Titus 1: 1-9

A couple of weeks ago, we as a community started on the book of Titus. Our leader, Josh, spent a great amount of time with his explanation of woman in leadership. That is not what this blog is going to be about. Josh said a quote that resonated with me for a good period of time after that sermon. So I asked him for the quote, and here it is:

"We tend to assess leadership with a corporate mentality. Eldership can be thus seen as an achievement, as a reward, or as an opportunity for advancement. It is all too easy to assume that the elder's duties are parallel to those of board membership in a corporation. This can lead to a perception of elders' meetings basically as a time for decision - making, with the executive (the CEO, as the pastor may be conceived) carrying out the directives of the board. In this scenario, it is possible for elders to consider pastoral concern and care to be outside of their sphere of responsibility and to belong instead to that of the pastor. That is a common and serious misconception. It is corrected by Paul's instructions to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:28 'to be shepherds' and Peter's to elders in 1 Peter 5:2 to 'be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care.' The examples of shepherding: the good shepherd in Psalm 23 and John 10 and our 'Chief Shepherd' in 1 Peter 5:4 also serve as correctives." (From Walter Liefeld in the NIV commentary)

I am on the elder board for our community and took this statement to heart. I sat and thought about it for some time and came to the conclusion that this statement is a confirmation. I view my duties in our community different than that of a removed board member. I see everyone that comes into the door as someone that matters and to get to know that individual. Maybe not as deep as someone else can, but maybe get them connected to another person who can love on them like I can't. If our entire leadership team felt this way, I wonder what we would look like in the future.

For a while now I have told my friends that I love their company, but I can call on them during the week for help or to socialize. My duties are to the new people that are there for the first, second, or maybe even the third time. My friends are totally cool with that and have started to do the same thing. I love it. What a great community we have.