ShepherdLeader.com

As I read these posts and thought about the changing needs of the flock, I also couldn't help but think about the changing needs of the individual sheep over time as they grow and change. As a result, we need to be ever discerning to know that our ministry with individual people will change over time as well.

I am thinking about a student (I am a youth pastor) who I have had the privilege of pastoring for almost six years now. When I arrived at this church, he was entering seventh grade. I focus on high school students, so I didn't get to know him very well for a couple of years, but because he was a standout student who is gifted musically, he came to my attention early and I began to build connections with him. When he entered high school, he was immediately a leader, both of our student-led worship team and within the whole youth group. I began to mentor him one-on-one.

I soon realized a need for depth in the Word and a knowledge of the presence of the Holy Spirit in his life. We studied Scripture and different books together and grew together. He loved the Lord, but needed to learn basics and to begin to recognize the significance of leadership and the greater strains and requirements of those in leadership.

As he grew up, he faced challenges with sin and perceived sin. I had to show compassion and remind him of God's grace, forgiveness, and restoration. I needed to remind him of God's call on his life and that God had not and would not ever abandon him.

My roles changed yearly and sometimes weekly based on what his changing needs were. He is now a college freshmen living a thousand miles away. We still text and talk often and his needs are being met in other ways, but he still comes to me as a shepherd. I am honored and privileged that he does so, but I must continue to realize that his needs have changed yet again and will still change and be sensitive to how God can meet those needs through me, even from a distance.

To sum up, the flock changes and their needs change as a whole, but so do the individual sheep's needs change. We must be aware of this and our ministries to them must change to best meet their needs.

Our roles do change daily and even many times in a day. One role Laniak introduced that I had not considered was the redemptive role of shepherd. I'm still having a hard time seeing this applied to fluffy white sheep, but do see God's redemptive work in history with his people. The book's examples include the Moses leading the people out of slavery in the Exodus and then the "second exodus" (pp 122-124). This role is my favorite when it happens, but what I struggle with is how we intentionally act out this role of redemption. Care of the flock and guidance can be scheduled in the day planner but planning for redemptive time is hard.

Looking at Moses' role in the Exodus I think I get a bit of a picture of this as a shepherd's task. God makes the path to redemption, Moses helps show them where it is. God is the redeeming agent and Moses simply helps keep the sheep together. God does the redemptive work, Moses echoes his voice. God today continues in that redemptive role, we help to remind people to stay on the path to redemption. God does the redemptive work and we echo his voice in the pulpit and person to person. Moses responded with redemptive words and actions when it was needed, today we need to be ready to do the same. We may not be able to plan this out as other tasks but should be constantly be prepared. We can foster an atmosphere of redemption with redemptive messages and compassion, but the redeeming action is still up to God.

"Fundamentally, however, the task of shepherds is determined daily by the changing needs of the flock under their care. Pastors are generalists" (pg. 247).

At times the shepherd is leading; at other times the shepherd is comforting; and at other times protection is required. It is safe to assume that all pastors/ministers understand that the needs of our flocks change based on what they are experiencing at a given time. Dr. Laniak's statement speaks to the preparation of the shepherd and the need for the shepherd to maintain close fellowship with the Shepherd. The Apostle Paul said he sought to "become all things to all men" (I. Corinthians 9.22b). That is being a "generalist".

Pastors must be willing to adapt to the nee at hand, yet without changing the truths of Scripture. There is no way to accomplish this apart from Christ, who is the True Vine (John 15.1).