Peter
GN 1168
By Peter FD/MM/FM 3585 2/06
Required reading for all voting members
Dear Family,
1. God bless you! Mama and I love you very much. We pray that you are in good health and feeling well both physically and spiritually. We hope that you've had the time you need to get sufficient Word time and rest‚ and to get refilled, in preparation for the challenges ahead. It's our prayer that the Feast accomplished a lot toward helping you to feel ready for this year, encouraged in the Lord, and happy in your service for Him.
2. With this Letter I'd like to explain the results of a recent assessment we have conducted of how things are going in improving the spiritual shepherding in the Homes, especially as it relates to the coach program and some aspects of the job of the Home shepherds. We believe, and the Lord has confirmed, that the Homes are doing much better, and you certainly are progressing. You're improving on many fronts, and we know you're fighting and working hard to keep climbing up the FD mountain. At times you're probably tempted to feel a bit overwhelmed or frustrated, or even just plain tired, and that's why it's even more admirable that you keep going and keep having faith.
3. Your determination and fighting spirits are a great source of inspiration to Mama and me. You have certainly risen to the challenge, done even better than we expected, and we know that you're not about to stop now. We are encouraged, and we pray that you are encouraged, too, and that you'll have faith for the future, that you won't allow the Enemy to magnify your faults and weak areas, but instead that you'll focus on how well you're doing, the steps forward you've made, and the fact that you now have a stronger FD Home than you did a year ago. That's really something to be happy about.
4. You might have been a bit destabilized by getting some low scores in the October Home review, and you might be pretty worried about the next review in April. Please don't worry; worrying won't help you keep the vision and determination you need to go the distance. We'll talk in this Letter about some plans that we pray will help your Home in the area of spiritual shepherding, but I want to start by asking you to please not let the Enemy use any low scores you received on the Home review to discourage you. Any feelings of condemnation, insecurity, criticalness, failure or sadness will only bring you down and take away your power. Those feelings are not of the Lord; they're from the Enemy. The Devil is the one that makes you want to zero in on all your lacks, so that you'll get so involved in thinking about how you're missing the mark that you hardly have time or energy to devote to pulling yourself up and improving. If he could get you to lose faith, he'd be quite happy about that, as he knows that faith has creative power, that faith will help you to rise above, and that faith is the key to doing the impossible. He fears your faith almost more than anything else!
5. So don't give the Devil the satisfaction of seeing you down and discouraged; don't let him hear you lament or get negative. Resist anything that's not positive and full of faith, and you'll see miracles—and these will be continued and additional miracles. You have already been blessed with lots of miracles—miracles of yieldedness, unity in your Homes, attacking initiative, and understanding a lot more about what the Lord is expecting of Family discipleship Homes, not just in theory but in actual practice. You're really going places‚ so don't lose sight of that fact!
6. Don't let the needs of today and tomorrow overshadow all that the Lord has already helped you to do and accomplish. In fact, you'd probably be pretty amazed if you were to think back a year or two and list all the ways you've become so much more a sample of full-time discipleship. It's pretty awesome, so don't be afraid to let the Lord and Mama and me commend you and congratulate you! We truly are proud of you, and we understand that it's been tough, which makes the progress you've made all the more valuable.
7. Thank you for hanging on, for believing and for not quitting. You've come a long way already‚ but there are bigger and better miracles coming! There's so much to look forward to, so please don't lose faith; don't let go of that Heavenly currency that is better than cash, better than credit, better than the riches you can see.
8. (Jesus:) Congratulations, My wonderful Family. Bravo! I'm so proud of you, as are your king and queen. I applaud you for your victories, and I commend you for your dedication. Thank you for rising to the occasion and doing all you can as obedient, faithful disciples and brides. You have done well, very well, and I am pleased.
9. Don't lose faith, My loves, because according to your faith, it will be done unto you (Mat.9:29). That means if you have faith to keep improving, then you will. Remember, as a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Pro.23:7a). If you see yourselves as on-fire, united, happy, determined disciples who are professional in your commitments to Me, strong in your spiritual lives, solid in your work ethic, focused in your goals‚ and willing to go the limit to cross that finish line of victory, then that will be your reality‚ that will be your future!
10. When you make conscious decisions to change, to do more, to go further, those decisions have power. They actually propel you forward and upward, like being shot from a giant slingshot into the bull's eye of My will. I know that having meetings and Home Council discussions, praying about and confirming your plans‚ and following up on your goals is all hard work and it can get pretty tedious at times. But that is important, because those first acts of saying yes, making the commitment to do My will‚ and putting landing gear on your commitments really count. That's when you go from just being poised in the slingshot, ready and waiting‚ to actually being flung into the sky with speed and grace, riding on the winds of My blessing.
11. So if you're feeling that things are not going fast enough for you, if you think you're lagging behind, if you wonder if you'll make it to the goal of the FD standard at the designated time, just picture your happy Home coasting high above the cares of this life on the breeze of My Spirit, and be assured that I will carry you along. I will bless your yieldedness; I will make the impossible become possible for you. Just hang on to My hand and enjoy the scenery, and visualize yourselves at the goal. Then slowly but surely you'll find yourselves making the progress and changes you have desired, and it won't be a work of the flesh with strain, tension and stress; it will be the fulfillment of My promises to you.
12. You're on your way to success, and I will enhance the time and effort you put into strengthening your weak areas as you continue to make good decisions and commitments. Each day is a new challenge, each day is a new opportunity to be flung into the current of My will to soar high and free in My Spirit. Let Me do it for you. Have faith! (End of message.)
13. You see, dear Family? The Lord is happy with your decisions and progress, and so are Mama and I. We pray you're able to see how far you've come, and that that realization gives you hope for the future and faith that you can keep going. Praise our wonderful Lover!
14. The details of the changes in the governing of the Homes, with the forming of the Home Steering Councils‚ the separation of the management and shepherding bodies, coaches being implemented, etc.‚ were first presented in "Getting Stronger, Part 2" (ML #3518, GN 1109). When Mama and I announced those changes in that GN, we knew we'd need to come back to these aspects of Family life to evaluate them, to see if these changes and this part of the restructuring of the Family were indeed having the desired effect and bringing about the continued strengthening needed.
15. Mama and I and the RSs, IBCs and RBCs went into the Family restructuring with the clear understanding that with changes of that magnitude, it's not humanly possible to foresee every need and anticipate every detail. Hence, the need to monitor. By that we mean asking those on the field for their input, those who are directly involved and who see the details of the problems and roadblocks, and then taking it back to the Lord for more insight and possible adjustments. We're at that stage now.—Not that we're revamping the whole program or making huge changes. These are merely tweaks to the existing program. That doesn't mean the plan is wrong or that something is terribly amiss, it's just that we're now seeing some areas that need help that were not apparent when the restructuring was implemented.
16. I'll include an excerpt of "What Really Matters to Me" as a review of why Mama and I were led to make some changes so quickly, which means there were points that weren't "perfect‚" but that's okay, as long as we keep checking in with our Answer Man and making the needed adjustments or modifications.
When the Lord showed us that our Titanic was sinking, we didn't have a lot of time to plan and prepare and figure out every detail of exactly how things were going to be structured or wind up in the end. We had to follow the Lord step by step, and we had to do it immediately. We couldn't wait around to try to figure out the end from the beginning. It was an emergency—the Family was in danger of becoming an ineffective and stagnant part of the church system through our compromises, and losing our place as the Lord's Endtime Bride.
