I grew up in rural Missouri, playing in the woods behind my house. I spent hours in the woods and creeks behind my home, hiking, exploring, playing, shooting, and occasionally building. My friends and I built forts, but we also, from time to time, endeavored to construct a dam. The hope was to turn a section of a trickling creek into a large pool big enough for us to swim and jump into.

Well, there is a reason that I went to Bible college and not engineering school.   Despite my best efforts, my lack of construction skills meant that I could never build anything more substantial than a leaky dam, resulting in a large and very shallow puddle.   A puddle certainly not big enough to dive into or swim in.

My attempted dam-building mirrors our attempts to find satisfaction in self-made lives. Just as my makeshift dam could never hold the water I hoped for, so too do our efforts to find fulfillment outside of God, building a life how we want to, prove to be inadequate.

Thankfully, though, the story doesn’t end in Jeremiah.  We know that the New Testament is concealed within the Old, and the Old Testament is revealed in the New. In Jeremiah, God laments that his people are making leaky cisterns.  That they are trying to construct their own lives and always coming up thirsty.  But fast forward to the New Testament, and Jesus introduces Himself as the “living water” in John 4:10. In His conversation with the Samaritan woman, Jesus promises a source of water that will never leak, that will never run dry.

You see, just as I could not create a lasting pool of water with my limited abilities, we cannot attain true spiritual and life fulfillment through our own efforts. Jesus, as the living water, offers us what we could never achieve on our own: a source of life and satisfaction that never runs dry. In Him, the deep thirst of our souls finds its answer, far surpassing the temporary puddles of joy we attempt to collect through earthly pursuits.

The question for us today is why are we so unwilling to abandon our futile efforts at dam-building rather than turn to the one true source of living water, where we find eternal life and true life fulfillment?

Many kids, when getting a call like that, would immediately jump in the car and race to visit. That’s certainly what I wanted to do, but I was a thousand miles away (my mom lives near St. Louis). All I could do was pray. So, I prayed, but if I am being honest, I was praying some rather raw prayers.

My mom is 70, which is young but not super young. She recently went through a round of battling cancer – with all the corresponding radiation and chemo – just last year. And now…..now this? I was praying for God not to let this be too much for her. To give her strength and peace.

But I was also asking, “God, where are you? Why this? Why now? This seems unfair. Did you somehow forget that my mom leads a Bible study and literally teaches people about you? Did you forget that in her downtime, she volunteers to clean her church, your house, each week? To me, at least, my mom is basically a saint, and this is what you let happen to her? Cancer and now a stroke?” Again, the prayers were pretty raw.

I’m not the first person to pray this way. Even some people in the Bible expressed similar thoughts. Psalm 13:1-2, Psalm 22:1-2, and Psalm 42:9-11 are a few examples.

Facing challenges is not just reserved just for me, my mom, and a few random people in the Bible. No, it’s for everyone, including people of faith. Odds are, you have had a hardship in your life. Maybe you are facing a difficulty right now. If you’re not, just wait a breath or two, and you likely will be soon.

The reality is: we all encounter challenges, struggles, and situations that leave us feeling unsure and afraid. Maybe, like me, it’s the health of a family member. Maybe it is your own health. Perhaps it is finances, work, or lack of work. It could be a kid or a spouse. Maybe you’re heartbroken, or your mind isn’t what it used to be. Possibly you really messed up and are facing the consequences of your own actions. Maybe something happened to you that is completely out of your control. Each of our lives are different, but life, for us all, comes with its fair share of tests and challenges.

In whatever we are going through, it is essential to remember we can trust in God’s faithfulness.

“Trust in God’s faithfulness.” That’s easy for me to write about; it’s fairly easy for most of us to say we will do; but sometimes, it’s a tough thing to live out. It’s difficult to trust God when it feels like life is trying to run us over.

Scripture, however, reminds us that we can trust Him even in the fiercest of storms. One passage that I go to in difficult moments is Psalm 46. Psalm 46 shows us that even in the wildest of storms, God’s faithfulness remains unshakable, unwavering, and everlasting.

