This morning, I was thinking about the need for churches to have shepherds rather than leaders.

I’ve noticed that in big churches, there is a man or a small group of men that have a “vision” for how the church can grow in numbers. But in all of the big churches I’ve attended, that man or men typically had no plan for individual members to grow in their relationship with Jesus.

I experienced too many leaders and too few shepherds.

But, as I read the Gospels, Jesus always had time for individuals and one has the sense that when he was talking to someone, that person got his full attention.

I’ve never tried, but I suspect that it is not easy to get on the calendar of a megachurch pastor. They look great on stage, are very articulate, and perhaps even helpful in their sermons, but are they truly shepherds?

This is, after all, what the word pastor means. A pastor is a shepherd, or at least, is supposed to be a shepherd. Shepherds care for their flock, not just as a group, but as individuals.

Jesus did it, we have no excuse to do otherwise.