When we received that message from the Lord—and many confirmations‚ of course—we knew we had to take action immediately and take the steps the Lord was showing us to take. It's been a step-by–step process from there. …
Things have often moved faster than we would have liked over the last year or two, but it was and is wartime, and the Lord has assured us repeatedly, at each step, that we had to move ahead even if every detail wasn't quite figured out yet. It was important for the Family to do an "about–face," and even the upheaval that these changes have caused is an important part of the Lord's plan to shake us out of our ruts and get us started on a new path. …
Even though the basic structure is in place‚ we know we still have a lot of work to do. This structure, the criteria, and the grading system for the Home reviews are all new, and while we have full faith that we are going in the direction the Lord wants us to go, we also know that the Lord often works with us step by step, and that with time He will probably show us to make adjustments. There will probably need to be minor changes to make things more doable or accurate, and there will probably be other things that the Lord shows us to raise the standard in or further clarify what the intent or meaning is‚ so that we truly become the winning teams we're meant to be (ML #3555:49,50,51,55, GN 1143).
17. Mama and I are eager to make any needed improvements related to the restructuring and spiritual shepherding so that things can get off to a good start in 2006. We know you're working hard to improve in your Home reviews, and quite a bit of improvement is still needed. Therefore, if there are changes that will help provide you with the counsel, direction, or safeguards you need, then the sooner we can make those changes the better.
18. As you know, the Lord put a lot of emphasis on the need to improve the spiritual shepherding of our FD Homes when He explained the need for the restructuring of the Family. Much improvement is still needed in this area. Overall, Homes did worse in the CS board Home review than other boards. Only 33% of the FD Homes worldwide passed the CS board Home review in October 2005. While this isn't a big surprise, it is something to think about and work to improve. It's to be expected that the CS Home review would not be strong at this time, since that was the area in our FD Homes that was the source of the "leaks" when our Titanic was sinking. Lack of consistent quality spiritual shepherding was the major weakness that was causing our ship to take on water, and it's understandable that such significant problems can't be fixed very quickly. It takes time, attention, and a lot of hard work.
19. So we're not surprised that the CS board Home review scores were low, but when you analyze the situation, it becomes clear that there are reasons for those low scores, and unless those reasons are looked at and unless changes are made to get to the root of the problem, the scores will not improve‚ which means the FD Homes will not be deeply strengthened in the area of spiritual shepherding.
20. The low scores on the CS board Home review drew our attention, and it was obvious that we needed to give some thought and prayer to any changes that needed to be made or counsel that could be given to help you in this area. Before I go further, I want to clarify that even if your Home did pass the CS board review, you are probably still in need of some improvement. So please try to tune in to this counsel and give it thought and prayer. Chances are pretty good that your Home shepherds still need to invest more time in studying the Home Shepherd Training Program and lovingly shepherding your Home, so they'll not just be putting out fires or handling shepherding crises, but shepherding proactively.
21. One RS commented:
I feel that all Homes could stand to make considerable improvement; almost all Homes fall short of the ultimate vision and goal of how Homes should be shepherded. We're seeing in our Home that it's a continual learning process. We felt that some Homes over–graded themselves and passed, and that even some of those Homes that passed could still progress much more in the level, quality and consistency of their shepherding. (End of comment.)
22. The coaches took a break from their coaching duties over the Christmas and New Year witnessing season. They had approximately six weeks during which they focused on their own Homes and Christmas outreach. The only coach-related work that they were asked to do during that time was to help us to monitor the effect of the coach program to-date, by means of their coach report to their RBC in December. In that report they were sent some specific questions soliciting their comments and ideas regarding how they felt the coach program could be more effective, what they felt were weaknesses in the overall program, and how it could be jump-started in 2006. The RBCs of the CS board also reported on these topics.
23. This provided the international CS board with a lot of current information‚ the equivalent of about 75 GN pages of comments and prophecies, which they studied, discussed, and prayed about. They then made some proposals to Mama and me regarding a few suggested changes, and further prayer and counsel was given to the topic until conclusions were reached regarding some needed adjustments.
24. Now I'd like to explain the changes that will go into effect. I'm addressing these points in this Letter because they have to do with the restructuring of the Family, and therefore everyone needs to know about them and understand the reasoning behind them.
25. After study, analysis, counsel, and prayer regarding the needs of the coach program and the restructuring, it was confirmed that the general plan and implementation of the coach program is going well overall. As you know, there are a number of safeguards in place that help to ensure that the coach program stays on track and meets its mandate. For instance, the coaches are required to put three days per week into their coaching ministry; they regularly receive input and counsel from their CS RBCs; and they are required to report monthly and to frequent the coach section of the CS MOv3 site. While all of the coaches are new to their jobs, these safeguards help to ensure that they are growing and maturing and usually available to meet the need. So that's all good news!
26. We really appreciate the job you're doing, dear coaches, and it's making a difference. And we also appreciate you Home members in the Homes where coaches live; you are making quite a sacrifice to allow one of your members to do the coach job. It takes a lot of time and focus, and we know that what that boils down to is that one of your key Home members who is talented, prayerful, and skilled in many ministries isn't able to contribute as much to your Home. In some ways it might look like your Home is "taking a hit" for the coach's job, and that has some truth to it. You are making a definite sacrifice and it does cost each of you personally and your Home as a whole to allow a coach to carry on his or her coaching duties while living in your Home.
27. Mama and I are very grateful that you're willing to make those sacrifices. We do appreciate it, and we believe that you'll start to see the results of your coach's efforts much more in this year than in the last months, and you'll soon start seeing more "evidence" that your sacrifice has been worth it. Because you have been willing to make those sacrifices by faith, the Lord is going to bless you. He will make it up to you, if He hasn't already.
28. We also very much appreciate you who have taken on the positions of Home shepherds and Home managers. We realize you're busy people‚ and some of you took on these positions even if you weren't so familiar with the job or maybe it wasn't your "cup of tea." But you were willing to do it to help build a winning team in your Home, and that's very admirable. From comments we've heard from many sources, there is also the phenomenon in the Homes where you're moving people around in your Steering Councils, switching people from shepherd to manager, or vice versa, or perhaps some of your Steering Council members have left your Home so you've had to elect others. That takes a lot of flexibility and faith, too, and we are thankful that you're willing to work to make this new way of managing and shepherding your Home a reality. Thank you for working hard and praying hard and trying the best you can. It's still a learning experience, it takes experimentation and patience, and we're thankful that you're sticking to it. There are probably difficult moments, but we know it will get easier and smoother with time.
29. From the input we've received, it's clear that the weak areas in our FD Homes are varied, and there's no across-the-board simple description of where we need to improve. Each Home is strong in some things and weak in others; it varies from Home to Home. However‚ there are some areas of weakness which have been affecting the overall spiritual shepherding in the Homes, and those are the ones we want to zero in on in this Letter.
30. However, in pointing out these areas that we need to work on and find solutions for‚ we're not implying that all our FD Homes are in need of change in each and every one of these points. I'm sure when you think about this and discuss it as a Home, the Lord will show you what you need to do to continue to do better. This list isn't comprehensive, and you might see other areas in your Home that need to improve or change that are not listed here.
