Of Shepherds and Sheep
Shepherds and sheep. Leaders and followers. The Good Shepherd himself spent time being both. Do we teach our leaders how to be good followers? What about our congregations?
Daughter of the King who blessed me with faithful parents, wife to one of our denomination's finest Ministers of the Word (yes, I am biased!), mother to three, teacher (various levels and disciplines over the years), certified birth doula and Mission Developer with the Mission Activators of Classis Quinte Home Missions.
Shepherds and sheep. Leaders and followers. The Good Shepherd himself spent time being both. Do we teach our leaders how to be good followers? What about our congregations?
As leaders in the church we can often feel under-thanked. How might we instead develop an 'attitude of gratitude' as we serve those we've been called to lead?
Leaders cannot balance all the needs, wants, demands, expectations, suggestions and assumptions of the individuals they seek to serve. So how can we be intentional about avoiding the people pleasing trap?
"Do not be conformed to this world..." Romans 12:2. One searching believer's thoughts on the connection between being 'in the world and not of it' and the gospel message of belonging.
Do we leave enough space for imperfect people to feel 'called' to be leaders? Do the lists of character traits we seek in our pastors, elders, deacons, and ministry leaders get presented with hefty doses of grace?
“A needed gift!” was the resounding refrain from the pastors' wives who gathered in Toronto for the fifth CRC Pastors’ Spouses conference. Our theme was “Face to Face: Becoming Brighter and More Beautiful”.
This site offers incredibly user-friendly access to a wide variety of highly relevant and practical articles, sermons, books, training materials and more.
The very real stresses and strains of Christian leadership and ministry life can feel like being crushed and ground. Discover healthy ways of coping and gain insight into recovering from ministry leadership burnout.
Willow Creek believes in the immeasurable, cascading effect of a transformed leader and has carefully chosen resources designed for individual spiritual growth, renewed church vitality, transformed communities, and a world changed for the better through the power of Jesus Christ.
What is distinctly Christian about being a Christian leader? How do my convictions shape the way I lead? You'll find answers to these questions and more on the Leadership Education section of Duke Divinity's website.
Hey Allen, thanks for the post. Your words resonated with my heart and connected with some of the ideas I just expressed ("IN the world, not OF it" (Community Engagement/Evangelism)). A lack of...
I am looking forward to being connected with this initiative!
Wouldn't it be so much easier if obedience looked the same every time? Easier, yes. Biblical, no. One-size fits all obedience is one of the ways I see Christians creating gaps that distance us...
Thanks for your comments, Alex. I agree entirely, as I tried to express in the posting, that these are traits all leaders are in various stages of developing, rather than a benchmark that must be...
As you rightly say, John, its hard to escape the scriptural importance of 'teaching' as part of leadership. Titus 2 uses the term over and over when describing the leadership role Titus is to play...
Hi Melissa,
I am so glad you raised that issue! I am currently coaching an ordained, female, CRC chaplain who gave a sigh and said "Why didn't my husband know about this event?" and I felt...
Thanks, Louis, for the encouragement. I've only been at this a short while and already the connections that have been made with those in our broader community are a strong motivator in continuing...
Wow, Jolanda! Gathering all those posts makes it even easier to navigate our way to helpful materials. Thanks.
Thanks for this interesting post, Jolanda!
Hi Larry,
As the Section Administrator for Leadership Development, I wanted to say "Thanks!" for your posting. It's great to see a name other than my own in this neck of the woods. Traffic...