A shepherd playing a pipe while caring for his sheep in the Jordan Valley, c.1920s

"I haven't seen them for ages. They're just not around anymore. It's too bad—but that's just the way it is."

"But we can't say: "Well, that's just the way it is."

"They were once among the most present. The last to close their hymnbooks. The first to open their home. They were the first to text: "Is everything okay?" They were the ones who quietly showed up when life was heavy, and words were unnecessary. We were going through a very difficult time, and they came to our home. They didn't have to say a word. We knew they loved us. Their presence said it all. But now they're gone. Missing from our fellowship."

How many names sit silently on the unspoken missing list?

The Heart of the Shepherd God

If there is one kind of heart the Lord both reveals and esteems, it is a shepherd’s heart. Scripture consistently presents God as the Shepherd God. The God who loves, knows, guards, nourishes and feeds, protects, pursues and restores His sheep.

Tragically, many shepherds mentioned in the Bible failed miserably – allowing the sheep to stray in dangerous paths far away from God. When shepherds failed Israel—through neglect, self-interest, or indifference—God did not shrug. He spoke sharply and promised better:

I will raise up shepherds over them who will tend them. They will no longer be afraid or discouraged, nor will any be missing.” This is the LORD’s declaration. Jeremiah 23:4

That verse still confronts us. Whether it was Israel in the past or in a future day or today’s flock of God, gathered in local fellowships around the world, shepherding the flock is near and dear to the heart of the Good Shepherd.

We know from Luke 15 that the Good Shepherd does not grow accustomed to absence. He relentlessly pursues the missing until it is returned to the sheltered flock. And the Great Shepherd—the risen Christ—continues to watch over the flock He purchased with His own blood (1 Peter 2:25).

A Word to Elders: Shepherding Is Presence, Not Position

The Holy Spirit has entrusted elders with the sacred task of shepherding the flock of God (Acts 20:28). They are the under-shepherds working on behalf of the Chief Shepherd — Christ Himself. (1 Peter 5:1–4).

A shepherd’s calling cannot be reduced to:

• Efficient administration
• Sound teaching alone
• Delegation without personal knowledge

Biblical shepherding includes:

• Knowing names and needs
• Feeding appropriately
• Discerning distress signals
• Noticing absence
• Pursuing quietly
• Protecting gently
• Caring personally

A local fellowship may be full but still be failing. Growth statistics cannot replace pastoral presence and care. Some of us are higher-maintenance sheep, and that must be factored into the shepherding responsibilities.

The Chief Shepherd is not asking for perfection—but He is asking for watchfulness.

A Needed Caution for the Rest of Us

At this point, someone may be tempted to say: “Finally—someone is calling out the shepherds.”

But before we sharpen our criticism, we should quiet our hearts. Persistent negativity does not produce better shepherding—it corrodes it. Bitterness never makes things better or you better. And bitterness never restores the missing.

Pray for your elders. They carry unseen burdens and answer to a higher authority than you or I.

Shepherding Is Not Reserved for Elders

If you long to see more care, compassion, and attentiveness in your local fellowship—ask the Lord to cultivate those very qualities in you.

Shepherding is not a title; it is an attitude, a mindset, a posture that should characterize every maturing child of God

It looks like:

• Noticing when someone displays ‘distress’ or drifts
• Intentionally praying for them
• Sensitively and discreetly reaching out without drawing attention
• Making room for interruptions
• Choosing presence over convenience

Shepherding requires time and heart. We may have to allow interruptions or intrusions into our me-time, but if we genuinely love the brother or sister, we will gladly make the sacrifice. Love is displayed in sacrifice. For example, a parent’s love for a child leads them to engage in many selfless acts for the benefit of the child.

Good shepherds have such a love and passion for the sheep that they’ll brave a dark, stormy night to rescue one in harm’s way. Yes, shepherding requires heart and time.

And that is precisely why it reflects the heart of God.

Let’s Reduce the Missing List

Rather than rehearsing what others are not doing, let us humbly do what we can do. Could you do more? Could I? My answer is a guilty “Yes.”

In the fear of God and love for His sheep, let us pursue, pray, notice, and care— so that fewer drift to the periphery, or quietly fade from the fellowship, as more hearts experience the faithful shepherding of Christ through His people.