Jamie’s Blog to Shepherds

I have learned more over the past few weeks about community than I have learned in a long time. The biggest lesson I’ve learned? Transparency starts with me. I have found that people will follow your lead if you are willing to be real before the people that you shepherd. I am not talking about baring your soul and every thought that you have had over the last week. I’m merely talking about a willingness to say what’s on your heart; good, bad, and/or ugly. As you model transparency you are empowering other people to feel comfortable in doing the same. When we get real with each other, we know how to pray for one another, we confide, we challenge, and encourage each other. All of that leads to a positive change in lifestyle and it dramatically changes the dynamic of your group.

More on this later. Don’t be afraid to be yourself. Lead others by being real.

I try to express my appreciation as often as I can to you guys for the great job that you do. I hope that my “frequentness” (of course that’s my word for often) of expressing my appreciation doesn’t come across empty. I do it because I see from this side how important your role has become and will continue to be. When people have needs, they call you first, not us. Why? You have the relationship with them. If we have questions about a particular member, we call you. Why? Again, you know where your people are. You know if they are faithful or not. You know if they are growing or drifting, you know much more about them. In short, they have become your sheep and you are their shepherd. You won’t allow them to wander off never to be seen again. You go looking for them. I know that some will wander off and never return, but it is not because there was no effort on your part. And because of that, I continue to believe that your role is one of the most crucial roles in our church. I’ll say it again (frequentness) I appreciate so much what you do in your groups.