God’s Presence

Psalm 46 shares that God is ever-present – Verse 1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” We can feel like we are alone, but He is there. We sometimes feel like we are holding the ship together ourselves, but in reality, He is there on the deck, helping us keep on course even when we are getting blown all around. I couldn’t physically be there for my mom at the hospital this past week, but she was not alone. God was there with her. You see, storms do come in life, but God’s faithful presence remains constant through them all.

God’s Presence + God’s Strength

Psalm 46 also tells us that God’s presence brings His strength – Verses 2 and 3 continue by saying, “Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way, and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam.” “Therefore,” because God is an ever-present help (verse 1), we don’t have to be afraid. Why don’t we have to be afraid, even when the earth “gives way” and its “waters roar”? Because God isn’t just present, he isn’t just there on the sidelines cheering us on; no, he is with us in the fight. He is there with us, bringing all His strength to help us fight the battle. And because God is on our team, the battle is stacked in our favor. Having God on our team is like putting last year’s Major League home run leader, Aaron Judge, on my son Lucas’ little league team. That wouldn’t be fair. Each game would be a complete blowout. That is what it is like having God with us in the storm. We have the heaviest hitter there batting for us.

(Note: For those of you I just offended by my referring to a New York Yankee, I apologize. Feel free to pick your own favorite non-Yankee major league baseball player for the illustration. I simply chose him as he had the most home runs last year. For the record, I am a Redsox fan. Go, Sox!)

God’s Presence + God’s Strength = God’s Protection

And because God is strong, He can protect us. I’ve never had a bodyguard. But, if I ever needed to hire one, I would hire the biggest, strongest, most muscular, martial arts-trained bodyguard I could afford. God is the strongest bodyguard ever, and he is with us. Psalm 46, verses 7 and 11 both read, “The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” He is our fortress. A fortress is secure. Even if a large army comes against it, it is not easily destroyed. It is a shelter from the greatest of threats, and it shields us from every danger outside. God is with us, God is strong, and therefore, like a fortress, he can protect us no matter what comes our way.

My mom’s story ended well. After an overnight stay in the hospital and a barrage of tests, a full stroke was ruled out. There is still the chance that she had a small TIA (mini-stroke), and she’ll require more tests and follow-up, likely a change of medication, but presently there are no permanent effects of her episode. Speech, face, and mobility are all fine. God was with her in her storm.

Not all stories end like my mom’s. Sometimes the diagnosis isn’t good, and the effects are permanent. But, even when the storm lingers, even when it lasts a lifetime, God is still faithful. The apostle Paul spoke of an ailment he faced all his life (2 Corinthians 12:7-9), never to be cured despite praying repeatedly that he would be. Yet Paul knew that God was still present with him, that he was strong enough to sustain him, and that he would protect him. So, despite all the challenges Paul faced, and he faced quite a few, Paul could rest knowing that Christ’s “grace was sufficient” and that He would sustain him through all storms that would come his way.

Today, maybe you are facing a storm. Maybe your world is shaking. Whatever you are going through, you are not alone. God is with you; he is present. And with his presence, he brings his strength. That strength is a fortress for you to stay safely in so you can weather any storm that may come your way. My hope and prayer for us all is that although the storms may rage and the entire world may be shaken, that we will always hold on to the unshakeable faithfulness of God.

Those further along in their leadership journey likely need to be guided differently than those just starting. Team members further along in their development are more likely to be high-capacity leaders. High-capacity leaders can be challenging to manage. They have high expectations for themselves and others, a constant drive for growth, and are impatient with mediocrity. Many times, it is hard to keep them satisfied or even to hold on to them at all. So, what can a leader do to manage a high-capacity leader?