31. Some of the problems that were reported that hinder the coach program and the spiritual shepherding of the Homes are:
32. > Insufficient time on the part of the Home shepherds. Many Home shepherds don't have enough time to devote to shepherding the individuals in their Home and monitoring the CS board criteria and the shepherding aspects of the other boards. We understand that you Home shepherds are very busy people. We know that you're dedicated and want to do a good job. But we also realize that you are disadvantaged by circumstances in your Home, mainly that many or most of you have other ministries and responsibilities to attend to‚ so you don't find the time you need for the shepherding job. Many of you still don't see shepherding as a ministry, and as a result you don't give it the priority and time that it requires. Some of you also have habits, mindsets, or ways of operating that you've had for years, which cause you to use your time inefficiently or unwisely, not to organize and schedule your time, or follow through with good use of the time you are given—and that's a hard thing to overcome too.
33. > There is a tug of war in the Homes where the Home shepherds' attention is pulled from one direction to another, because in many cases the Home shepherds have a lot of other responsibilities, and those responsibilities can't just be ignored or dropped.
34. What happens in many cases, from what we've heard, is that the Home shepherds continue on with other ministries‚ many of which they have been involved in for years and which are full-time ministries in themselves—outreach, fundraising, provisioning, driving‚ teaching or childcare, being board members, providing services to the area, specialized ministries, etc.—to the point that they really don't have much time at all for spiritual shepherding. Some Home shepherds try to do the Home shepherding job in their "free time." Obviously, that doesn't work well and it doesn't provide enough time to do the job of shepherding right, not to mention the fact that it's very stressful for the Home shepherds. But these other ministries are important, all of them. So that is a very real dilemma.
35. > A lack of communication between the coaches and the Home shepherds. This has made it difficult for some coaches to effectively do their job, which is to help you to do yours! You have to give some feedback and indication of how things are going and your needs, in order for your coach to know how to offer help, counsel and prayers.
36. We understand that communicating with your coach has not been required of you Home shepherds, so you might not have realized this was important. But a majority of the coaches commented that this was one of the main things that hindered their being able to adequately coach those in their coaching circle.
37. > A few of the coaches have not been as available as some Home shepherds would have liked, due to the coaches' other work, travels, or personal emergencies, etc. And some feel that the coaches have been rather timid or overly cautious in their interactions with the Home shepherds.
38. > Some of the CS RBCs have not been able to tune in to the coaches in their area as much as they would have liked, again, due to other timely work‚ travels, SWIFTs, attending the Academy International, etc.
39. > Many Home shepherds still don't completely understand what their job entails. As I articulated in "Getting Stronger, Part 2," being a Home shepherd is a ministry and it requires time (ML #3518:246-263‚ GN 1109). But exactly what a new-day Home shepherd does on a daily or weekly basis is still unclear to many, and that's understandable, as you FD Homes are switching to a new way of running your Homes, with managers and shepherds‚ and you're learning to divide the work and give needed attention to a lot of areas. It's just a big job and a big change.
40. > FD Homes are extremely busy places with a multitude of ministries; on top of that, you have had a lot to take in as far as instruction and requirements with the restructuring, there are six boards to focus on, and you're just getting your bearings, so it takes time and sometimes experimentation.
41. > The Home Shepherd Training Program (HSTP) has not been required, and therefore some of you Home shepherds have not taken sufficient time to study it, which is a natural reaction when you're faced with the ongoing daily needs of the Home. This lack of going through the HSTP thoroughly is another major reason why the Home shepherds don't understand what their job entails.
42. > Some Home shepherds are lacking in computer skills that would facilitate your being able to go online to download the HSTP or to communicate with your coach. Or you don't have your own computer, and have little time to access the Home's one computer. Or some Home shepherds don't speak English well enough (if the program hasn't been translated into the local language) to feel it's worth your time to participate fully in the HSTP.
43. > A few Home shepherds have had to wait a very long time for their log-on information, despite many requests and CQs. (Note: We're very sorry about that. This problem will be remedied before or shortly after this is published.)
44. Those are some of the main problems as far as we have been able to analyze and according to what the Lord has confirmed. So after extensive prayer and counsel regarding how to overcome these obstacles, the Lord has led us to make a few changes. These changes do not address all these problems. We will need to come back to some of them at a later date, as neither you nor we can take on all of these at once. So we need to take it step by step. But we felt a few adjustments at this point would provide another boost to the restructuring, without putting you under too much pressure.
45. Let's talk about how you can determine if your Home shepherds have time to do the job, and if they don't, how they can find the time. Here is a comment from a CS RBC that explains the complexities of the Home shepherds finding the time needed to do their job of spiritually shepherding.
46. I think one of the main issues that needs to be addressed, both for the sake of improving the Home shepherds' shepherding of the Homes and thus the upping of their CS review scores‚ as well as the Home shepherds' communications with and benefiting from the coaches' help, is the time that the Home shepherds actually put into their shepherding responsibilities. From what I can tell, the Home shepherds are also involved in many other aspects of the Homes, from being busy parents, being the teachers of their or others' kids, outreach, and other Home duties. In many cases these are things which they were doing before the new Home Steering Council structure was introduced, separating the shepherding from the management bodies, and since then many have not been able to make the switch or be freed sufficiently from their other Home responsibilities in order to give more time to shepherding.
47. I feel there are quite a few things which are either requirements or expectations of Home shepherds at this point, and it all adds up to a lot of time, which the Home shepherds are not finding. Some of these are: meetings with their Home's Steering Council to counsel and pray about overall Home decisions or direction; meetings with the other Home shepherds to counsel and pray about both the overall Home's shepherding needs as well as individual shepherding needs; P&Ps regarding individual shepherding needs; personal talk times with individuals; time to go through the HSTP, both to listen to the classes, read the accompanying Word, hear from the Lord and write reactions; and communicate with the coaches, both to send them their HSTP P&Ps and reactions and anything important or timely regarding the shepherding of their Homes. Then there is also Word research for individuals as well as for the Home's devotional needs; going over the CS criteria and working to up their standard in the different weak areas, overseeing the spiritual shepherding aspects of the other boards such as the JT and CP boards.
48. There is probably more than that‚ but looking at it all, I feel that it is a lot that we're asking of them. The HSTP and all that taking that course entails, as well as keeping up communications with the coaches and bringing them in to their "teamwork" and availing themselves of their coach's counsel are "extras" that have been added in addition to the shepherding responsibilities they already have. I feel that the shepherding of our Homes is a full-time job on its own, or almost, and some of the coaches commented when learning about their job description and seeing that they would be required to give three days per week for it‚ that the Home shepherds' job is bigger than theirs, but yet the Home shepherds aren't required to take a certain amount of time for it, and the coaches expressed concern that the Home shepherds would be able to dedicate the time to it that is needed.
49. I think our coaches are ready, but the problem is that we're just not getting feedback from the Homes, and I believe it's mainly because of the Home shepherds' lack of time to communicate—and as far as the HSTP goes, to even go through it according to the instructions. Speaking for my own large busy Home‚ I feel this is one of our main lacks and difficulties—trying to adjust the Home shepherds' other responsibilities, some of which they've had for years, in order to give them time to shepherd. Both shepherds of our Home are parents of quite a few children‚ and they have been closely involved in the teaching and oversight of the kids, plus of the JETTs and teens in our Home, for years. To free them from their responsibilities with the children and their own families sufficiently to give them time for the Steering Council and Home shepherd meetings they need to attend each week, for counseling and praying about the Home's and individuals' shepherding needs, plus to go through the HSTP and communicate with their coach, is a lot; and although we have made some progress with giving them more time than they'd previously had, they still don't have enough time for it yet, and we will probably have to pray about bringing in additional personnel in order to make it possible, or else make some other changes with our personnel‚ especially since children and their schooling and oversight isn't something that can just be "dropped."
