We may not usually think of a church leader’s role as a shepherd in conjunction with facilities management yet …
Think of an actual shepherd. While their primary responsibility may be the sheep, they also must concern themselves with the sheep’s pasture. Is it a safe place for them? Is it conducive for nurturing them? Does it adequately fit all current sheep and possibly more that may be brought into the fold?
God’s people, His flock, have been entrusted to church leaders (1 Pet. 5:2-3). While the place we meet isn’t our prime concern, it does matter to the health and safety of the sheep. We must therefore include responsibilities in facilities management as part of our role as shepherds.
Shepherds Assess the Condition of the Environment
Remember what Psalm 23 says about the Lord, our Shepherd, that “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters” (Ps. 23:2). The pasture isn’t filled with rocks and filth. Rather it’s green, meaning it’s a place where we can be nurtured to keep us healthy and growing. Being a place we can lie down suggests it’s a safe place for us to rest. The waters to which he leads aren’t turbulent but quiet so we can drink without stress and anxiety.
One of the leader’s responsibilities as a shepherd, therefore, is to assess the condition of the place we meet.
- Is it a conducive environment for the proper feeding of the flock?
- Is it a safe place for people to meet?
Since sheep multiple, we need to ask if our facilities provide room for expansion.
- Is there room to bring more into the fold?
- If not, can we expand where we are or should we go to a multi-site setup or construct a new building to make room for more?
- How can we do so to minimize stress and anxiety on our current flock?
Another Shepherding Responsibility in Facilities Management is that of Protecting and Guiding
Look at the Psalm 23 again where we read of the Lord our Shepherd that “your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Ps. 23:4). We can make some correlations with our role as shepherds and managing facilities.
1) The rod was used to protect the sheep. When it comes to facilities, we, as shepherds, might implement policies to ensure the safe use of things related to the building in which we meet.
2) The staff served more as a tool to guide the sheep. As shepherds we need to guide the sheep by equipping and encouraging them about the proper care and use of church facilities. Often this might specifically be with a facilities team.
Bottom Line for Church Leaders
As shepherds, we make the care of the sheep our primary concern. That requires us to pay attention to the environment in which we nurture them to make sure it’s conducive and safe. That will take a proactive, not merely reactive, approach to facilities management.
For More: Resources to Help Leaders in Their Role as Shepherds
All Posts about Facilities Management:
- CHURCH FACILITIES: Keep Footing
- CHURCH FACILITIES: Keep Focus
- CHURCH FACILITIES: Keep Flexible
- CHURCH FACILITIES: Keep Functional
- CHURCH FACILITIES: Keep Free from Consumerism
- CHURCH FACILITIES: Keep Free from Comparisons
- CHURCH FACILITIES: Keep Free from Coercion
- Building Equals Increased Possibilities?
- Building Equals Increased Testimony?
- Building Equals Making an Eternal Difference?
- Building Reflect the Glory of His Name?
- Management of Facilities Requires Grace
- Grace Affects Giving
- Grace Needed for Attitudes about Church Facilities
- The Building Isn’t Enough
- Spiritual versus Physical House of Worship
- Transforming Work of the Spirit, Not the Building
- A House of Prayer?
- When a Church is Truly a House of Prayer
- Building Projects Benefit from More than One Type of Leader
- Facilities Management & Building Maintenance a Ministry?
- Building Reflect the Newness of the Resurrection?
- Building Reflect the Keeping of God’s Word?
- Weirdness Surrounding Church Buildings
- Leader’s Role as a Shepherd and Facilities Management
- Leader Qualities Matter Even in Facilities Management
We can understand that these important activities of yours are impossible for poor and backward areas. Poor people love you very much, but your preaching is for the rich.
Greetings in our Lord, Javed Barkat. To be sure, there are many believers around the world who do not have a “church building” in which to meet. Some must even gather in secret. Posts like these do seem to address churches with greater means. The true Church, however, is the people of God who gather. The place is not the priority. As shepherds of God’s flock that’s been entrusted to us, we must make the most of wherever we meet (1 Pet. 5:2-3). Our own heart attitudes and perspective toward our situation can set an example of putting the focus where it truly belongs. It’s not about striving to have bigger and better buildings. It’s about being a good steward of what we have, as shepherds, nurturing and protecting the flock in the best way we can in whatever our situation may be. It’s about experiencing God’s presence in our midst. That isn’t dependent on the type of place we gather. Jesus said, “for where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” (Matt. 18:20).
Though posts like this one may not fully relate to your situation, I pray you can glean something of value from them. This Practicum covers a broad array of leadership tasks and responsibilities, many of which prayerfully can be helpful. The basics of life in Christ pertain to all of us, as well as the power He provides for us to live accordingly. The question we must all ask is how that applies to our setting. It may look different from one church to another but His purposes, design, and mission for His Church pertain to all of us.