FARMVILLE – it’s either you hate it (because friends would tag you endlessly asking for more crops) or be addicted to it because you can’t let your virtual farm suffer. I did try farmville for 3 days and did find it very addicting so I erased my farmville application and pursued my pastoral duties. Anyways farmville reminded me of a leadership article by Pastor Kent Julian on how we lead. For all my farmville friends I am sure you would be able to relate.

ARE YOU A HERDER OR A RANCHER?

HERDERS tend to

• try to build relationships with everyone
• think ministry will implode on them
• requires all decisions to run through them
• says it is easier to do things myself rather than to equip someone else do it
• have few volunteers
• have a need to be needed
• live in the hectic present and tend to miss future trends
• miss the big picture of body life because they are so focused on individual relationships
• do almost everything themselves.

Meanwhile RANCHERS tend to

• strive to care for the flock as a whole, not just for lone sheep
• realize ministry will implode unless they equip and release other leaders
• take a team approach to decision making and empower dependable, proven leaders to make key decisions without them
• say “It is much more strategic and biblical to equip other to do the work of the ministry than try to do everyhting myself
• continually grow their volunteer team – matching responsibilities with appropriate gifted people
• have a desire to see people become mature in their faith
• invest well in the moment while leading with the future in mind
• know their role on the team
• do few things and do them well
• rejoice when others succeed without them

Taken from Group Magazine p36, Kent Julian’s herding vs ranching