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Day 35 speaks of “thinking flock.� As much as this makes sense, it is also probably one of the hardest things to do and do well. In my previous pastoral assistant environment it was easier to think flock because all of the sheep had similar concerns (they were all older adults). Now as the senior pastor, the needs cover the entire spectrum of life from the new born to the aged, from single to married, from divorced to remarried, from unemployed to underemployed, from healthy to chronically ill. Even when you think you are a “thinking flock� you find your thoughts are still somewhat segmented. However, just to be made aware of “thinking flock� causes me to act slower and pray more often for direction.
“Thinking flock� also requires flock staffing which is another challenge for me. Because of the size of our church there are fewer resources and qualified people. “Thinking flock� also requires flock hopping, meaning it requires a shepherd to move from more groups of sheep to the next in order to stay in tune with the variety of needs.
However, the problem with “thinking flock� is not in seeing the different needs, but responding to them properly while keeping each flock group’s needs in balance with the whole. This requires making some difficult decisions at every level of managing the flock. But as the author points out we must never forget that we are shepherds and we must resist acting compassionately to bend a good policy for an individual’s unique situation at the expense of the whole.
This “thinking flock� concept is one I must continue to develop. In doing so, it will prevent me from making quick and rash decisions for any one group within the congregation; I just hope it does not cause me to become so overwhelmed that I fail to act in a timely manner.

We live in a culture that is conditioned form a very early age to look out for self. The culture contributes to this mindset as does the church to a great extent. Perhaps we have preached a personal gospel at the expense of a kingdom mentality. I find it an exhilarating challenge to lead a congregation to think beyond their personal life, marriage, home to neighbors, congregation and community at large. I have found that people will follow a good lead. Elderly people will accept the assignment to pray for younger. People will complain less or not at all about music if they understand the importance of reaching this current generation. People will go where it is assumed they are already headed. The greater good of the church is important. The witness of the church is paramount in the eyes of the lost. The Lord's prayer never uses the word "I" but "we and us". God is into family. The younger need the older. The older need the younger. The church needs adequate representation in the local schools, in the marketplace etc. Everyone counts individually but collectively we have critical mass as a visual witness as the body of Christ. We must think "Flock" if the flock is to mature in depth and in number. Egocentrism has little place in the church.
Gary Hewins