1. Grow Yourself –You are the pacemaker for your team. You set the example. If you set a culture of personal growth, you will inspire many of your team members to grow themselves. You will also make the high-capacity leaders on your team feel as though they are in a growth environment. 
2. Give Them What They Need to Succeed – Don’t hold your high-capacity leaders back. Give them the tools that they need to succeed. Give them the freedom to do their work without being micromanaged. Give them the ability to try new things. Don’t tie them down to doing the same things all the time. Give them room to work and let them take your organization to the next level.
3. Give Them Good Work – High-capacity leaders get things done, but that doesn’t mean you should give them the worst jobs because you know they will do it. Give them the best projects to benefit the organization while at the same time stretching their leadership abilities. 
4. Share How They Are Making a Positive Impact – High-capacity leaders typically like to know that they are being productive and making a difference. Share with them and others how they are making a difference. This could be as simple as commenting to them in the hall about something you noticed they did well or sharing their success with the whole team. The occasional card – or even gift card – also goes a long way.
5. Encourage and Pay for Personal & Professional Development – Continue to invest in their growth. Buy them books. Send them to the conference. Hire them a coach. Bring in a consultant. Give them some money to take another leader to lunch. Help them grow their network which will broaden their horizons, provide new insights, and help them develop valuable connections outside the organization.
6. Challenge Them to Think Bigger and Risk More – High-capacity leaders often already think big but challenge them to think even bigger. This excites the individual and lets them know they are in an environment where they will grow more.   Often, they will rise to the challenge, bringing even bigger results than what they were already achieving. 
7. Support Work-life Balance: High-capacity leaders can sometimes be prone to burnout. Encourage your team members to maintain a healthy work-life balance and model it yourself. Encourage them to take time off when needed, promote flexible working arrangements, and create an environment where self-care is prioritized.
8. Pray for Them – As a pastor, I believe the most important thing you can do for your team is pray for them. Check-in with them regularly to know what is happening in their life. Pray for them, their family if they have one, and their job/ministry. 

High-capacity leaders can be hard to manage. Left unsupported, they can become discouraged or even leave the organization. But doing a few simple things can go a long way to seeing them grow and achieve even more than ever before.

But, before we can help a struggling team member, we must first understand what is causing them to struggle. A team member may be having difficulty in their role for many reasons. For example, they may be failing to succeed due to:

Poor organizational skills: Some individuals struggle with just getting their work organized. They are disorganized and have no system in place for managing their responsibilities. This causes them to miss deadlines and fail to complete their work.

Lack of attention to detail: Others get their work done, but they have an inattention to detail, which leads them to turn in work riddled with errors and mistakes.   

Overwhelmed: Some team members may just feel overwhelmed, which causes them to shut down. Or it may cause them to try multitasking their work, which studies show only 2.5% of people can do effectively. So, rather than getting multiple tasks done simultaneously like they are hoping, they lose focus and struggle more.

Poor time management: A few team members may be organized in keeping track of their tasks and responsibilities; they are just not good at budgeting their time. They often underestimate the time required to get stuff done. This causes them to miss deadlines or end up cramming, resulting in their work being done poorly.

Procrastination: Some are procrastinators who put things off until the last minute. As we all know, it’s hard to do high-quality work when the team scurries around trying to get things done.

Lack of clear communication: A team member may struggle because they don’t understand what they should be doing. Perhaps it wasn’t explained to them well, or they were not listening when it was, but they are unsure of what to do, leading to errors and delays.

Lack of motivation or engagement: Team members are often not motivated. There may be several reasons for this lack of motivation, which needs to be explored with them, but whatever the reason, it leads to subpar work.

Lack of training: Some employees may not be getting the task done or done the right way because they simply don’t know how.

Personal factors: One of the biggest things that may be affecting someone’s work is personal issues. These could include health problems, family issues, financial issues, or other stressful stuff that makes it hard for them to concentrate, stay organized, and get their work done.

There are many reasons a team member may be struggling, and the first step in being able to help them is to truly understand what is going on to cause their low performance. We can’t help them fix an issue if we don’t first know what that issue is.

But, once we understand the issue, as leaders, what can we do to help our struggling team member?

1. Provide clear expectations and instructions: If we are frustrated with a team member’s performance, we must ensure they understand they are missing the mark. So, ensure they know their job, the minimum standard, and where they are falling short.

2. Set realistic goals and prioritize tasks: Related to number one above, don’t just give team members the end goal but also help them break down their responsibilities into smaller goals and tasks. Then help them prioritize those tasks and focus on what is most important.

