Following Which Leader?

[PolarBear2]

I was thinking about the words “nahal� which means leading a flock to a place of refreshment and rest, “nakhah� refers to a straight forward guidance and “nahag� is a directive herding from behind the flock. Dr. Laniak wrote that effective shepherding involves the use of all three of these words: leading from the front, side and behind the flock. It all depends on the circumstance. With large flocks, it could be a combination of all three, especially with multiple shepherds. In many ways, this is how churches hire additional pastoral staff, to fulfill one of these shepherding roles.

Teachers and worship leaders do so in front of the flock, intentionally moving them forward as a church. Small group ministers usually lead from beside the people, walking with them through their spiritual journey. Care ministers lead from behind and help those in need. In my experience, in multiple staff churches, the lead pastor really only knows a few people in the flock. Instead, they focus on the flock as a whole. This can be dangerous, leading people by their assumed needs. Small group pastors seldom have the opportunity to lead the entire flock or help those falling behind. Their role is meeting with those who want to be met with and walking with those who are on the spiritual journey. The care pastors deal with emergencies and the hurting, trying to help them move forwards in life. Often, by the time their sheep arrive at the greener pasture, the flock has already started to move again. While each pastor has their own focus, it is also important to work together overseeing ONE flock. Everyone in a church needs to be personally known, led and cared for individually. This is the model most churches in North America try to use. I would like to know, based upon Dr. Laniak’s shepherding experience, his model of ministry for large churches with multiple staff. Would it be significantly different, especially with his understanding of multiple shepherds and the use of goats?