Excerpt from Leadership Is…Devotions for Servant Leaders
You are attending a Leadership Conference with Leaders from across the country. You will be prayerfully challenged to re-think your church health from a Biblical perspective.
Your first speaker opens.
“To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve.” (1 Peter 5:1-2 NIV)
As Leaders, we are not to follow the secular leadership guru of the month. We are to be shepherds, leading, caring and praying for everyone we are responsible for.
“I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.” (Ezekiel 34:11 NIV) Shepherds tell me that sheep wander. We, like sheep, also wander. As leaders we need to care for our current sheep and look for others who want to be involved. We need to look outside the walls of our buildings to the community we live and work in.
Your first speaker ends her dynamic presentation illustrating that as a shepherd leader you are responsible for the health of all your sheep. Your role is to discover God’s vision for your church. Then, encourage your people to pray the vision through and then set measurable goals to achieve God’s plan. Just like the Shepherd, you are responsible for the health of your people.
Let’s strive to protect, provide, care, feed and nurture our sheep.
Yours in Service,
Laurie D. Kennedy
Biblical Leadership Coach
Author of Leadership Is Devotions for Servant Leaders