3. Offer training and resources: If they know what the standard is, and they are still failing to meet it, the next question to ask is, do they know how to do the work that is being asked of them. If not, provide them with the training they need.

4. Get them the right tools: Some people track things better with a pen and paper. Others use the basic “Notes” app on their phone or computer. Some work best with full computer programs like Todoist or Nozbe.  Have the employee find what works best for them and provide it to them.   

5. Regular check-ins and feedback: Some people work great independently and need only a few reminders and little feedback. However, most people need at least the occasional check-in to know they are headed in the right direction. Schedule time for regular check-ins with each member of your team.

6. Offer mentoring or coaching: If all the above still isn’t working, consider providing a team member with a coach who can help them with the guidance and support they need to address their specific issue.

7. Flexibility and understanding: For those facing personal issues outside work. Recognize that these stresses are likely to some degree affecting their performance. Be understanding and offer flexibility when you are able. Be accessible so that team members feel comfortable discussing personal difficulties with you that may impact their work. Treat your employees with the kindness you would want to be treated with if you were facing what they are in their life.

8. Foster a positive work environment: One of the best things we can do to help employees thrive is to create a work environment that people want to be a part of and do their best for. We create a positive work environment by doing small things like taking time to appreciate everyone’s efforts, sending people training so they can continue to grow personally and professionally, and encouraging a healthy work-life balance. This creates an atmosphere that motivates people, which leads them to be focused on doing their best.

9. Pray for your employees: As a pastor, I know that one of the best things I can do for my team members and their families is to pray for them. Pray for their well-being and success. Pray for their role on the team. Pray for their strengths to be developed and for their weaknesses to be overcome.  

10. Lead by example: As a leader, your actions and attitude set the tone for the workplace. Be a positive model and demonstrate the qualities you want your entire team to have.  

Remember, everyone is unique. Likewise, each team member’s struggles are unique, so how we help each person will differ. But, as leaders, it is our responsibility to come alongside those that are struggling and find ways to allow them to grow and thrive.

• Appreciate them for who they are, not just what they do.
• Celebrate and honor their accomplishments.  Even the small things.
• Encourage them regularly.
• Model the values you expect them to exhibit.

• Repeat the mission of the organization often so they know it well.
• Develop a relationship with them and know about their life outside work.
• Help them identify and develop their strengths.
• Train and equip them for the current job while also helping them grow into larger more challenging roles.
• Address issues and shortcomings with them as they happen.  Don’t ignore needed areas of growth.
• Ask for, listen to, and value their opinion.
• Empower them to do their job and release them to do it.
• Pray for them.

How else do you encourage those that work and volunteer for you?

• File Storage – Store everything in Dropbox.  It is our backup software.  We can get your stuff back if your computer crashes. Do not keep stuff on your computer hard drive, desktop, or anywhere other than Dropbox.
• Passwords – Use a secure password management system. Even a secure digital note is better than a sticky note on your desk.  Our recommended password app is 1Password.  Further, use different passwords for all your accounts, so if one is compromised, they are not all compromised.  Change your passwords often.  Use two-factor authentication when available.
• Accounts – You should be the only one that knows your passwords and has access to your accounts.  If you have a spouse or kids, they cannot know the password to your work account (the computer, your email, church database, etc.).

