It is with great joy the Presence Point team joins with like-minded partners all over the world to multiply the shepherd leadership message. One such partner is American Heritage Girls (AHG), a remarkable organization that works to build women of integrity through service to God, family, community, and country. Through AHG, girls from 5 to 18 learn about shepherding at levels appropriate for their age. At the highest level, girls participate in the online, on-demand Teen/Young Adult version of the Leadership from the Shepherd’s Perspective workshop and complete a number of projects that reinforce what they have learned. Their participation at that level helps them earn a Shepherd Leadership Patch and, potentially, understand biblically leadership principles to help them accomplish their Abagail Adams Level Award and qualify for their Stars and Stripes Award Candidacy, the highest of accomplishments in AHG. One such young lady is Kalina from AHG Troop KS0252 in Kansas, who reached out to me recently to share the shepherd leadership blog she wrote as part of her Abagail Adams Level Aware. I pray her words bless you as deeply as they have blessed me…
He’s Got My Back
By Kalina O.
Effective, loving shepherding is incredibly important in the leadership of any community; the most significant attributes of good shepherding are provision, protection, and presence. A good shepherd provides for their sheep because sheep have many needs, and taking care of them gives them security. Just as Jesus gives us everything we have, we, as shepherds, can provide for our sheep. A good shepherd also protects their sheep: sheep are faced with many dangers, and the shepherd defends them out of love. Jesus protected us from the power of sin and death by dying for us, so we can follow His perfect example and do the same for our sheep.
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.
— 1 John 3:16a
Finally, a good shepherd is present with their sheep. Just as God has loved us, we can love those around us.
Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
— 1 John 4:11
As shepherds, it is our responsibility to care for and encourage our sheep, reflecting God’s provision, protection, and presence to them the best that we can.
One big takeaway I got from the Shepherd Leadership Challenges [Volumes 1 and 2] is that part of being a Christian is outgoing kindness and friendliness. When I think about ways to shine for someone I see for less than a minute and might never see again, I can’t exactly give them my testimony or pray for them, but I can be kind, loving, and friendly. Even a simple “hi!” shows them that I care about them and am excited to meet them — after all, Jesus cares about us and is excited every time we reach out to Him! Another takeaway I got was that I can shepherd to everyone. Providing for event leaders, protecting younger kids, and being present with a friend in a time of crisis all look very different, but they are all forms of shepherding.
Throughout the Challenges, protection stood out as something I need to improve on. In my position in life, protection could look like standing up for someone, babysitting, or strengthening a friend who feels defeated by the world. Sometimes, these tasks and situations require courage, and I don’t always have the courage it takes. I need to remember that God is strong enough for both of us, and I can take risks for Him knowing that He’s got my back.