50. We have also seen when going through the Home reviews that something which the Homes need help with is to realize that when voting someone into a certain Home position, such as Home shepherd, that along with it should come an assessment of whether they can give that person sufficient time to do the job. It's part of overall Home accountability, not just the Home shepherds' responsibility to "find the time" or "make it work" if they are elected. But I don't think Homes have been able to successfully assess their situation to find out what it will mean for them to have adequate shepherding, or to allow those they feel are best suited for the job of Home shepherd to have the time for it.
51. I feel it's something that the Homes need help to address and pray about, to come to grips with, as it seems that in many cases it would mean that either they feel the ones they have voted in are definitely the ones who should do the job, and thus they as a Home would need to get desperate to find replacements for any responsibilities the Home shepherds have which are taking the time they need for shepherding; or else they would decide that what those individuals are presently doing is more important and there's no one else to do it, so they would need to choose others for the Home shepherd position, even if they don't feel they are as qualified or capable, yet if they have time and they feel they can learn it through the Word, the HSTP, and the coaching from the coach, then perhaps that's the best plan and the Lord's will.
52. The Homes could assess a reasonable amount of time that could be needed by a Home shepherd to do their job, including the time needed to go through the HSTP‚ which is going to be an investment in the future of their Home's shepherding. They could check the various responsibilities of the Home shepherd portfolio‚ and estimate the time needed for a week or month for their particular Home, and put some "skin" on what the reality of the job is. This could be helpful to the Homes and the Home shepherds in assessing what is needed‚ and then they would have to counsel about how to make it possible, what the Home shepherds' weekly/monthly schedule would look like so they could cover all these bases—or if they can't right now, but they want their present Home shepherds to do the job, then they'd have to pray in people to help with the responsibilities the Home shepherds presently have.
53. I feel this is the state that many Homes are in right now, and one of the main reasons we're not making greater progress with the Home shepherding and role of the coaches. I think that if we explain the goal to the Homes of what it means to be a Home shepherd, it could mean another reassessment by the Homes of their personnel and setup. I think it will take time for some Homes to get the personnel and setup they need in order to make shepherding more the ministry it should be, but that they need to understand what they should be working toward in this area.
54. If Homes more clearly understand what the job of the Home shepherds is, it will help the Home vote in more of a well-rounded team as a shepherding body in the future. (End of comment.)
55. This RBC articulated the challenges well. Mama and I realize that the solutions to the obstacles in providing effective spiritual shepherding are not simple. Your Homes are teeming with activity, everyone is maxed out, and the job of the shepherds is huge, even if that's all they had to do. But if you have shepherds who are also extremely busy in other vital areas of the Home, then something is going to have to give.
56. There is no "quick fix" for this. Some changes will take time—like the scenario mentioned in the preceding comment from the CS RBC about the need for more personnel so all the bases of Home life, witnessing‚ the care of the children, and other specialized ministries that many Homes are involved in can be covered when the Home shepherds dedicate more of their time to the job of spiritual shepherding. But I think we all agree, in principle, that the job of a Home shepherd takes time‚ as explained in "Getting Stronger‚ Part 2" (ML #3518:246-263). Being a Home shepherd is a ministry, and like any ministry, it takes time. Yes, that means they might have to spend more time in prayer and hearing from the Lord, or more time meeting with their HS teamworkers, having prayer, or more time counseling individuals or communicating/meeting with their coach, etc., but you should be happy when you see them doing those things, as they're doing it for you and for your winning team!
57. How much time a Home shepherd needs to do the job depends on many things—the size of your Home, how spiritually strong your Home members are, if your Home is going through any difficulties or problems with disunity or division, if there are any shepherding emergencies, how computer literate the shepherds are, how efficient the Home Steering Council is, etc.
58. I know you're all busy, but I ask that you please take a look at your Home shepherds' responsibilities and see what they can pass on to others, or reassess whether they are the right ones for the job. Or consider how you can share the workload and train others as needed. If you need to find additional personnel in your Homes, that's a big deal‚ too. But please do pray about it. I realize that this solution is a little simplistic in comparison to the details of your Home situations; nonetheless, things in your Home won't improve if you don't realize that it's fundamentally necessary that your Home shepherds have sufficient time to perform their ministry well.
59. And regardless of what route you take, whether you elect less busy members as your Home shepherds or you have your present Home shepherds delegate some of their non-shepherding work to others‚ you'll have to trust the Lord to anoint others for any new responsibilities they take on. Either way, the decision you make will require faith and trust in the Lord's ability to either anoint new people to be trained and fill the shepherding role in your Home, or to help the "mountains" of the work to melt away so that your Home is still able to reach your goals, care for your children, raise finances, and take care of the many other daily duties that go into having a fruitful, winning team.
60. It can't be up to just the Home shepherds or managers to try to make time for the Home shepherds to do their ministry. It's something that will need to be discussed, prayed about‚ and seen as a priority by all Home members‚ and then you'll need to work together to make it happen. And‚ Home shepherds, when your Home does work out time for you to do your ministry‚ the Lord holds you responsible to use that time wisely.
61. And part of the solution, too, might be that you Home shepherds need to be willing to give up some work that you really enjoy, some pet projects or favored ministries, in order to give your ministry of spiritual shepherding the time needed. I know that's tough, but it's a sacrifice that the Lord could very well ask of you. Please be open to this, and seek Him and the counsel of others regarding His will and priority in your life at this time.
62. While it's important that progress is made in this, please don't act hastily. Take the time to really pray and ask the Lord specifically about any changes needed in order to improve the spiritual shepherding in your Home. Don't overreact to this counsel and make quick changes that are not prayed through. If you live in a large Home with many ministries, take time to evaluate all aspects of your work, and consider all angles and the possible repercussions and make sure you're making wise changes, at the Lord's pace.
63. As a CS RBC commented:
64. With such an emphasis on freeing up the shepherds for their job of spiritual shepherding, it could cause some other areas of the Home to be neglected in order to give the Home shepherds the time they need, and the proverbial blanket will be pulled to the other side of the bed. The pendulum really swings in our Homes sometimes, and I'd hate to see lesser-qualified or even non-qualified people being put on children's care or schooling, for instance, and that falling behind or becoming below par and the kids suffering, or any number of other areas that the Home shepherds are involved in.
65. Although we want the Homes to act on this counsel and for changes to come about so that the Home shepherds have the time they need, yet I don't think we want them to make decisions which would have a detrimental effect on other areas or criteria.—And I think this could mainly happen if the Homes try to implement this "right away" rather than prayerfully assessing their situation and setting goals, whether it be to train someone who is already in the Home for things the Home shepherds are doing, or to advertise for more personnel to make it possible, or even to decide that they won't be able to make it with their present team and they need to break up their Home or make changes in some other way.
66. I think it would be good to emphasize that they do have a number of months to work on these things until they will be judged in the October 2006 review. [The October 2006 review is when a failing grade in the CS board will mean that your Home moves to consequences.] If their Home failed the CS review, then they probably have many areas related to spiritual shepherding that they need to improve in. And making time for the Home shepherds to do the job‚ plus taking the HSTP course and availing themselves of their coach's help‚ are keys to helping them improve.
