Wanted: Shepherd
Job Description: Care and protect a flock of stinky, undisciplined, ungrateful and stubborn sheep. Must be willing to risk life and limbs to keep all sheep in your care alive and healthy. May face dangers from outside forces that are stronger than you. Experience not required, but every little bit helps. Hooves-on training provided. Long hours may be required and you may have to sacrifice sleep to make sure the flock survive through the night. A good shepherd will lead his/her flock beside quiet waters and to green grass for grazing. 
Pay: Not much.

Wow. And you thought the job of recruiting Sunday School teachers was hard on the chairman of the Nominating Committee. Imagine being the Human Resource Director for Shepherds-R-Us!

Shepherding is one of the 3 roles of guiding great groups, and as a long time Sunday School teacher in my church, I have to admit, shepherding is not among my natural gifts. I have to remind myself weekly about the importance of caring for the members of my class. If I were to get honest with you, I personally have felt the negative effects on a healthy class when we neglect this area of group leadership. When I first accepted the role of teacher for the class I currently teach (4 years ago), we averaged great numbers of regular attenders and guests every week. I would frequently hear gracious comments about how much the members enjoyed the week by week bible studies. Content was king and we had great content. However, the busyness of my job responsibilities with the State Convention, and the frequency of my having to travel out of town during the week made contacting every member every week very cumbersome. Over time, that responsibility went by the wayside, sacrificed for the promise of great content week by week. Did it work? Not hardly. After several months, class numbers started to plateau, then steadily decline. The only thing that changed was I failed to make a priority to follow-up with every guest and member every week. I fell victim of following bad practices that I made people who attended my Sunday School training clinics promise that they would never do. I failed to practice what I preached.

Then it hit me. I am not supposed to do it all. I needed to develop care teams and care group leaders within my class to do the work of spiritual and emotional care for the members and guests. Those leaders are to be assigned 5-7 members and guests to follow-up with during the week between class sessions. Every member would be contacted every week and prayed for, ministered to, needs discovered and life transformation would be celebrated. Then when we gathered again as a class, reports would be given and even more celebration continued.

If we do the job of recruiting shepherds within our class to share the load of emotional and spiritual care of our members, we will see spiritual transformation take place within our classes. We can’t do it alone, and if we try, it will only lead to frustration. Sheep are still messy and is the job of shepherding can get dirty, but when we share the load, the entire class is transformed.

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Jason McNair

Strengthening Churches Missionary

Utah Idaho Southern Baptist Convention

Twitter: @jason_mcnair

Luke gives a great example of the relationship the shepherd has with his sheep in the parable of the lost sheep (Luke 15:3-6). When the shepherd goes out and finds the lost sheep, he cares so much that he calls friends and neighbors together to celebrate the recovery.

When we think about a great caring relationship for those in our group, it reminds me of a Sunday school emphasis I came across a few years ago. The acronym for the emphasis was EMPOAF which stood for “Every Member Present or Accounted For.” Can you imagine what it would be like in your group or class to know the “where and why” for those not in attendance? EMPOAF was just that kind of emphasis. Each week, teachers and care group leaders were to contact each person or couple to see how they were doing and if they would be able to be in Bible study the coming week. As a result, the teacher did not show up at the next class wondering who might be there. They knew who was coming and they knew they had lost some sheep, if someone did not show up. Just like the shepherd, they knew they should follow up right away.

One of the best relationship builders is regular contact. Andy Anderson, famous for the Growth Spiral, had an emphasis he called the “Saturday Night Caller.” Over the years of my ministry, I have seen several teachers and care group leaders use this method to keep up with their sheep (group members). One teacher told me about his experience using this method. As he routinely made calls each week, many of those in his class began to call him. They expected his call and when they knew something was going to prevent them from being in his class they quickly let him know. They knew he would be calling them after the class, if he did not know why they were absent. This kind of relationship was not seen as intrusive, but was reflective of the teacher’s sincere concern. It was not about attendance, it was love for a friend. The Saturday Night Caller emphasis does improve attendance because of the regular contact and concern.

What are some other ways a shepherd can build meaningful relationships with members and guests? I have always been a one-to-one kind of guy, or two-to-two with my wife. Making a visit in a home, meeting someone at a restaurant, or planning a trip to the park are great ways to build meaningful relationships. Remember, every shepherd is different and what works for me may not work for you. Here are a few other ways to build relationships:

• Birthday and anniversary cards or contacts.
• Class or group fellowships.
• Class or group mission projects or trips.
• Invite them to your home for fellowship and maybe a meal.
• Invite classmates to lunch after church.
• An ice cream fellowship.
• An annual weekend retreat.
• Learn to glean information about family weddings, funerals and school events, then plan to show up.
• Being there in a crisis always builds a lasting relationship.

I am certain there are more great ideas you have seen or heard. Take a minute to respond to this blog with another idea or two. Other teachers and leaders will benefit from your thoughts.

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Tom Belew is the Small Groups and Childhood specialist for the California Southern Baptist Convention.

As we read yesterday the teacher-shepherd needs to have a good understanding of the requirements of being shepherd. Again that may not be your gifting but you need to understand the importance of it and if need be surround yourself with a team to take up the slack wherever needed.