• Home Computers & Devices – If you have home computers with any type of church data on them, you cannot have a shared login account with family members.  You are required to have separate accounts set up on the computer and your account on the computer must be password protected.  It can be tricky, but this really applies to access your iPad, iPhone, etc… as well, if they have church files on them.
• Autolocking All your devices – computer, phone, tablets, etc. – must be set to auto-lock after 5 minutes max.  Again, this also applies to home computers with church data on them.  Never leave your computer unattended.
• Virus & Malware Protection – You should have up-to-date virus and malware protection on your computer.  This applies to Mac products too.  The church provides protection for your work computer through BitDefender.  If you do not have protection on your home computer you are responsible for purchasing adequate protection or removing any work files/accounts/programs immediately from the computer.
• Updates – You should make sure your computer and all devices are up-to-date with all the latest patches and upgrades. This applies to both the operating system and applications. 
• Use a Firewall – This is a feature in the operating system that makes things safer. You can easily turn this on for both Windows and Mac.
• Use Reliable Browsers – Chrome, Firefox and Safari.  If you are using a browser other than these three you must receive permission.
• VPN (Virtual Private Network) – Use a VPN, especially when off the church and your home network. Our recommended VPN is NordVPN.
• Enable File Extensions – Enable file extensions so you can see the entire filename.  Many viruses come with two extensions such as picture.jpg.ex, so be looking out.
• Other Simple Things: Do not open files from people you do not know. Ignore emails that say you won a contest. Watch out for online and phone scams (Microsoft or Apple will not ask you to call them, neither will the IRS or your bank). Ignore pop-ups, especially inside web browsers, that state your computer has a problem. When installing software, watch for bundled software that installs several programs. Don’t click on things you are unsure about.
• Finally, remember you have an ethical and legal responsibility to keep church data, especially people’s personal information, safe.

1. Listen Deeply – Truly listen to people.  Don’t think about what you are going to say while others are talking, rather use that time to listen. Ask follow-up questions so you are sure you understand their point of view.
2. Consider Their Opinion – Step into their shoes.  Or, better yet, put on their shoes and walk a mile.   Look at things from their perspective.  Include people in meetings and discussions. Ask them what they think.   Take and use their ideas.   We are all better when we work together.
3. Don’t Marginalize – Treat people the same no matter their age, race, country of origin, gender, size, personality.  Treating people differently constitutes harassment. 
4. Speak Slowly – Take time to process your thoughts and do not respond in anger.  Encourage people to express their ideas and give them the space to do so.  Never butt in or cut people off.
5. But Do Speak – Don’y bury frustrations or just “let things go.  We don’t get better unless we work things through.
6. Communicate Respect – Verbally and non-verbally.  Be aware of your words and tone of voice, but also be aware of your body language.  You say far more non-verbally than you probably realize.
7. Prefer One Another – Remember your job description reads that, You are one member of a team, your ministry & position is just one of dozens.  Set an example of what it means to prefer one another and make room for the ministry and opinions of others.
8. Don’t Bully – Never insult people, call them names or put their ideas down.  Don’t belittle, judge, or demean.  Enough of this over time is bullying.  Always treat people with courtesy, politeness and kindness.
9. Communicate Well – Think through what you are going to say before you say it. Communicate clearly.  Communicate in advance. Communicate often.  Respond to everyone in a timely manner.
10. Be Positive – Praise more frequently than you criticize.  Smile.  Say thank you.  Remember, again, what your job description says, Never forget the importance and the impact of an attitude, be it positive or negative.  May God help us to always be positive and faith-filled.
11. Admit Mistakes – Apologize.  We all have bad moments, and we need to apologize when we do.  You look, and are, immature if you can’t admit you made a mistake or were wrong.
12. Follow the Golden Rule – Treat others as you would want to be treated.  Go the extra mile.  Show the love of Christ in every interaction you have with everyone you cross paths with.
13. Understand the Consequences – Again, we all have bad days, but demonstrating an inability to do the above on a regular basis will not go well for you.  On the light end it will affect your annual performance reviews, on the heavy side of things it will lead to you being asked to leave the team.  In some cases, like harassment, it can even have legal implications for you.  On the flip side, however, good loving communication well result in positive team and church environment for us all.   

Have a Compelling Purpose.  If you are just meeting to meet people will simply not make your gathering/group/team a priority.  Most people have lots of things going on in their lives and they make decisions on what they are going to do based on what they perceive has the most value for them.  If you want a great team, with people who are actively engaged, then make sure they understand why you exist.  What is your teamâ€s compelling purpose

Give Away Leadership. Great teams invite people to step up and lead.  They assist, train and coach, but ultimately, they empower and trust their team to get the job done.  If you want a great team, share the vision, provide the tools and then get out of the way and let people lead. In what way(s) do you give away leadership to those on your team?

Provide Structure without Red Tape.  Great teams have structure and accountability.  Itâ€s the structure that allows things to get done in an orderly way. However, great teams know that too much structure slows things down and becomes burdensome.   If you want a great team, provide policies and procedures but not red tape. How does your leadership provide needed structure?

