Church Leaders

How does an elder manage his time so that he is able to shepherd? All elders, not merely the paid full time elders, share in the shepherding responsibility. The question is, how do these men who have their own families and full-time jobs find time to do this work?

What questions would you ask to get to the heart of someone you are shepherding? Being men, we often find it difficult to get deep with other men. This is a problem because without knowing what is really going on deep in a person’s heart, it is impossible to know how to encourage them. Sometimes, we might mean well but feel like our thoughts come out wrong and we fear looking like idiots. How do you ask good questions? There are two issues at work in asking questions that get to the heart. In our last visit, we discussed the first issue: how to build trust. Trust is a vital foundation that allows us to ask questions that plumb the depths of the heart.

Does the idea of you shepherding others strike a little fear in you? I think many elders are reluctant to do the deeper relational work of shepherding because they simply lack confidence. They might not know what to ask, or, they might not know what to say in response to a deep question that is asked of them. Regardless, confidence is needed in order to develop healthy shepherding practices.