The Visit

Brandon and I, as the new boys on the block (he the new preacher and I the new elder), have been trying to visit in the homes of church members, past and present, each week.  We visit one family each week and intend to continue this practice until we have visited every home in our congregation.  Why?  Is this standard practice?  No, but we believe it is best practice.

The motivation for me goes back to time spent with my mentor, Lynn Anderson.  He had written a book about church shepherds entitled, "They Smell Like Sheep."  The premise is that shepherds spend time with the sheep rather than simply meeting in an office, coming up with ideas and dispensing them to the church, which is not the biblical model of leadership.

As the apostle Peter instructs the church, pastors (another word for shepherd) are to work at "not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock" (1 Pet 5:3).  The biblical model is not corporate but communal.  A congregation is not a business but rather a family of believers.  Leadership, therefore, is relationship not rule based.

Our work is to know and be known within the congregation while developing our relationship with the Lord so that we can be worthy of calling the church to "Follow [our] example, as [we] follow the example of Christ" (1 Cor 11:1).  Member cannot follow what they do not see.  We want to be seen up close and we want to come to know the members in a way that allows us to better minister.

As we visit, we get a clearer idea of who each family and individual is as well as what their lives are like.  We believe is will help us to better shepherd and allow members to have a better sense of who e are and what we are about.  We hope to become the leaders God calls us to be and the church needs us be.  We covet your prayers and your patience as we "get our sea legs" so to speak.

What is most important is that we honor God in how we serve as leaders so that we can be channels of his word, his love, his presence.  And, as a church family, it is job one to be that for each other and our community.  Our prayer is that you will help us lead you deeper into that calling

To those in outside our community, we encourage you shepherds to seek after God's heart in serving his people.  And, we encourage the members to lift up their leaders in prayer and in their hearts so as to help them be what God has in mind for them nd for you.  Jus' Say'n.