67. But I think it's important that they really pray about their situation, and that, as much as possible, they make prayerful solid decisions in how to go about this, even if it takes a few months to implement, so that they can bring this about without causing a big ripple effect in their Home that would affect other areas negatively. Perhaps there are some areas of some Homes which wouldn't matter too much if they were dropped or lessened, which would most likely have to happen if everyone in a Home is already stretched thin and yet the Home shepherds need more time. Perhaps there are projects which are "nice and good," but not priority at this time, and which can be dropped in order to free up some time for the Home shepherds.
68. But if major changes are needed, then I think we should encourage the Homes to make them prayerfully, to take all aspects into consideration, and while not procrastinating, yet not jerking either, and doing the best they can to not allow other criteria standards to fall while trying to meet this one. (End of comment.)
69. Again‚ these are good insightful comments. Please seriously consider whether your Home shepherds have the time necessary to do a good thorough job of spiritually shepherding your Home. I think a wise starting place for your discussions would be to take the attitude that they probably don't have sufficient time. Few Home shepherds have enough time. So few Homes passing the CS board Home review is a pretty good indication that things are not going well in this aspect of Home life. So please don't just read this counsel and then go on about your work. Think about it, discuss it, pray about it, and make wise decisions.
70. Also, on the other side of the comment you read earlier about how some Home shepherds are rather limited in what they can do if they are parents, because they're so busy‚ please don't rule out parents for the position of Home shepherd.
71. One CS RBC commented:
72. If a Home shepherd is a parent and has quite a few small children or a large family, and the Home elects them to be a Home shepherd, as they feel those parents are the most qualified for the job, then it is a wonderful chance for that Home to put the One Wife vision into effect‚ as it may require giving them more help with their children than would perhaps normally be the case. I've heard comments from one Home recently that held their elections that some people were saying, "I don't feel that any of the parents should be elected to be Home shepherds, as really, they should just stick to taking care of their children."
73. While it could be said that the parents' primary responsibility is to raise and take care of their children, it would be pretty unwise to just disqualify all parents from any Home shepherding responsibilities. Some of the most effective Home shepherds I know are busy parents of many children, and they do a great job. But they do receive the help they need with their children from others in the Home, as otherwise they wouldn't be able to do it. In other words, if the Home considers them the best choice to be Home shepherds, then for the sake of the Home and Home accountability, besides just the fact that we should all be living One Wife and the Law of Love more in our Homes and lives, it's a perfect chance to put some of those spiritual principles into effect.
74. People can go from one extreme to another‚ and it's important that they really pray and seek the Lord about who their Home shepherds should be and how they can accommodate that, instead of just discounting parents, who could in fact do a very good job of shepherding the Home if they just received some extra help. (End of comment.)
75. When explaining the restructuring of the Family in "Getting Stronger, Part 4," it was made clear that Home shepherds are not required to follow the counsel of their coach. That GN says:
76. "The Home shepherds do not have to do what the coach says. Granted, the coach will probably have good input and ideas‚ and if they're wise they'll at least be open to considering the coach's counsel and putting it in the 'prayer pot,' but they are not obligated to do as the coach suggests" (ML #3544b:320‚ GN 1135).
77. We did not, however, expect that the way this would play out would be that many Home shepherds would not have much contact at all with their coaches, for whatever reason.
78. Also‚ when the HSTP was launched, Home shepherds were not required to go on the CS site or to progress through the program at a specific pace. We also did not anticipate that there would be many Home shepherds who would not participate in the training program—whether that was a conscious choice, or whether it was a choice because of their just not making space for it in their busy schedules and lives. We assumed there would be eager participation and that making the HSTP mandatory was not necessary.
79. The lack of Home shepherds' communication with their coaches and their lack of taking full advantage of the HSTP have posed some serious problems that were commented on repeatedly by the coaches and CS RBCs, and many wondered if it might be the Lord's will to add a few more requirements to the Home shepherds' responsibilities.
80. After seeing‚ from the preponderance of comments, that some Home shepherds are not in communication with their coaches and are handicapped by their lack of participation in the HSTP, the Lord has now led Mama and me to change the original counsel. Home shepherds are still not required to do what their coach says. The coaches are still counselors and helpers who have no authority over your decisions. However, with the publishing of this Letter, all Home shepherds will now be required to participate in the HSTP and the coach program.
81. What this means is that all Home shepherds will be required to have access to the HSTP, either by means of logging on to the MOv3 site to download the program, or, if necessary, by receiving a CD in the mail with the full HSTP on it (not just the audios). (Note: If you Home shepherds need a CD with the full HSTP, you can request it from your shepherding desk.)
82. Also, all Home shepherds will be required to communicate with their coach in the form of sending the coach their reactions and personal prophecies related to the HSTP (either by e-mail or on tape or written out and sent via normal mail, if needed). One Home shepherd of the shepherding body will also need to answer, at least briefly, any questions the coach may send them regarding the shepherding needs of their Home. And Home shepherds should be available (within reason) if the coach would like to meet with the Home shepherds in his or her coaching circle. (Please see the counsel later in this Letter as to the timetable of these requirements.)
83. These changes do not alter the fundamental principle of the coach program that coaches have no authority over the decisions of the Home shepherds. Home shepherds are still under no obligation to do what the coach says when it comes to your personal decisions or those related to your Home or the spiritual shepherding of your Home members. Your coach is a counselor, a helper, and you are free to go according to your own faith as your Home's elected shepherding teamwork, as the Lord leads. That has not changed and it's important that you understand that.
84. What has changed‚ however‚ is that you Home shepherds cannot decide to not participate in the HSTP, nor can you not be in contact with your coaches. The Lord explains why this is vital in the following message.
85. (Jesus:) Keeping in touch with your coach is very important. It's key to a program that I personally inspired for the sake of the Family. Sure, it takes time‚ and in some cases it may not be that easy to do. It's a sacrifice, just like many other good things that I send your way, but I am pleased with those of you who do, and I show My pleasure by the blessings your Home receives‚ both physically and spiritually.
86. Staying in touch with your coach includes answering their e-mails; it means sending them your personal P&Ps and reactions from the HSTP as you study through the course; it means meeting with your coach if and when you can. It means taking advantage of a program that I put in place for specific reasons—to help you, the Home shepherds, do a better job of shepherding your Homes. The coach program is valuable; it's key to your Home's success, as is your study of the HSTP.
87. The HSTP is a rare jewel‚ and it's sad that it's not being seen for what it's worth. Eventually it will catch on, but the progress being made right now is too slow, and not enough emphasis is being put on it. This needs to change.
88. I am leading you, My king and queen, to make the HSTP a required program for all those in Home shepherding. I want Homes to support the HSTP by making it possible for their shepherds to study it, and they need to have faith that it is not time lost but time gained, because they are going to reap the fruits of their shepherds' training directly. Most Home members won't know the details of what the HSTP contains, but they can take it by faith that it's good, and when they begin seeing the changes in their Home, the results of better shepherding‚ they are going to thank Me for it.
89. Give the HSTP all the backing you can and do whatever it's going to take to get it into the hands of each Home shepherd. Part of the solution is putting a significant emphasis on coaches and Home shepherds being trained in how to access the HSTP material from the MOv3 site.
