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I was “trying out.” I had preached and was answering questions after services. A kind, gracious, dignified, older lady asked, “If you come here to be our preacher, how much visiting will you do?” It was a conflicted congregation. An unintentional interim had left a few months before. He followed a loved preacher who had…
I haven’t been writing for this blog since December 17 last year. I’m planning to start again. One post a month for this blog and one a month for Between Preachers. I plan to continue the fifth Tuesday “Mustard Seeds” from Books. January 6, 2015, was the first post for the New Shepherds Orientation blog….
When I started working with churches between preachers nearly thirteen years ago, several people, said, “You should write a book on interim ministry.” I started the blog Between Preachers in January 2016 which became the book released last week. Between Preachers is now available in both paperback and Kindle on Amazon. Order your copy: [su_button…
I have projects I need to complete and places I plan to go during the next few weeks. I plan to return with more posts in the middle of February. Let me share with you two books I read last week. Rocky Times: a life of struggle, family & faith, by Ellen Claiborne. Ellen, Lucien,…
The good brethren in Shillington, Pennsylvania, invited me to lead my first New Shepherds Orientation Workshop in the northeast. Shillington is a town about seventy miles northwest of Philadelphia. To learn more about the brethren in Shillington: https://www.shillingtonchurch.org/index.php Their preacher, Rick Janelle’s blog: https://www.rickjanelle.com The brethren and their wives were well-prepared and participated in the…
The first New Shepherds Orientation Workshop, November 1, 2, 2013 was initiated when Henry Wilhoit, an elder from Fairlane Church of Christ, Shelbyville, Tennessee called me with a request. “Jerrie, we’ve appointed five elders. Four of them have never served before. Do you think you could prepare something to help us understand the work of…
Yes How do I know? The Bible tells me so. Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer is worthy of his wages”…
…April 9-11, 2019, mutual admiration Identification of people in the above photo: from left to right: Jerrie Barber, Gail Barber, Russell Smith, Pam Foster, David Foster, Paul Blocker, Michele Blocker, Steve Burgett, Pam Burgett, Jimmy Thompson, Rebecca Thompson April 9-11 were the dates of the 16th New Shepherds Orientation Workshop. We used great accommodations at…
I’d been at this church about a year. It was my second full-time work. I was twenty-four years old. The elders told me I’d been doing a good job as their preacher and they were going to give me a raise. The only raise I’d received was when I was twelve years old. I was…
…when shepherds shepherd shepherds It was a Sunday afternoon elders’ meeting. Immediately after opening prayer, one of the men said, “I’ve just come from the emergency room. I was having chest pains. I wasn’t feeling too good.” We went to the first item of business on the agenda without a response from his report. There…