Telling Our Story: Shepherding Committee
Please note that this blog post was shared in 2021. The rosters of the committees have (likely) changed since this was published, but the goals of each committee remain!
Unlike our other Leadership Committees, the Shepherding Committee has the benefit of a strong, Biblical metaphor.
As Erik, senior pastor and chair of the Shepherding Committee, explains, the term “shepherd” describes God’s mission towards his people.
“The Lord is our Shepherd, as Psalm 23, states. Jesus Christ is the ‘Good Shepherd’ who knows (and is known by) his sheep,” he says. “The leaders in the church are furthermore called to act as under-shepherds, ever reliant on the Chief Shepherd of our souls. Another way to think about it is that because we humans are all like sheep—likely to stray, ever at risk from predators, in need of food and pools of still water—we need shepherds who will provide ongoing care for us.”
As Erik points out, it makes sense for him to be on the Shepherding Committee. He looks to 1 Peter 5:2 which highlights how shepherding the congregation of City Church is one of his chief responsibilities as a pastor. That verse reads, “shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly as God would have you.”
But, as the Shepherding Committee’s roster shows, this shepherding work isn’t just for pastors. Joining Erik on this committee are JB Burtch, City Church’s Director of Mentoring; Meg Haden, City Church’s Director of Women’s Ministry; Mack Hendrix, a City Church Elder; and long-time members Rebecca Hendrix and Ellie Sibiga. And here’s the stated purpose for their work together:
“The Shepherding Team exercises care of the people of City Church by proactively tending to people as their spiritual caretakers and by providing particular care in times of opportunity, transition, need, doubt, and crisis.”
The Shepherding Committee acts on this purpose in three ways:
Mentoring
Remembrance Team
Prayer
While the concepts of mentoring and prayer are likely familiar, the Remembrance Team is perhaps less so—and is also fairly new to City Church. This team, guided by Shepherding Committee member Ellie Sibiga, leads the work of “keeping each other’s calendars.” Every month, the Remembrance Team spends time reviewing upcoming dates that might be hard for members of the City Church family: sad anniversaries, the birthdays of loved ones who have passed away, holidays that are historically hard for some. They then reach out to those individuals with a kind word, note, or phone call.
This work—and all of the work done by the Shepherding Committee—happens because, as JB puts it, “Our people need to know they are loved.”
How that plays out practically (beyond the Remembrance Team explained above) is probably best understood by looking at the Shepherding Committee’s goals.
Continue to pray together quarterly for the needs and well-being of City Church.
Foster and promote a culture of pastoral care within and by the congregation (through Mentoring, through City Groups, through the ministry of remembrance).
Be a place of high pastoral touch to all within our congregation, recognizing how hard and isolating the last year has been.
When you talk to members of the Shepherding Committee, that prayer piece is of particular importance in their care of the church; it’s central to anything and everything the Shepherding Committee does.
“Praying for people is important,” says JB. “God uses prayer to help them and to change us.”
“We recognize that we can’t fix anyone’s situations or heart,” Rebecca adds, “But we can point them to the One who does, and pray that He would intercede in mercy on their behalf.”
For more information on the Shepherding Committee, please contact Erik Bonkovsky at erik@citychurchrva.com.