January 21, 2022
I encourage you to be present Sunday evening at the installation service of Dr. Mike Atkinson as a ruling elder of Pear Orchard Presbyterian Church. I love ordination and installation services, because they are a reminder of the way Jesus, our great Shepherd-King, cares for His people by giving them elders and deacons. I am so thankful for the Presbyterian form of church government that Jesus has appointed in the Bible - not only because it means that I as a pastor/teaching elder do not have to be a one-man ministry show, and that spiritual oversight is a joint effort, but also because you glean the benefit of having multiple undershepherds available to care for your soul.
Shepherding is a joint labor of knowing, feeding, leading, and protecting the sheep, but Scripture and church history show us the wisdom of dividing the congregation up among the individual elders so that each one of the sheep can have more focused care, and each elder can have a more focused focus of attention and responsibility. Thus we put each member of our congregation in an elder's shepherding group. At our Session meeting next week, we will be putting our newest members into shepherding groups. If you have been a member for more than a few months, then our hope is that you know who your shepherding elder is. Our elders have a desire to shepherd you (and your family) as well as they are able - to get to know you and your spiritual needs better, to pray for you, to encourage you with the word of God as needs and opportunities arise, to call you away from sin and toward gospel holiness, to help you use your gifts for the growth of the body. Each elder has up to seventeen family units in his group, and thus it can be difficult to shepherd everyone equally well (that's why I'm always glad when new elders are elected, so that the number of sheep each elder has decreases!). I am thankful to see how our elders take their callings seriously, and long to grow in this aspect of their work.
Please pray for your elders and encourage them as they labor among you. If they reach out to you for prayer requests, please let them get to know you better and share what is going on in your life. If they desire to visit you in your home, or have you over to their house, take advantage of this opportunity to be shepherded. If they challenge you about something they see amiss in your life, don't bristle at their words of loving rebuke, but seek to change where change is needed. Some of you may be in a position to ask your shepherding elder how you can help them care for the rest of the sheep in their group. Perhaps you can reach out to new members, or host times of fellowship, or write notes of encouragement to the sheep. Our goal as elders ultimately is to equip the saints to do the work of ministry, for the sheep to be serving other sheep. We have no great joy than to see God's children walking in the truth together in faith, hope, and love!
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Before evening worship this Sunday night, Lee and Emma DeHoog are going to be giving a final missions report to us in the Cafeteria at 5:30. The DeHoogs have been missionaries in Northern Africa for many years, and retired last year. This "Farewell and thank you!" presentation will be a blessing for all who attend, and your presence will be a blessing to them. Please join us if you are able!