90. You Home shepherds don't have to be computer buffs, but knowing what it takes to access the Word and training that's been made available to you is the least you can do. You're going to need to pray to get over any mindsets you have that it can't be done, or that "computers are not my thing" or that you can't learn the basics of Internet use and e–mail. You can learn, and you will if you're serious about your work for Me—shepherding. (End of message.)
91. Another hindrance to the coach program and some Home shepherds participating in the HSTP, as was mentioned in the prophecy you just read, is that many shepherds lack computer skills. Many don't understand much about how to "get online" to have Internet access to the MOv3, about sending and receiving e-mail, or about PGP encryption, or have limited typing skills, etc. I realize that these things can be pretty daunting‚ and some people feel it's beyond them, that they just can't understand it, that it's "not their thing."
92. Please understand that those who are Home shepherds will need to learn to access the MOv3 site, they'll need to be able to communicate through e-mail, and they'll need to know the basics of computer use. We're not asking that Home shepherds know a lot or become whizzes, just the basics that are needed to do the job, to communicate, and to access the MOv3 site.
93. We don't want to push you beyond your faith, but the fact is that there's important training that all Home shepherds need on the MOv3 or through e-mail communication, and part of that training is only available if you can use a computer. It's clear that those who are not taking advantage of their coach and the HSTP are already lagging behind, and if that continues they will soon be left far behind. So, simply put, Home shepherds must know the minimum about computers so that they're able to keep up with critical or timely input, study, communications, and reporting.
94. Shepherding is a matter of the heart and an anointing which the Lord gives, and as such, the ability to be one of the Lord's shepherds or shepherdesses is not directly linked to computer knowledge‚ but rather to your knowledge of our Husband and His ways and Word, and your link with Him. However, in order to learn the Lord's present methods of new-day shepherding for the Family of today, the training and help and counsel you need is directly tied in with your ability to link up with your coach as well as to avail yourself of the HSTP. So‚ the intent of this is to explain that things are changing in the Family, and knowing how to use a computer is pretty important, at least the basics.
95. There will be more discussion on how to train people in the use of computers, and we realize you need help. Some countries have very slow Internet services and downloading files is time-consuming and expensive. But sometimes it's not that complicated or expensive, and sometimes it's just a matter of learning a few things and then you'll discover that a lot of great training is available.
96. We are asking your regional leadership to try to see what can be done to help you who need help, but please understand that there isn't a board or official desk or person who is responsible to help people who have computer problems. So in the meantime, try to see if there's someone in your area who can help you and answer your questions. Try to take some personal initiative, and I know the Lord will bless you.
97. One RS commented:
Shepherding is not the only area which is held back by lack of computer skills at the Home level. I think almost every board would benefit greatly from increased computer literacy in our Homes. I think a lack of incentive is at least part of the problem in many cases. I've worked with people for several years in some cases and they just haven't had much of a desire to learn about computers, until one day someone they are in communication with‚ such as their kids, says that they are only reachable by e–mail from now on, and presto, they learn quite quickly how to communicate via the Internet. To several people I know personally this has also been a significant boost to their self–esteem; they felt good about tackling something they thought was beyond their reach and finding out that they were up to the task.
98. Also, when I talk about "being in touch with your coach," that doesn't mean a lot of long detailed written communications with your coaches or extensive reports‚ as we know that's very time-consuming, especially if you're not a good typist; but you should work toward learning to type, get online, access the MOv3 site, as well as be able to send and receive notes from your coach, to keep him abreast, as least briefly, of needs or situations in your Home, send prophecies you have received, etc. I know this can be really scary for some people, and some of you have mental blocks, but here are some really inspiring new key promises related to computer use.
99. Where there's a will there's a way when it comes to computer knowledge, and if you call on the keys of understanding you will have increased insight‚ clarity, and retention needed for learning to use a computer.
100. None of My brides is too old or too dumb to learn to type or learn the basics of computers, PGP encryption, and the use of the Internet when you call on the keys of knowledge and skill.
101. If you have a mental block about using computers, I will break down the mental inhibitions through the keys of faith, determination and vision.
102. You can retain what you are taught and put it to good use through the keys of action and understanding.
103. All things related to computer skills will come more easily for you when you call on the keys of witty inventions.
104. Ask Me to increase your vision‚ through the keys of revelation and futuristic insight, and I will give you greater faith to expand your computer knowledge for My glory.
105. Those of you who are called to teach others regarding the use of computers and the Internet will have the patience‚ wisdom‚ and clarity needed, as you call on the keys of the Kingdom.
106. As you who are skilled in computers give of your time to help others, I will supply your own needs abundantly, in the ways you most appreciate.
107. It is My pleasure to supply My brides with the computers you need, as you put Me first, seek My Kingdom‚ and give your lives in service to others.
108. The idea was put forth by a number of coaches and CS RBCs that perhaps the Home shepherds need mandated days for shepherding, like the coaches have. Putting required work hours in place for Home shepherds was a possibility‚ and even though we had brought this question to the Lord before, as explained in "Getting Stronger, Part 2" (ML #3518:247-263), we seriously considered it again. But after a lot of prayer and discussion‚ the Lord indicated that would be a strain for your Homes and would really pull on your Homes' personnel if Home shepherds, of which there are so many, were not available to do any other ministries for x days each week. This is especially true of those Homes that house coaches, as they devote three days a week to their coaching duties.
109. All Home members are busy. Many, including you Home managers, carry big loads in the Home, and some are maxed out; so we felt that would be a pretty heavy load right now and would make you feel boxed in and pressured. All the other Home ministries are also important and need allotted time to fulfill‚ and we understand that it's generally a juggle for all of you to fit in all that you need to fit in.
110. However, it's not acceptable that you're a Home shepherd but you don't devote time to the ministry, but instead put all your other work in the Home first, and then try to eke out a few minutes here and there for shepherding. That approach to Home shepherding will not have good results. Neither is it very practical, however, to lay down strict requirements of hours for Home shepherds, as each Home is so different. While having required work hours or days for Home shepherds might be needed in the future, and we're not ruling it out, we first wanted to try other means to remedy the problem. So, rather than require x days or hours be spent on spiritual shepherding by the Home shepherds, the international CS board is going to provide you with an aid to help you keep track of your progress, and hopefully thereby help you to spot the areas of the CS criteria that you need to work on and determine whether you're devoting enough time to spiritual shepherding.
111. By the time this Letter is posted, or soon afterward, the international CS board will have posted what they're calling the "CS Home review worksheet" on the Home shepherd section of the CS site on the MOv3 site. This is a practical aid to help you Home shepherds record the implementation of the CS board criteria. Filling out this worksheet will be required of the CS criteria monitor; it is part of your job. And it's recommended that the other Home shepherds also keep tabs on the worksheet to know how things are going. Your coach can request to be sent copies of your worksheet (not more frequently than once a month). You can send your completed worksheet to your CS RBC at the time of the Home review if you wish to provide further information about the spiritual shepherding of your Home. (If your CS RBC requests that you send in your worksheet at the time of the review, then you are required to do so.)
112. Another purpose of this worksheet is to help you remember what happened during the six-month period of the Home review, so that you have actual facts and records, and you're not just winging it when your Home is filling out the CS board questionnaire‚ which can be more subjective than some of the other board questionnaires. Not only will this worksheet help you to stay a bit more organized regarding the various to-dos of the CS board criteria and help provide a record of your activities‚ but it will fill a double role by providing a report and update for the Home shepherds to the coaches.
