Shepherding Ministry Desciption: General Responsibilities for How To Shepherd God's People
Shepherding Ministry Position:
The person engaged in shepherding ministry may be the pastor of a church, an elder in the church, a small group leader, a Sunday School or Bible study teacher, a discipler, a mentor, a parent, etc.
Shepherd Responsible To:
Anyone doing shepherding ministry is ultimately responsible to the Chief Shepherd (1 Pet. 5:4).
Conditions for Serving as a Shepherd:
First and foremost, this person, also a sheep, must be part of God's flock through a personal relationship with the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Loving the Chief Shepherd is a primary qualification for tending to His sheep (Jn. 21:15-17).
Purpose of Shepherding Ministry:
Tending to the spiritual welfare of believers over the course of time by watching over, guiding, and nurturing them, is intended to help the sheep become more Christ-like.
General Ministry Responsibilities of a Shepherd:
(Scripture listed below may be that which uses the example of the Chief Shepherd or may speak specifically of certain shepherds and are used here as a pattern for all shepherds.)
- Loving the sheep:
- Isa. 40:11; Jn. 10:14
- Isa. 40:11; Jn. 10:14
- Serving the sheep:
- 1 Pet. 5:2; 1 Thess. 2:7; Jn. 10:15
- 1 Pet. 5:2; 1 Thess. 2:7; Jn. 10:15
- Being an example to the sheep:
- 1 Pet. 5:3; 1 Cor. 11:1
- 1 Pet. 5:3; 1 Cor. 11:1
- Leading the sheep gently:
- Isa. 40:11
- Isa. 40:11
- Equipping the sheep:
- Phil. 1:9-10; Col. 3:16
Also Read: Specific Shepherding Ministry Duties
The Shepherding Ministry Manual briefly comments on each of the above responsibilities. In addition to this content, the manual also guides you through a study on the qualifications that should be in "shepherds of God's flock" based in 1 Peter 5:1-4 and thus incorporated into their ministry description.