Never be afraid to ask people to follow Jesus. Whether it’s joining a volunteer team, going to marriage counseling, publicly being baptized, financially supporting the ministry of the church or a whole list of potential other steps someone could take to follow Jesus. Never be afraid to challenge people…because it’s for their good. When people follow Jesus, joy follows them. This is what it means to be a good shepherd. But good leaders know that you can’t lead everyone the same.
Lost Sheep
The painful truth for most shepherds to face is in order to lead them you’ve got to actually be around them. Do you have any relationships with lost sheep? Do you have any lost sheep in your life? If not, you’ll never be others oriented. Love them and be normal!
Stinky Sheep
Here’s the thing about stinky sheep, they complain about everything. That’s why they’re so stinky. Good shepherds never allow whiners to keep them from winning.
- Are they ignorant? If they’re unaware then be kind and explain things to them in order to bring them along.
- Are they obstinate? Some sheep don’t care about understanding, they just want things their way. These sheep may need you to listen but don’t bend.
Leadership by its very nature is confrontational. The leader is tasked with taking people somewhere they haven’t been. By its very nature it requires conflict and confrontation. When it comes to conflict and confrontation hired guns run. Owners pull the gun and take on the wolf.
Newly Found Sheep
New sheep are the momentum engine of your ministry. They bring life, fun and excitement. New sheep find other new sheep. But here’s the thing about new sheep. They’re messy. They don’t know the behavioral rhythms and norms of the flock yet. They need to be celebrated and then guided and led. They need to get connected to relationship and responsibility. The faster you can make people feel a part of it the faster they’ll be a part of it.
Long-Time Sheep
Long-time sheep are the backbone of the ministry at your church and provide stability to the ministry of your church. These sheep need you to remind them what it was like to be a new sheep. They need you to put stories of new sheep in front of them over, and over, and over, and over again.
*Each month the Staff Team at all Sun Valley Community Church Campuses gather together for worship, fun, a meal and some training. The core content for this blog post came from one of those recent trainings by Chad Moore, the Lead Pastor at Sun Valley.
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