Passing on the shepherd's staff

[Cliff Fletcher]

I met with a pastor not too long ago who said that "visiting is not [his] gift, so I stick to ministry that is within my gift mix: preaching, teaching, administration". I asked if pastoral leadership was not about being present in people's lives. His response: "I do that in my preaching." I have come to believe that preaching should be an outflow of my relationships with my congregation. It was a little easier to be in everyone's home when we were a church of 50, or 100 or even under 200. Today I believe that though I can not be everyone's buddy, I can have contact with most people who call this church home. I make myself available. I pray through the directory. I use email and notes as a means of "touching" or reminding people that they are part of a larger church family - that they belong. I am committed as is the staff here to connect in these ways. Laniak describes this as the responsibility of a shepherd and his "shepherd staff". I like this picture and will use this with our leaders.

Years ago a professor in seminary walked by my desk and as he did he briefly put his hand on my shoulder and said "hi Cliff". Not earth shattering stuff, you'd think! But that moment was very meaningful. It was the touch of a person who I respected. It was a leader letting me know he knew my name and made me feel somehow special enough to do better than a hand shake. He connected. And whatever he did as shepherd impacted me enough that it became a part of my ministry - in Laniak's language perhaps the way to describe this was that he taught me about the shepherd's staff.