Pastoring & Leading a Younger Flock

During my own times of study, I’ve become increasingly aware that the Bible was written in an agrarian context, but I live in a modern suburban world. When the scriptures talk about themes of harvest and seasons, I understand them with my head but not with my heart.

The Presence of Sheep in Scripture

I honestly don’t know why sheep are the most common animal mentioned in scripture, but I have a hunch that it’s no accident. Though sheep are not specifically mentioned in the account of Creation, God made these animals as a valuable source of food and clothing. Because of their usefulness, disagreements soon followed. From Abel to Abraham and Rachel to King David, we see many men and women caring for flocks. They are a normal part of life in the ancient agrarian society and often became crucial to a family’s and even an entire village’s survival.

Many of the prophets, including Hosea, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Micah, Nahum, and Zechariah use shepherd imagery. Even Amos, one of the most offbeat guys in the Bible, was a shepherd turned prophet. Waiting for the Messiah, the people eagerly anticipated the one who would “shepherd” Israel. This promised one was Jesus, the Son of God, the Good Shepherd.

With more than 600 references to sheep and shepherds and flocks throughout scripture, it raises the question: Shouldn’t we get to know more about these wooly creatures? Scripture is just so much more alive when you see these wooly creatures in their context. Some of the greatest lessons I learned came from being with Lynne and her sheep.

Lesson No. 1: Becoming a Great Leader Takes Time

I was challenged when I heard Lynne’s story of becoming a shepherd. Nearly twenty years ago, she purchased her first three sheep sight unseen. All of them were pregnant, and she had no idea what to do; yet she managed to figure it out. As the years passed, the flock naturally grew and she developed new skills along the way.

At one point Lynne said to me, “Margaret, it’s interesting being a shepherd, because a bunch of years go by and you end up being 65 years-old and having a lot of young shepherds calling and asking, ‘What do I do?’ And you wake up one morning and realize you’re a shepherd of shepherds.”

When she said those words I recognized the parallel between shepherding and taking on a leadership role. No matter your title, on some level you learn how to lead by jumping in and doing what needs to be done. Formal training is great for learning management, theology and basic leadership skills, but some things you just have to learn by doing. That’s encouraging for anyone—particularly younger leaders—who are embracing innovative and out of the box ideas in order to share their faith and help people grow closer to God.

Within your young adult community you can probably identify a few late-teen and twenty-somethings with a gift for leadership. They may have a knack for communication, welcoming others, or building community. They may have a special gift for strategizing, visioneering, or organizing. Make space in your gathering to allow them to jump in and contribute. They will make mistakes along the way but that’s a huge part of learning. If they’re already using their gifts, they will encounter challenging new situations. That’s normal and where you sharing your experiences, both good and bad will encourage them to discover that unpacking all the gifts God has given them takes a lifetime. They will make mistakes. But if they remain faithful and you provide gentle, transparent leadership, they will continue to learn and grow—eventually becoming a seasoned strong leader themselves.

Lesson No. 2: Learning to Lead Without Unnecessarily Agitating the Sheep

The second thing that Lynne shared that really stuck with me was the idea of how a shepherd leads. It’s interesting to note that whenever sheep are pushed, they’ll respond with fear or anxiety, but when a shepherd goes ahead of them and calls the sheep by name they follow the shepherd peacefully. They trust the shepherd. They want to follow.

Lynne noted that anyone can lead by agitating, but leading in a way that those behind you want to follow is an art form. It requires getting to know your flock and the people you’re leading. It means establishing trust and keeping that trust. And it’s important to gently address doubts and fears that may emerge along the way. Leading without unnecessary agitation is an art form that not only a shepherd must master, but one we need to master, too, if we’re going to be great leaders.

Young leaders are often impatient and even impetuous. Remind your young leaders of the importance of patience and building trust over time. Though they may have an incredible idea or vision for the young adult community, like leading sheep, it will take time. There will come points that all leaders must agitate their people to get them moving and avoid dangerous situations, but this should not to be the normal mode of leadership. Challenge young leaders to lead as good shepherds and demonstrate it in the way you lead.

Lesson No. 3: Sheep are not dumb as much as they are defenseless.

This was one of the most profound lessons the shepherdess taught me. Though sheep are not the most intelligent creatures, much of their behavior can be attributed to the fact that they simply cannot defend themselves. From the outside a lot of sheep’s behavior looks silly, and it’s true that they aren’t always aware of the consequences of what they’re doing, but to assign all of their behavior as indicative of stupidity is a broad, and false, generalization.

Sheep don’t have sharp teeth or pointy claws. The sound they make, “baaa”, isn’t the least bit scary. While it’s easy to assess their behavior as dumb, often it’s a matter of being defenseless.

Why does this matter as you shepherd God’s people and raise up young leaders? Because it’s all too easy to look at followers of Jesus from time to time and bemoan their dumb behavior. Before we know it, we can dismiss people and their needs altogether. We must remind ourselves just how much people feel defenseless because it creates compassion in our hearts and a Christ-likeness in our response. As you interact with a young leader, it’s important to develop grace, mercy, and compassion in the way we respond and lead them. Showing them the way you want to go by leading them yourself, whether it is vision casting, addressing character issues or even taking a Sabbath, the lessons you share from the front of the flock will pay of for the rest off their lives and ministries.

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Margaret Feinberg (www.margaretfeinberg.com) is a popular speaker and author of the upcoming Scouting the Divine: My Search for God in Wine, Wool, & Wild Honey (Zondervan) and 6-Week DVD study from Lifeway. Become her friend on Facebook or follow her on Twitter @mafeinberg!

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