Fleecy Clouds: One Woman’s Story of Surviving and Thriving after Childhood Abuse, by Gail Champion Barber
We’re making progress! Alice Sullivan and I are working on our 6th revision. Joey Sparks is working...
...helping elders continue to grow as shepherds of God’s people by:
Would you like improve your effectiveness, realize more satisfaction in your work as a shepherd, and bless the flock you oversee? Click here for more information: New Shepherds Orientation Workshop
Discuss with fellow shepherds, ministers on staff, and spouses about the weekend of training, and discuss possible dates.
Contact Jerrie Barber for details and select a date for your workshop
Email: jerrie@barberclippings.com
Phone: (615) 584-0512
Contact Jerrie for more information, cell: (615) 584-0512
BEING an ELDER
Beginning First Year
I’ve changed jobs at least 14 times since High School. Nothing prepared me for the newness of being an Elder. I started off with some concepts that I wanted to be as an Elder – Caring, Compassionate, Communicative, Lively, and Sincere. Genuine also comes in there. But always, and I mean always, I sought to do God’s Will. Prayed for it. Questioned myself daily. Studied to assure positions were pointed in the correct direction. And through it all, still kept seeking to know if I was in His direction. This continued not only the first year but on-going.
So I learned that no matter how confident and poised and studied, I would doubt myself and the Elders and the Congregation in many ways.
My history has been one of reading the Bible front to cover several times, and being studious in classes and even taking notes during sermons. I’ve done that since my teen years. I regret not attending a Christian College with Bible studies. I was surprised to find that only half the Eldership personally studied the Bible or had read it front to back. So, one thing we did as Elders was to study together Saturday mornings, since many of us taught or attended different classes. Additionally, there were so many strong differing options about scriptural topics that I would write each one and start studying. My list of topics was three pages long—-the list not the results. In addition to the studying I spent a large amount of time spent meditating on study and checking for bias or false premises. I have not completed my studies, and I do not see an end in sight. The more I think I know, the more I know that I don’t’ know.
To read more from Bill: Bill's First Year
To read more from elders and their wives about their first year of service, click on the button: Click Here
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When a preacher stays a long time, usually the church doesn’t like the next preacher. I volunteer to be the next preacher they don’t like. During the six to eighteen months Gail and I work with them, they have time to grieve their losses and wisely select their next preacher. This book describes how we do it.
I’ve been blessed to hear Jerrie Barber many times over the years. I am so happy that he has put much of his studies, knowledge and wisdom into print. His book also contains much of his material with which I am not familiar. I can’t put it down: it is practical and helpful in so many ways. Thanks, Jerrie, for taking time to put this great information into print. You will now be able to bless more people than just those to whom you speak. Blessings, my friend.
— Travis D. Irwin