Growth

Growth | Individual Responsibility | Leadership | Shepherd-Shepherd Relationships | Tools and Skills

Elders’ Education Fund — what are your plans to grow as shepherds and teachers?
ByJerrie Barber October 15, 2019October 16, 2019

Listen to leaders as they talk about their work: elders, deacons, preachers. Some are upbeat, excited, interested, asking questions, sharing new information. Some are discouraged, flat, defeated, and confused. What’s the difference? One of the differences I’ve noticed is one group is learning, reading, discussing, and participating in opportunities for growth and development. The other…

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Communication | Growth | Individual Responsibility | Leadership

Coach, How Do You Plan to Win More…even if team members don’t show up for practice and miss many games?
ByJerrie Barber July 15, 2019July 16, 2019

A preacher had done well. The church was growing. He was happy. He received communication from a men’s meeting asking him to prepare a plan for the church to grow and present it to them. This was the first information he received this was being considered. He hadn’t been invited to the men’s meeting. They…

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Communication | Elder-Preacher Relationships | Growth | Leadership | Shepherd-Shepherd Relationships | Shepherding | Tools and Skills

A Gift from a Preacher to His Shepherds and Their Wives
ByJerrie Barber December 3, 2018December 4, 2018

How do preachers get continuing education? I was blessed by congregations providing for that in my compensation package. They designated a certain amount of time and money each year for me to attend lectureships, workshops, or other special events to improve my knowledge and skills. Back row from left to right: Robby Nesbitt, Stuart McKinney,…

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Communication | Deacons | Delegation | Elder-Preacher Relationships | Growth | Individual Responsibility | Leadership | Leadership Selection | Overseeing | Sheep | Shepherd-Shepherd Relationships | Shepherding | Transition

Shady Acres — The First New Shepherds Orientation Workshop in an Interim Church
ByJerrie Barber December 18, 2017December 19, 2017

We met at the Drury Inn in Sikeston, Missouri December 8-10 for the 9th New Shepherds Orientation Workshop. In other workshops, I came to a church knowing little about them except email correspondence. I have been with Shady Acres nine months. We are beginning to get acquainted. We knew each other well enough to discuss…

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Communication | Conflict | Delegation | Elder-Preacher Relationships | Goals | Growth | Leadership | Leadership Selection | Listening | Overseeing | Sheep | Shepherd-Shepherd Relationships | Shepherding

Fairlane — the Church that Started New Shepherds Orientation
ByJerrie Barber November 20, 2017November 27, 2017

In the fall of 2013, Henry Wilhoite, an elder at Fairlane Church of Christ in Shelbyville, Tennessee, called. He said, “We’ve recently appointed five elders. Four of them have never served before. Could you put something together to help us get started and be more effective?” We met in Henry’s cabin in Gatlinburg November 1,…

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Communication | Conflict | Deacons | Delegation | Elder-Preacher Relationships | Goals | Grace | Gratitude | Grief | Growth | Individual Responsibility | Influence | Leadership | Leadership Selection | Listening | Overseeing | Sheep | Shepherd-Shepherd Relationships | Shepherding

Culturally Diverse Church in Raleigh, North Carolina
ByJerrie Barber September 5, 2017September 5, 2017

We had a hard working group for the 7th New Shepherds Orientation Workshop. It was a beautiful drive around the Northern border of the Smokies the weekend of August 25-27. This is one of the most culturally diverse congregations I’ve visited. The Spanish and English worship together. Their website is in both English and Spanish….

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Communication | Elder-Preacher Relationships | Goals | Grace | Gratitude | Growth | Individual Responsibility | Leadership | Overseeing

Preacher Evaluation…Suggestions
ByJerrie Barber August 15, 2017November 4, 2024

I enjoyed having my elders evaluate me yearly. I want to know how my overseers see me. I won’t know unless they tell me. Unless they write it, I may forget. Unless we discuss what they wrote, I may not understand clearly. I recently received this email request from an elder friend: “It is time…

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Anger | Communication | Giving | Goals | Gratitude | Growth | Individual Responsibility | Listening

What Are Your Rules?
ByJerrie Barber June 6, 2017July 6, 2022

I am intrigued, guided, informed, strengthened, weakened, and sometimes made wiser by observing, making, breaking, and changing rules. I’m not discussing in this post rules in the Bible. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind (Philippians 3:16, NKJV). I…

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Growth | Individual Responsibility | Leadership | Sheep | Shepherding

Our Hope Is in our Pain
ByJerrie Barber April 18, 2017April 18, 2017

James Jones, a counselor and teacher, said it more than I wanted to hear: “Our hope is in our pain.” My internal response was, “Bologna.” I didn’t like it. I didn’t want to believe it. I dreamed of a day when my work and life would be easy, comfortable. He kept saying it. I kept…

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Communication | Deacons | Delegation | Growth | Individual Responsibility | Leadership | Overseeing | Shepherding

One Way to Recruit and Train More Shepherds
ByJerrie Barber February 21, 2017February 21, 2017

People often ask, “How can we encourage more men to become elders?”. For several years, I saw something at the Central Church of Christ in Dalton, Georgia, that was effective. We had a good group of elders and deacons. Elders delegated, empowered, and let deacons deak. They were also good at showing appreciation. One of…

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