Shepherding Servant Job Description
In September 2022, the MPC elders unanimously approved the establishment of a new role at the church - the role of shepherding servant (note - the name of this role was originally deaconness, but was changed to provide additional clarity). The role of the shepherding servant is to help to care for the people of the church, with a special attention given to the women of the church. This is very important role and we look forward to seeing how God uses our shepherding servants in the life of the church. The initial job description for this role is as follows:
Participate on a shepherding team with certain MPC individuals/families assigned. Team may include a deacon, a shepherding servant, and an elder. Team will pursue regular contact with all individuals/families in the church. Shepherding servants will especially focus on connecting with women at MPC. Special attention will be given to people in more vulnerable situations.
One person on each team has meaningful contact once a month with each family/person.
Attend six session meetings annually that will be focused on shepherding.
Feedback on how we can better minister to the church will be invited. Possibly also attend one annual longer meeting (usually on a Saturday).
Commit to pray for the members in the assigned shepherding group.
Commit to a lifestyle of hospitality - encouraging people, especially in the shepherding group, to get together for mutual care and encouragement.
Assist in being in touch with mercy ministries and missionaries. If each person had one contact they were responsible for (with a mercy team or a missionary), this would cover all those that we support. (Note - this job responsibility may be added in the future)
Participate in continuing training to be discussed (semiannual).
Role will be for a two-year commitment, and then roll off for a year.
There is overlap between the role of shepherding servants and the office of the deacon. Both deacons and shepherding servants are tasked with helping to minister to and care for people in the church. Shepherding servants are also given the responsibility of caring for the church’s finances and the church’s property. Also, consistent with our understanding of Biblical teaching and our denomination’s standards, deacons are ordained officers of the church, while shepherding servants are commissioned for their service in the church. Notwithstanding these differences, we believe both of these roles are very important and we are thankful for all who will be serving in this way!
If you’d like, you can read the paper that was presented by the shepherding committee to Meadowcroft’s elders in May 2022. It includes some of the rationale and excerpts from various reports about the shepherding servants role: