Shepherding the Helpers

by Peter Lyndon
Church of Christ the King, Brighton, UK

‘If she hadn’t received encouragement, it probably wouldn’t have happened,’ Andy said of his wife. Three years earlier, Naomi had sat uneasily in a church membership interview. When asked, ‘What aspirations for God do you have?’ she began to talk about a vision to reach out to women on the streets, befriend them and help them find a way out. When the vision was new, she had spoken to her then pastor, but ‘he didn’t seem interested’. Now, married, in a new town and in a new church, she had encountered someone else with an identical vision in the same small group she had joined.

With leadership encouragement, guidance and approval, Naomi gathered a small team of women to spend a year researching and networking both the local need and other agencies and initiatives.

Vision carrier

Naomi said that it was a hard path because she was desperate to start befriending and helping the women, and for most of three years she found herself endlessly ‘preparing’. Nevertheless, she and I, as her elder, agreed that in His wisdom God had given her the role of ‘vision-carrier’ and she had to see it through.

A God-given team

Both Naomi and I had been amazed at how God had brought the right people into the team at every stage to see the work done: Jo, to partner Naomi in carrying the vision; Helen, with experience of networking and writing business plans; Anna, with social work experience and a willingness to draft policies and other mysteries; Sam, brilliant at fundraising and presenting the vision.

Remember the poor

All of us in Newfrontiers churches have it in our DNA to express our life in Jesus in demonstrating his love and power to ‘set the captive free’. The challenge is that as busy pastors we can fear that if we encourage people with a big vision for a ‘mercy ministry’ it will be more than we and our church can cope with. But…

A context for growth and provision

…it can be the context for growth and provision! ‘Look after the poor, and I will provide for you!’ said Guy Miller recently while sharing how God had spoken to the Bournemouth church. It will be a sign too of the kingdom of God coming in the town. It will release gifted people into ministry and it can be a channel for new resources flowing into the church.

What are the pastoral challenges?

Every church needs leaders who are able to envision the church, bring wise oversight and care for those involved in working with the poor. Expertise with a particular area of working with the poor themselves is not essential.

Recently I was approached by a businessman in our church. Following a ‘Day of Discovery’ for older people, he woke up with a clear imperative from the Holy Spirit that he was to pass on his business, a good three years earlier than planned, and start a social enterprise to train disadvantaged people in need of help in getting into employment. He had expertise but was looking for eldership encouragement and prayer. I linked him with others in the church working with disadvantaged people and encouraged him that I believed God had spoken to him.

Shepherding

Terry Virgo has spoken of the importance of four aspects of shepherding: presence, protection, provision and piloting (guidance). We are called to express each of these to those called to serve and win ‘the poor’.

How then can we ‘S.H.E.P.H.E.R.D’ those with a passion for mercy ministry?

S - Scripture teaching and preaching

‘All Scripture is God-breathed and

is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (my italics)’

(2 Tim. 3:16). Teaching the whole Bible is one of our core values as churches. As we teach the whole Bible we will inevitably feed a desire to serve the poor.

H - Helping the helpers

People involved in social action can so often feel alone with their vision. Just to know that we are ‘with them’ will make a huge difference. As an elder seeking to help such people, I have included some practical pointers below on how to help them.

E - Encouragement    

Not only can encouragement keep us going but, as Naomi’s husband made clear, without encouragement her vision might never have been realised. 

P - Protection    

A shepherd protects the sheep from both external attacks and from missing the way. Wise pastors help those with a passion for the poor to avoid the danger of taking on more than is wise, recognise the gifting each has (or hasn’t) got, seek God for right timing and direct them appropriately. Frustration and burn-out are both real dangers for the compassionate and they need loving pastoring to protect them from these and similar dangers. 

H - Healing     

‘Ministry to the Poor’ can be draining and sometimes disappointing. Shepherds need to recognise when those involved need refreshment and, sometimes, ministry themselves.

E - Enquire

No need to suspend common sense. Most projects need to start with faithful people and a good deal of research. What else is happening locally? What is the evidence of unmet need? Asking good questions is a useful tool for pastors.

R - Realistic 

It can be good to start small and to be realistic about the resources available. That way God can take it and make it great to His glory, not ours.

D - Discipleship     

Serving in social action is a wonderful setting to give and receive discipleship, ‘teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness’. It’s essential that people called to ministry with the poor are knitted in to the body of the church, so strong discipling relationships are vital. Let’s make sure all find their fulfilment and shepherds in the local church rather than within parachurch organisations, excellent though these often are.

How?

The above provides a good framework on which to provide care and oversight, but how does this work in practice?

• Meet regularly with key leaders of social action ministries one-to-one, particularly in the early days. Get to know them. Ensure they are personally in a good place in their walk with God. Help them consider how to build their team. Listen and support them as they face the inevitable challenges. Review their plans with them and bring an eldership perspective. Pray with them.

• Meet with their teams from time to time to affirm them. Express eldership encouragement that the ministry is an essential part of the church’s vision to see the kingdom of God impact the local community and to provide a refuge for the broken.

• Bring a ‘mercy ministry’ perspective to leadership prayer and planning.

• Make pastoral provision in our churches for both those involved with social action and the people who are the fruit of those ministries.

• Provide routes into leadership for those from disadvantaged backgrounds as they mature in faith through discipleship and encouragement.

Finally…

All that God requires of us in this area of ministry is that we should be ‘good shepherds’ to those with vision for expressing the heart of God to those in need. Then we will see disadvantaged people reached through social action and added as participating members to the most amazing community in creation: the glorious church.