sacrifice; the hired hand quits when the going gets tough.
“¢ The shepherd knows the sheep personally; the hired hand knows the sheep as a flock.
“¢ The shepherd has an intimate relationship with God; the hired hand is in it for personal advancement.
“¢ The shepherd has a heart for the sheep; the hired hand is just doing a job.
“He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young” (Isaiah 40:11, New Living Translation).
Great small group leaders invest relationally in the members of the group. Small group pioneer Ralph Neighbour put it this way:
The Shepherd never says, “I will tend the flock on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m.” No! The Shepherd lives with the flock, sleeps in the fields with the flock, goes into treacherous situations to find a lost sheep, and carries the lambs in his arms. The Shepherd is the first one to go into the “valley of the shadow of death” to lead sheep to “green pastures.”
“Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds” (Proverbs 27:23).
Do you know the spiritual condition of the people in your group? The biggest difference between a teacher, facilitator, or host and a shepherd-leader is that the former do not necessarily need to know their sheep or lead them spiritually. But that is precisely the role of the shepherd-leader.
As a small group shepherd-leader, you are in the most strategic position in the church to effect real, lasting life change and spiritual growth. But how?
1. As a shepherd-leader, be concerned for where people are in their spiritual journeys. You need to know where people are in order to shepherd them to where they ought to be. Accept group members where they are on their spiritual journeys. Treat each person with grace, not judgment. At the same time, help group members grow. Encourage, spur each other on, teach, and admonish one another in all wisdom.
2. Model a disciple”s lifestyle. Spiritual growth must be happening in your life as the shepherd-leader. You are a model for what life change looks like to others.
3. Keep providing the culture. Continue to draw the group into increasing levels of authentic community. Don”t give up meeting together, and people will be in a place where they can grow.
4. Personally assess where group members are on their spiritual journeys. This is the hard part. You have to talk to people. Spend time with them outside of meetings. Ask them questions about what they believe, what spiritual practices they are engaged in, and their goals. Observe how they are living in relation to the fruit of the Spirit.
5. Provide a process for growth to happen. This takes application-oriented Bible study as a group, one-on-one mentoring, serving together, and leadership development.
“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?” (Luke 15:4).
We often differentiate shepherding or discipling from evangelism. But they go hand in hand. Great shepherd-leaders not only care for the members currently in the group, but they also go after those who are lost.
In Ezekiel 34, God condemned the shepherd-leaders of Israel because they were not fulfilling the vital roles God had given them. One of those criticisms was, “You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost” (v. 4). As a small group shepherd-leader you can search for the lost by:
“¢ Modeling a lifestyle of prayer for and being a witness to lost people in your spheres of influence.
“¢ Serving your community with acts of kindness as a group.
“¢ Taking time in meetings to pray for members” lost friends and relatives.
“¢ Personally inviting anyone to your group who needs to hear the good news.
“¢ Developing an investigative Bible study group to reach out to seekers.
“”””””””””””””””
Parts of this article are excerpted from I“m a Leader . . . Now What? By Michael Mack (Standard Publishing).
Michael Mack is the small groups minister at Northeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. He is the author of several small group resources, including his most recent, I”m a Leader . . . Now What? from Standard Publishing.
Duties of the Shepherd
“¢ Feeding the sheep even if he has to gather them in his arms to carry them to the pasture.
“¢ Guiding the sheep to the pasture and away from the rough places and precipices.
“¢ Seeking and saving sheep who get lost.
“¢ Protecting the sheep; he is even willing to sacrifice his life for the sheep
“¢ Restoring sheep who go astray and return.
“¢ Rewarding the sheep for obedience and faithfulness.
“¢ Keeping the sheep separate from the goats.
“”Practical Word Studies in the New Testament
0 Comments