113. Quite a few of the coaches and CS RBCs suggested that the Home shepherds be required to fill out some kind of report. After prayer and discussion, the Lord led us to prepare this CS board worksheet instead of a separate report for the Home shepherds to the coaches. This worksheet fills various needs and we don't believe it will be seen as just additional work, because it's actually a tool to help you help your Home pass the CS board Home review, while providing an easy avenue for communication with your coach at the same time.
114. The international CS board wants to explain that these CS board worksheets are not 100% complete and will probably be updated for the next review, but the Lord indicated that having something in your hands today is more important than waiting to give you a more "perfected" version later. So please do try to take advantage of this aid, and we pray it helps you Home shepherds to get a better grasp of your job as well as how it's going with the CS board criteria in your Home. The worksheet is also designed to require the minimum of writing, and to not be a subjective record, but factual, mostly a record of events. While this worksheet doesn't cover every point in the questionnaire, nor every aspect of each point, we pray it is a help. As you know, the Home shepherds are responsible for the spiritual shepherding aspects of the other boards' criteria, but those points are not reflected in the CS board worksheet. That worksheet only reflects the CS board criteria and questionnaire.
115. When we prayed about whether to have mandated work hours or days for the Home shepherds, the Lord said the following:
116. (Jesus:) I love you and know that you truly want to make it easy for the Home shepherds and Homes to be good, and you really want to see them make it. Mandating work hours will only put the Home shepherds in a box‚ because every situation is different. Home shepherds and Homes do feel rather overwhelmed with all that they have had to take care of and pull up in over the last year.
117. I encourage you in putting out the CS board worksheet. This project is of Me and the direction I want you to take, rather than mandating work hours at this time. The point is to train shepherds in knowing how to do the job, what shepherding means, and the time it takes to do it in. They won't learn that by simply requiring that they spend x amount of time shepherding. If they were all advanced enough in shepherding and knew the ins and outs of their job but were simply being delinquent in not doing it, then requiring the work hours would be the solution. But that is not the case with many of the shepherds in the Family right now. (End of message.)
118. In order to help these changes take root, there will be some new questions added to the CS board Home review questionnaire for the April 2006 review. Those questions will ask if all of the Home shepherds in your Home are participating in the HSTP and in touch with your coach. "Being in touch with the coach" means the Home shepherds sending in their prophecies and reactions from the HSTP to the coach, and at least one of the Home shepherds answering the coach's questions, either by phone or e–mail or personal meetings. We realize that a Home shepherding body might divide the responsibilities, and we certainly don't expect that every single Home shepherd would answer the same e-mail from the coach; that would not be practical. But we do pray that an overall increase in communication, unity, teamworking and camaraderie will develop between coaches and Home shepherds.
119. Your coach will also be asking you Home shepherds about how many of the HSTP packages you've completed (that means followed through on in their entirety, not just listened to the audio files), and that information will be provided to your CS RBC and will continue to be monitored.
120. Some of the RBCs commented that it would be good to formulate a more specific plan for the pace that you Home shepherds would be expected to go through the HSTP, because right now it's only been stated that it's a one-year course. The international CS board will consider outlining the pace for the HSTP more specifically, but for now, just the fact that you've begun will be sufficient. You might, however, hear more on this later.
121. Both questions‚ whether you Home shepherds are participating in the HSTP and whether you're in communication with your coach, will be non-scoring questions for the April 2006 review‚ since we realize you will be reading this in February, which doesn't give you much advance notice if you need to work toward this goal by the time of the April review. By the October 2006 Home review, both of those points will be required and both will be scored questions on the CS board questionnaire‚ and if you Home shepherds are not doing well in those points, your Home's score on the CS review will be affected.
122. As you might already be aware, as an aid to help your coach to help you improve in the CS Home review in April 2006‚ the CS questionnaire for your Home for October 2005 has been sent to your coach. The coaches will use the information in your CS Home review, which questions you were weak in, to help you Home shepherds follow up and to offer suggestions and counsel to help you improve. We pray that is a blessing to you.
123. Some coaches have visited the Home shepherds in their coaching circles, and others mentioned that they are praying about doing the same in order to establish a more personal connection with you. Some of the coaches explained that they feel rather frustrated that they're not able to do more to help you, and they feel if they could get to know you better, if you have more personal interaction, then you'd feel more comfortable soliciting their help, sharing your personal prophecies and prayer requests with them, etc.
124. This is not to say that your coach is obligated to visit or that he/she will feel led to do so. Many circumstances affect such a decision, including finances, travel distances, and the schedules of all involved, etc. Remember that the coaching ministry is not built on visitation, and a coach can be a big help to the Home shepherds in his circle of coaching even without visitation, if good communication is flowing between them. It's just that some have done so and in many cases it's been fruitful. But this is the decision of the coach, and please do not pressure your coach to visit.
125. If your coach does happen to communicate with your Home shepherds and does visit, please try to help them stay within the limits of their authority by not expecting more of them than their position allows. They are not at your Home as VSs. Counseling with‚ getting to know, and doing whatever they can to help the Home shepherds is the job of a coach‚ so please don't expect your coach to tune in to other aspects of the Home, to give you personal counsel or shepherding, or to bring the answers to all your Home's problems.
126. Also, if your coach does visit, try to give your Home shepherds time to meet with the coach, as much as possible. Thank you!
127. Another thing that became clear when analyzing how the Home shepherds are progressing is that the job of the Home shepherds is complicated. I can imagine that with so much information in all the criteria, and your Homes trying to make progress on a number of fronts at the same time, it's hard to keep it all straight. You might be hoping for a detailed job description for Home shepherds‚ one that would spell out everything you're supposed to do from A to Z, but it's not possible right now to provide you with such a document. When the international CS board prayed about this request from some coaches and RBCs, the Lord explained that your job is already defined in the Word‚ the criteria, and the Charter, and that it's your responsibility to study and familiarize yourself with your duties.
128. But if you were to note some of the main responsibilities of a Home shepherd, generally speaking‚ painting with a broad brush, a Home shepherd's job would consist of the following list, which was put together by the international CS board:
129. Give ample time to prayerful study of the Word to gain an in-depth understanding of the direction the Lord is leading so as to be able to help guide your Home spiritually.
130. Have a good working knowledge of the CS board criteria, the Word Basis for the CS board criteria, and the CS board How-to Aids.
131. Have an understanding of the spiritual shepherding aspects of the other boards' criteria. (What is spiritual and what is practical from the other boards' criteria is to be decided by your Home's Steering Council.)
132. See to it that you're doing all you can to help your Home to fulfill the CS board criteria and the spiritual shepherding aspect of the other boards' criteria.
133. Provide spiritual shepherding for the members of your Home, including the members of your Home's Steering Council and any resident coaches.
134. Work together as equals with the managers of your Home, letting them take care of the practical so you can do your job of spiritual shepherding. (Don't try to do both the practical and the spiritual.)
135. Participate in the HSTP (all aspects, not just listening to the audio files). This means having your log-on information for the Home shepherd section of the CS board site and knowing how to access the site.
136. Communicate with your coach (including sending your coach your personal prophecies and reactions to the HSTP, one Home shepherd answering your coach's questions, and trying to accommodate when your coach wants or needs to meet with you).