Be Okay with a Little Chaos.  Great teams are full of passionate people, and passionate people jump right in without being asked, which sometimes leads to a little chaos.  Great teams are okay with that chaos, as it is certainly better than a bunch people needing to be forced to get off their backside to do the job.  If you want a great team be okay with people showing initiative even when it means things get a little messy.  How do you feel about a little chaos/mess?

Be Okay with Differences.  Great teams believe that diversity is strength.  They realize that when they face a difficult problem, often the best solution comes from thinking creatively, outside the box, and from merging various ideas together.  The know that the collective wisdom of everyone is greater than the wisdom of any one person.  If you want a great team, get everyone to bring their distinct background and perspective to the table. How often do you rely on the differences of various people on your team? 

Do Not Tolerate Non-Growth.  Whether formally through conferences and seminars or informally through on-the-job training and conversations, great teams provide their team members opportunities to grow.  In fact, great teams do not tolerate team members not growing.  They realize that who they are today will likely not be enough for them to face the challenges they will encounter tomorrow, so they are obsessed with personal and team growth.  If you want a great team, provide training and enrichment opportunities for everyone and donâ€t tolerate non-growing team members. How do you provide opportunities for personal and team growth?

Strengthen Relationships.  Great teams donâ€t always perfectly get along, but they have strong relationships.  The face challenges, work through problems, and celebrate achievements together.  They forge bonds over time.  They have each otherâ€s backs.   If you want a great team, make sure to focus on people forging great relationships. What are some ways you focus on strengthening relationships?

Get Results.  People want to be a part of something that is moving forward.  The results donâ€t necessarily need to be out of this world great, but people donâ€t want to be on a sinking ship.  Great teams donâ€t just have a vision, but they are also constantly talking about how that vision is being carried out.  If you want a great team, make sure you are regularly demonstrating how the team is winning. How have you shared your teams†victories recently?

(Adapted from Extraordinary Groups: How Ordinary Teams Achieve Amazing Results by Geoffrey M. Bellman)

1. Stay Busy – They come with the “batteries included”, present ideas, get things moving, and don’t need someone else to light a fire under their backside.
2. Faithfully Follow – They pursue the Pastor’s agenda and not their own.  Although they initiate and take ownership, they do not get out in front of their senior pastor.  They ask for permission, not forgiveness.  
3. Think Big-Picture – They realize it’s not just about their ministry, it’s about the Pastor’s vision, the whole church, and the Kingdom of God.
4. Embrace Teamwork – They don’t operate in a silo, but actively contribute to, and care for, the whole team.  They realize that even all-star players are terrible teammates if they can’t work with others.
5. Listen Well – They realize they don’t have all the answers, so they listen and learn.  They seek advice from those with more experience and wisdom than themselves.  They are humble, not arrogant.
6. Grow Continually – They continually improve by reading, listening, and gaining experience.   They prioritize daily spiritual growth.
7. Manage Themselves – They manage their life and ministry well.  They keep a to-do list, calendar, and track of whatever else they are responsible for.  They do not require much, if any, follow-up.  They do their job without needing to be reminded.
8. Provide Solutions – When they face a challenge they don’t just come to the team with that problem, rather they come and present both the problem and a viable solution.
9. Avoid Weeds – and fires and icebergs and shipwrecks.  They are emotionally, culturally, ministerially and generally intelligent. 
10. Empower People – They develop people and work themselves out of a job.
11. Implement Systems – They work hard to develop systems, so when they are gone everything continues smoothly.
12. Choose Positivity – Although, like everyone they have good and bad days, they are generally optimistic and upbeat.
13. Rebound Quickly – They try hard things, which means they fail from time-to-time.  When they do fail, they own it, and then get right back up and keep moving.
14. Love People – They have a shepherds heart.  They care for people.  Ministry is a ministry to them, and not just a job. 
15. Take Bullets – They take bullets for their senior pastor, figuratively and perhaps even literally.

