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Larry Short |
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What is Elder Shepherding?
During our 2009 annual business meeting last
month, I promised that Elim members and friends
would be hearing from their assigned "elder
shepherd" sometime during February. Many of you
already have ... and those who have not should
be hearing from your elder shepherd within the
next few weeks.
But what is elder shepherding?
1 Peter 5:2 advises elders to "Be shepherds of
God's flock that is under your care, serving as
overseers." In the past, elders have simply
settled for conducting church business. But
those days are gone, and elders today accept
their biblical responsibility to serve the Good
Shepherd by being under-shepherds who care for
Christ's church.
This means that a high priority for us as elders
is to seek to be in touch with members of this
local body, to understand your needs, to pray
for you, and to share information about what is
happening in the church. To be more effective at
this task the 2009 elders (Ralph Hirschfelder,
Gordy McCoy, Bill Parsons, Steve Kearns, Brian
Sharpe, Martin Schlomer and myself) have each
accepted an assigned list of church members and
friends to be in touch with on a regular basis.
These lists average about two dozen individuals
per elder.
If you haven't already, within the next week or
two you should receive an e-mail and/or phone
call from your elder shepherd. They will ask how
they can support you in prayer, as they are
committed to praying for you regularly. They
will also provide you with their contact
information so you can let them know when you
have a specific need for prayer, or if you have
questions or concerns about anything related to
the church.
If you don't receive this contact within the
next two weeks, please e-mail or call me and let
me know, and I will jump on it and make sure you
are on one of the elder's shepherding lists.
I would really encourage you to avail yourself
of this opportunity. These elders care about you
and your family and want you to experience all
that God has for you. And in turn, they will
share with you ways that you can support the
leadership of Elim in your own prayer life. And
we do covet the privilege of being covered by
your prayers!
Your elders have also committed themselves to
personal purity and the passionate pursuit of
growing maturity in Christ; to serving actively
in body life ministry, using their gifts and
skills; to strategic leadership and guarding the
doctrine of the church; and to regularly
exercising their voice in body life by praying,
teaching, and sharing with the body. Please pray
for us! If you have any concerns about how the
elders could more effectively serve this body in
the name of Christ, please contact me directly
and let me know.
Your brother in Christ,
Larry Short
2009 Elder Board Chair
UNDERSHEPHERDS
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