Foundations of Christian Leadership, Mentor's Guide, MG07

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F O U N D A T I O N S O F C H R I S T I A N L E A D E R S H I P

Conclusion

» The role of the pastor, or poimen in the NT can be historically tied to the development of the pastorate, or that class of individuals who are charged with shepherding of the flock of God. » While functionally the term pastor deals with the same subject matter as the Scriptures’ teaching on elders and bishops, the nuance of poimen or shepherding helps us understand what it means to lead a flock of God.

» The pastor is a shepherd, called to tend, protect, and feed the lambs of God.

Please take as much time as you have available to answer these and other questions that the video brought out. As mentioned before, there is a great need to reclaim the majestic office of the pastorate as caring , i.e., that kind of ministry which focuses upon meeting the needs of individual persons, particular families, and specific neighborhoods and communities in the context of the church and beyond. A cursory look at the life and ministry of our Lord reveals his shepherding heart and ministry, and it is this same level of loving, caring and comforting that all leaders must aspire to. As you review the insights into the pastoral ministry given in this segment, concentrate on the roots of the pastoral ministry, and how these roots can be rediscovered in our ministries today. 1. Explain the meaning of the metaphor of shepherding in both the OT and NT analogies of a leader. In what sense does the image of shepherding stand for and fill out the biblical understanding of providing care and oversight for God’s people? 2. What is the meaning of the term roeh in Hebrew and poimen in koine Greek, and how do they both point to the same reality of “shepherding God’s flock?” 3. How was the image of shepherding God’s people applied in the OT, specifically to the oversight of the Lord God of his people, the ministry of the rulers and kings of Israel, and the prophecies regarding the coming Messiah? 4. Briefly give the high points in the history of the evolution of the concept of pastor from its original settings in the apostolic teaching of the NT to the more formal notions of this care being delegated to specific individuals

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Student Questions and Response

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