Most Sunday school classes start out as simply that…a class! But as you begin to exercise your shepherding role you will begin to see your flock blossom into what we call community. Community is where people feel comfortable to tell their stories, share their hurts, and have their “family” celebrate their victories.

So how do you get there? It all starts with one person. It may be the teacher (and sometimes it is better if the teacher sets the example, but it doesn’t have to be.) You can find someone to help you with this part of the journey. Many times it could be your spouse or your co-teacher, maybe even someone from your leadership team within the class. But if you are ever going to begin to create that sense of community it has to start somewhere.

Remember that everybody is comfortable speaking in front of a group much less sharing a story. So here are some thoughts that might help you as you begin to move into this culture of community.

1) Create Sub Groups – Divide your group into groups of 2 or 3 and let people start there. That way everybody feels a little more at ease.

2) Write out your story first – I have always taught that it is a good thing to write down what you are going to say. I would have my students in evangelism class write out their testimony before they would present it to the class. It always helps.

3) Start with small portions – It’s like a movie trailer. You are giving the overview or just some basic thoughts to start with.

4) Use Ice breakers or discussion questions – Whether you do this as a larger group or in your sub groups this can be a great way to get people talking.

5) Start in the outer-court then move into the inner-court – Bill

Donahue, small groups specialist puts it this way…Start lighter – move deeper. The outer-court in the O.T. was a place that was loud, festive, busy, but when you began to move into the inner-court the atmosphere began to change. Things became more serious, deeper. Your group can do that as well. Many times that is where real community begins.

6) Safety and Confidentiality are Essential – If there is ever a place that this needs to be evident, it is in your group. This is not a gossip session or finding out things you did not know so that you can go tell someone else. Rather this should be a place where members of the flock can come and share their heart with each other.

So jump in and start telling stories. You will be amazed how your class responds!

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Dwayne Lee is the Associate Group Leader of the Bible Teaching and Resource Group of the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio.

When we think about the roles of a teacher in the Sunday School room shepherding may be the least one thought about. For many teachers their number one goal on Sunday morning is to finish the lesson they have prepare. Then when the week is over they start on the next lesson and essentially forget about those that are in the their class.

I really like what David and Ken have done in the book “3 Roles” because I believe every teacher needs to see themselves in all three roles. But I think I would be safe in saying that when it comes to shepherding your class this one is the least active or comfortable for you as a teacher. It all boils down to relationships! It’s not that you do not care about the members of your class but it is not a priority. Shepherding is something that has to be cultivated through you by the Holy Spirit. A shepherd should have:

• Love for the Sheep – again let me say, you love the class but there may be no effort put forth to demonstrate that love. Think of a shepherd out in the field watching their flocks. It was their job to have a watchful eye, to protect, to secure, to love them in such a way that nothing was going to happen to them if the shepherd could help it. That’s LOVE!
• Constant Vigilance – Because of that love you have for the sheep your attitude begins to change toward them. You are not so consumed with the lesson as much as you are about the person. You begin to show care and concern for their welfare and again try to protect them the best you can. Again using the shepherds in the field, they were always on guard for different types of enemies. Why, because they loved the sheep!
• Sense of Stewardship – When you begin to see your class in a different way you will have this sense of stewardship. Why, because you have been entrusted with them. So now it is your responsibility to take care of them. As Allan Taylor, minister of education for FBC Woodstock has said many times, “You have the privilege of handling the two most precious things to the heart of God. The Word of God and the PEOPLE of God!” They do not belong to us but God has given them to us to care for, to build us, to strengthen, and to love.

It’s not about how big your class can get or how good of a teacher you are. BTW – you should be the best teacher possible, but if you begin showing that shepherding side of yourself you will be amazed at how your class will begin to respond to you even if you do not hit a home run with the lesson.

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Dwayne Lee is the Associate Group Leader of the Bible Teaching and Resource Group of the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio.

I am PROUD of you! These are the words we long to hear from our parents. When my Father told me he was proud of me, my soul would light up. The reason we long for approval from our parents is because we desperately want to know we did something right and good. The approval of someone we value is a reward that can’t be calculated in dollars or possessions. It’s priceless.

We long to hear the same thing from our Heavenly Father. In Matthew 25:21, 23, Jesus told the Parable of the talents. The story differentiates three slaves who were each given talents. One was foolish and reprimanded. Two of them did well and expended wisely what their Master had given them. Jesus said, “Well Done”. The greatest reward a “guiding” teacher can hear from God is “Well Done”. This parable should remind us that we should be faithful to use those “gifts and talents” the Lord has provided us. May we be found faithful in all the things God leads us to do.

When we do, I believe God lets us see FRUIT in the lives of others as a just reward. God doesn’t have to, but sometimes He wants us to know we are doing okay. Keep it up. In some ways it’s like God saying, “I am PROUD of you”.

We have a promise in Hebrews 6:10 (HCSB), “For God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you showed for His name when you served the saints—and you continue to serve them.” One day, we will stand before God’s throne. In spite of our many failures; in spite of a life of sin; in spite of our bad choices; God will allow us to enter heaven because of our acceptance of Christ as our Lord and Savior. Then the words I long to hear are; “Well done my good and faithful servant, great is your reward”.

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Sean P. Keith is the Sunday School/Discipleship Strategist for the Louisiana Baptist Convention