137. If you are the CS board criteria monitor, fill out the CS board worksheet as a means to record your Home's fulfillment of the CS board criteria.
138. Make copies of your CS board worksheet available to your coach and RBC upon request.
139. Have enough working knowledge of computers to be able to access the HSTP on the MOv3 site‚ and for basic communication with your coach.
140. Have a good working knowledge of the Charter as it relates to the duties of the Home shepherds (or Steering Council) and the procedures that apply to Home life.
141. Dear Home members, please bear this basic list of Home shepherd duties in mind when electing your shepherds. All Home members should be very interested in seeing your Home shepherds do a good job, as that will have a big bearing on whether your Home passes the CS board Home review, which is indicative of whether your Home is staying strong spiritually and you are being well shepherded.
142. At the same time that this is getting posted on the MOv3 site, a compilation from the "Getting Stronger" series will also be posted, which emphasizes the importance of spiritual shepherding, how it is a ministry that requires time, etc. Please review that Word compilation when possible, as I believe that will help to remind you of some important principles that were explained in detail earlier. (Note: Please see "The Need for Spiritual Shepherding," posted on the MOv3 site.)
143. Mama and I are very thankful for you who have taken on the big job of Home management, and we're sure your Home members are as well! You carry a huge load, and by talking so much about the need for Home shepherds to have time for their jobs, we don't mean to minimize how busy you are and what a big load you carry. Your ministries are crucial to the success of a good FD Home, and without your diligence, faithfulness, expertise, and hard work‚ our Homes would fall apart, or at least not function very well. Thank you for doing a good job. Thank you for making sure the physical and practical running of your Home is going well.
144. "Getting Stronger," Parts 2 and 4 (ML #3518:157-161; ML #3544:417-443), explained that Home managers and Home shepherds are to work as equals. You have different jobs, but you're all equally important and needed. The reason I'm writing this regarding the Home shepherds' needs is because it's an area that the Lord is emphasizing at this point, in order to help your Homes do better in fulfilling the CS board criteria. But that doesn't minimize the importance of the role you Home managers play. We can't only have good spiritual shepherding; we need good management and organization too! Mama and I do, however, really appreciate your doing anything you can to try to help the changes I've talked about here come to pass.
145. But making these changes a reality is not just the responsibility of the Home managers. All FD Home members are accountable for the state of their Homes. All FD Home members should be concerned about their Home shepherds having time to do their job. All FD Home members should be concerned that they're getting their talk times and spiritual shepherding, that the Home's devotions and prayer days and Word–based activities are quality events‚ that the Home shepherds are communicating with their coach and progressing through the HSTP. All FD Home members should be concerned about these things‚ because your Home's spiritual state will be reflected in how well these and many other aspects of the CS board criteria are doing.
146. But I want to ask you Home managers especially to be mindful of these needed changes and to please do all you can as a Steering Council to decide how much time the Home shepherds will need for their jobs. And as was articulated by the CS RBC earlier in this Letter, it would be well worth it if you were, as a Steering Council, able to figure out what your Home shepherds will need to do and how much time it will take, so you can work with them and the Home members to draw up a realistic schedule for them, daily, weekly, and monthly.
147. I'm not sure how much time you Home managers have, but if you can find the time, the international CS board would like to make three more audios that I recorded for the HSTP available to you for your additional training. You can ask your Home shepherds to give you the audios on the following topics: "People Handling_05," "Being Spirit Led_07," and "Living Acts 2:44,45_12." We pray this is a blessing to you and we pray you're able to arrange time to study these audios.
148. As you know, the Home shepherd training packages were created to help train the Home shepherds in the job of spiritually shepherding the Home and Home members. Please keep that in mind, because otherwise the way you apply this counsel to your job of management might be slightly skewed. We want to avoid the jobs of the Home shepherds and managers becoming blurred. That would be counterproductive. One reason we didn't make these classes available to you earlier was that we wanted to allow more time for the Steering Councils to settle and to learn what the managers' and shepherds' responsibilities are and to learn to work together before giving you Home managers more information that was originally drawn up for the shepherds. But hopefully by now things are settled enough in your working relationship that you can benefit from this counsel without it bringing confusion or conflict to your Steering Council by causing the lines to be blurred between your areas of responsibility.
149. We realize that there is still some lack of clarity when it comes to dividing the spiritual shepherding and the practical matters of managing the Home. There is some overlap, but we trust that as you work to take care of the practical matters, and if you can benefit from these classes and learn to be better people handlers and more spirit-led in your reactions and interactions with others, then your Home will run better, you'll be more successful in your work, and you'll play an active role in helping to avoid conflicts, disunity, or discontentment in your Home.
150. On your next Home prayer day, Mama and I would like to ask that you please focus some of your key-powered prayers on the following requests for the coach program and the strengthening of the Home shepherds and the spiritual shepherding of the FD Homes. Thank you very much!
151. For wisdom in organizing the ministries and work in our FD Homes so that the Home shepherds will have sufficient time to devote to their job of spiritual shepherding, without the other ministries in the Home suffering or getting out of balance as a result.
152. The power of the keys will give you conviction and the proper balance in your leadership responsibilities.
153. That the Home shepherds and Home managers will work well together, and that the Lord will show each Steering Council how to best divide up the spiritual and practical responsibilities.
154. Avail yourself of the keys of anointing so that any task or responsibility of leadership will be blessed with greater understanding, discernment‚ and insight.
155. For unity in the Steering Councils.
156. If you will unite in love, faith and humility, in the power of the keys‚ nothing can stop you. I will supply, heal, deliver, save‚ restore, build, reveal, activate, win and unite.
157. That the Home shepherds will have the time, energy, and spiritual hunger needed to apply themselves to serious consistent study of the HSTP.
158. The keys of the Kingdom will help bring about conviction and vigor in your life.
159. For those Home shepherds who are not proficient in the use of computers, that the Lord will raise up those in each region who can help to teach them.
160. Knowledge and wisdom to understand witty inventions are yours through the power of the keys.
161. For the supply of good computers for all the Homes and a sufficient number of computers so that all who need to use them can have the needed access to them.
162. There is no need too great, no price too high, for the keys to supply.
163. For the communications of the coaches and Home shepherds, that they'll grow more united and be good teams in helping the Homes to be spiritually strengthened.
164. The keys of unity will give you tight togetherness, harmony, and strength of spirit.
165. For special blessings for Homes that house coaches and sacrifice three days of the coach's time each week.
166. Call on the keys of faith to help you to give even above what seems possible in the natural, and your generosity to Me and My Kingdom will move Me to give back to you one hundredfold.
167. That the FD Homes will improve the quality of the spiritual shepherding at a good pace, without feeling pressured.
168. When the personal requirements and hard work of change loom large before you‚ call on the keys of faith and determination, so the difficult will be made easier‚ the path before you will be shorter‚ and the promised victory of change will be more easily within your reach.
169. There is no change too difficult for the keys to master. Call on the keys when a change is in order. Hold on to this promise and see My Spirit work.
170. Thank you‚ dear Family, for your prayers and for all you have accomplished for our Husband. Mama and I love you dearly and are praying for your witnessing, your Word time, prayer time, and for all that's ahead of us this year. We know you're fighters and we have a lot of faith for you. We'll be claiming the keys of endurance, obedience and spiritual fortitude for you, and look forward to great victories!
Love and prayers,
Peter