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...here’s one practical reflection to conclude. In many of the ministries I’ve been involved in over the years, an outworking of the Baxter principle has been for every church member to have the initials of an elder/overseer next to their name on the church roll. And it was the responsibility of that ministry leader to ‘take heed’ for that person—to know them, to know their struggles and issues, to be praying for them, to be taking active steps to ‘move them to the right’ (through a mix of their own personal conversation/meeting with them, and through their involvement in the various ministries of the church).

This is brilliant - people need to know that they are known, loved, and cared for.

Thinking more about the role of the Senior Pastor/Minister, I recognise that as churches grow it might be difficult for the Senior Pastor to "know" everyone but as the "shepherd knows his sheep" it is wonderfully uplifting for each person in the congregation/church if they feel that they are known and loved.

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