Elders lead the sheep when they take time together to study God’s word to discern God’s will for his people as the church. That needs to be done wisely with one eye on scripture and one eye on the community and church….Elders also lead by being among the flock and being an example to the flock in every area of life.

Timothy Wittmer in his excellent book ‘The Shepherd leader’, a book on eldership well worth reading, identifies 4 things shepherds do, they: know the sheep, feed the sheep, lead the sheep, and protect the sheep.

In John 10 Jesus speaks to the Pharisees challenging their leadership as he compares their shepherding with his shepherding. It’s a chapter well worth reading as elders because in many ways the Pharisees are our greatest danger.

And because good elder shepherds always lead the sheep to Jesus the Good Shepherd.  He’s our shepherding pattern; we can’t be Jesus, but we are to know the sheep, and lead them in such a self-sacrificial way that they trust and follow us, we feed them food that enables them to grow in their faith.  Shepherds also fight off wolves and protect the church and have an eye to the bigger and growing kingdom.

In 1 Peter 5v1-4 the Apostles Peter calls the elders to be shepherds and then describes some key shepherding distinctives.  Shepherds care for the flock willingly, are eager to serve, don’t lord it over those entrusted to their leadership, are examples to the flock, and exercise this leadership among the flock. They are not above the flock but among the flock. They are not over the flock, better than, or superior to the flock , they lead alongside the flock, following Jesus the Good Shepherd.

Shepherds led the flock from the front and called the sheep by name and their sheep followed because they knew and trusted the shepherd.

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