we learn to live among them , walking tenderly to not upset one of these imposters in fear that exposing them might sacrifice the lives of the innocent .
What we don ’ t realize is we lose more sheep by tiptoeing around the disguised wolves than we would by taking the risk to bring them into the light . Looking back , I realized that our church staff members don ’ t always feel equipped to confront these wolves , and they would rather quit than risk their own lives fighting something everyone else is choosing to ignore .
Unlike the donkey or the ox , sheep are not meant to carry heavy loads .
We aren ’ t meant to be beasts of burden and yet we carry so much weight in this world . We are holding on to offense , fear , anxiety , and so much more simply by being human . Our churches should be the one place sheep can gather to unload some of our weight , yet it seems as if even more is added to our load there .
Church staff are no longer predominantly raised in the church or arriving with a seminary background . As a church leader , you may be hiring brand new Christ followers , and this may be their first time working among Christians or serving in a church . Many are young , it ’ s their first job , and they may have spent their early twenties in church ministry programs rather than formal university . Others come in wide eyed and naïve with dreams of being
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