Toolbox For Faith

I was talking to a friend recently who said, “When I have had problems with my congregation, it has always been when I stopped visiting.” As soon as he said it, I knew he was right. When I have been involved in a time consuming ministry, like expanding a building, and I have reduced the number of shepherding contacts I was making, I always experience more anxiety in the congregation. Whenever I return to a more normal shepherding pattern, things typically start to calm down. These days, whether it is personal visits, emails, phone calls, or text messages, shepherding is always at the top of my list of ministry activities for it lays the groundwork for all the other ministry God is calling us to do in the congregation.