Growing into Christ (6)

“I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.” John 10.14

The Elder and His Work
David Dickson (1821-1885)
“If the great ends of our office are, by God’s blessing, to be attained, it is plain, in the first place, that the elder must know the people in his district. He must be acquainted with them all, old and young, their history, their occupations, their habits, their ways of thinking. They and their children should be his personal friends, so that they naturally turn to him as to one on whom they can depend as a kind and sympathizing friend and a faithful counselor.”

Getting to know people is a high calling and great privilege. For an elder, pastor, or church leader, it is a key component to succeeding in your calling. It requires continuous work, since people’s attitudes and needs change frequently. The goal of such knowledge is not just casual acquaintance, but trust and love, a relationship in which people feel truly connected with and esteemed by someone who loves them and cares for their souls. Jesus’ example of investing in His disciples is the model we must follow in developing relationships and making disciples of the people under our care. You can’t do this from some slot on a committee, or standing behind a lectern in a classroom. Jesus sought the sheep, to fold them securely into Himself. We must do the same.

Do the leaders or elders in your church have an assigned “flock” for whom they are responsible? How do they get to know the people in their care?

Fan into Flame
Our book, Fan into Flame, is a handbook on the work of pastors and shepherds. It explains the context and calling of the shepherd, and provides useful tools for assessment and planning to improve in the Lord’s calling. This is an excellent resource for leadership training of personal growth into Christ. Order your copy by clicking here. Or contact me about our Pastoral Hope Initiative and we’ll walk through this handbook and various other assessment resources together. Watch this brief video, then drop me a line at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.All quotations are from David Dickson, The Elder and His Work (Dallas: Presbyterian Heritage Publications, 1990).