I think this is something every pastor needs to ask himself from time to time. Because you can be very busy in church, you can be attending meetings, planning programs, solving problems, checking departments, dealing with workers, and making sure everything is running well, and yet you may not really be shepherding people.
You see, keeping the church running and shepherding people are two different things.
Sometimes, you can become so focused on the activities of the church that you don’t even notice that you are no longer paying attention to the people. You know that the program went well, the department is functioning, the bills are paid, everything is in place—but how are the people doing? Are they growing? Are they becoming more like Christ? Are they being cared for? Do you know what they are going through?
For me, that’s one of the things you should look at.
If all you are doing is making sure that the church functions properly, then you may be managing the church more than you are shepherding the people.
Shepherding means you are concerned about the people behind the numbers, behind the departments, behind the programs. You are asking, “Are these people growing? Are they becoming stronger in their faith? Are they being discipled? Is somebody falling away and I haven’t even noticed?”
And that doesn’t mean the administration is not important. It is important. The church has to run. But the systems are supposed to help you care for people, not replace the care itself.
Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” So sometimes, you need to step back and ask yourself: “Am I actually shepherding these people, or am I just making sure that this organisation keeps moving?”
Because the church can be running well and the people can still not be doing well.
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