Knowing Your Flock!

I recall Lance Quinn saying at one time that a young man can be an excellent preacher, theologian, apologist, evangelist...you name it...but that a young man cannot be a pastor!

In my case – he was right!

I left my previous ministry chiefly because I came to realise that I wasn't a shepherd. Sure I preached the Word, challenged people to consecrated devotion to Christ and His cause in the world, witnessed to the lost and longed to see sinners saved, saints sanctified, the church purified and God glorified in all the above…but there was something sorely missing from it all.

One lady, albeit that she couldn’t stand me due to my being a Calvinist (she was at best Arminian/probably Pelagian), said to me on one occasion, "you don’t love us"! She was right! I didn’t know how to love a flock yet...something was out of orbit within my personal sanctification that manifested itself when under pressure and opposition. I couldn’t stand some of my congregation and felt as if they happily returned the favour. The one liner, 'God is getting rid of the dead wood' became a source of sickening hope for me within this crippled season of my ‘service’ to Him in the labourers I had embarked upon.

I tried, I prayed, I wept to love the church...but I wasn’t ready. I was too quickly allowed to leap (incidentally against the wise council of my elders in my previous ministry).

I say that to say this, God has done a work of grace in me since then in this particular regard. Not to say I have in anyway arrived, I am far from where I long to be, but He has brought me to the place where I can genuinely say with Paul, "God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ". In fact I would say, without apology, that unless a man can honestly own those words, he has no business in the pastorate/eldership (or diaconate for that matter)!

How can he shepherd those most precious to God without a shepherd’s heart and love for the flock?

Where am I going with this all? I am setting the stage, as it were, so as to share something of practical value with whosoever would find some use or value in it. Recently I put together, in excel, a template that will aid in my pastoral service to the flock under my charge and care. The purpose is to keep a close 'eye' on each and every member of our fellowship and that for the purpose of deliberate discipleship.

The headings include:

1. List of members. 2. Current commitment to this fellowship. 3. Current service in this fellowship. 4. Desires and gifts to be developed. 5. Areas of concern to be addressed. 6. Areas of need to be met.

These are for private (within the eldership) use and, with that, for the purpose of pointed prayer and service. I would sincerely love to have each member of our church family feeling served and loved completely, and that includes developing them to their full potential and usefulness to the body and so the Head.

I long to be a better shepherd and such practical helps, I believe, are the way forward for me.

If this blesses someone else as well - praise God!

Soli Deo Gloria!!!