This story has an implied answer, but it also implies something else.  Without stating it, the story makes the assumption that the shepherd was paying close enough attention to notice that he was missing one of his sheep.  A hundred sheep isn’t easy to track, but the shepherd in Jesus’ story was diligent and paying close attention.  He was watching to make sure that no sheep wandered off.  He was always counting, and recounting – 97, 98, 99, hey, where did sheep #100 go?!

Today many pastors struggle to keep track of the sheep in their care.  Some are just not putting in the effort, they are not counting, and sheep are wandering off without them even noticing.  Others are trying, but they donâ€t have the right systems in place to track their sheep effectively.  So, how can pastors better track their sheep, notice when they are missing, and go after them when they are?

1. Know the flock – First, to track the people in their churches effectively pastors have to know their sheep.  This means spending time with them, talking to them, eating them, getting to know them.  It also means tracking them by collecting their names, addresses, phone numbers, and putting all that into a directory of some sort.  A pastor can’t effectively care for all their sheep until they know how many sheep there are, what their names are, where they live, etc.  The first step to effective pastoral care is having an accurate listing of who is in the flock.
2. Pray for the flock – Once pastors know who their sheep are one of the most basic things they can do for them is pray.  Prayer doesn’t just show concern, but it can also be used to better track the flock.  Once you know the people, have their information, it is easy to print out a directory of everyone in the church.  Pastors should take the time to pray through a few pages of that directory every day.  As they are praying through those directories, they will come across the names of people they haven’t seen in a few weeks and then they can follow-up with those missing sheep.  The second thing a pastors can do to effectively track the flock, is to systematically review and pray for every name in church with an eye out for missing sheep.
3. Care for flock – Sheep get sick and require extra care.  To discover sheep that need some extra attention churches should create a culture of communicating when something is going on in someones life.  At my church, we offer a course entitled Starting Point.  Starting Point is for anyone that wants to learn more about the church, what we believe, what we are all about, who are staff is, and more.  In the class we also talk about how we do pastoral care.  We discuss how we visit people in hospital every day, how there is always a pastor on call, and also how we want to know what is going on in peoples lives.  In this class we mention we want to know if they go into the hospital or are having surgery. We ask that they let us know if they are going to be gone on vacation, or if they are missing church because they are caring for their sick mother. When the sheep know there is someone who will care for them, they are more likely to let you know something is going on.  Good shepherds know who in the congregation is in need of extra care and attention.  The third thing a pastor can do is create a sheet, in Excel or Google Docs, where they are tracking who in the hospital, shut-in, or gone, and follow-up until they are healthy and back at church again.
4. Watch the flock – Sheep can get distracted at any time.  Sometimes they just wander.  There are, however, certain times in peoples lives where they tend to veer off more often.  Good shepherds know these times and watch their sheep more closely during them.  This could be when they are going through a divorce, or their marriage is strained. It could be after experiencing conflict with someone in the church, or during a time where their work life isn’t great.  It could be after a new baby is born, or when a parent dies.Pastors can discover what is going on in people’s lives by listening, spending time with the sheep, but another good way is through prayer request cards.  Churches can provide prayer requests cards for the people in the church to fill out.   Weekly, those prayer requests can be copied or scanned and sent out to the various pastors and leaders in the church.  Those leaders should pray for the requests, but also review them for situations that might signal something serious going on that might require additional follow-up.  Good shepherds know when members of their church are going through these difficult times and they watch them closely, because it is in these times that sheep tend to wander more often.  The fourth thing a good shepherd can do is track hurting sheep.  When they become aware of events in peoples lives they should track them (perhaps even using the same sheet above), pray, and follow-up regularly with them.

I don’t know if the shepherd in Jesus’ story had any kind of directory, ledger or notebook that he kept on the sheep in his care, but good pastors today do.  They literally have a list of sheep that they are praying for and then tracking who they feel like they haven’t seen in a while.  They know the sheep that were in the hospital and that they haven’t seen back out at church.  They know who is going trough difficult times in their church.  And,  when their sheep go missing they make visits and calls.  They send texts and cards.   They can go after the one, because they know the one is missing and they are a shepherd who cares.