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1 Sfl-E190129 SHEPHERDTHEFLOCKOFGOD 1 PETER5:2sfl-Esfl-E190129 SHEPHERDTHEFLOCKOFGOD 1 PETER5:2sfl-E SHEPHERDTHEFLOCKOFGOD 1 PETER5:2 THISBOOKHASBEENISSUEDTOC hristian Congregation of Jehovah s WitnessesWallkill, New York, in the United States of , ,Scripturequotationsarefromthemodern-lan guageNewWorldTranslationoftheHolyScriptu res. ShepherdtheFlockofGod 1 Peter5:2 January2019 PrintingEnglish(sfl-E) 2019 WATCHTOWERBIBLEANDTRACTSOCIETYOFREPUBLIC OFKOREA, SHEPHERDTHEFLOCKOFGOD SHEPHERDTHEFLOCKOFGOD ,youhavetheseriousresponsibilityto shep-herdtheflockofGodunderyourcare. ( :2,3) ( :10)Tothatend, ,attimesyoumayneedtoconsultotherpublicat ions,suchasOrga-nizedtoDoJehovah ShepherdtheFlockofGod 1 Peter5 ,heshouldturnoverthispublicationtotheCon gregationServiceCom-mitteetobedestroyed, (John10:11; :1; :21,25;5:4)Rath-erthanmakingrigidrulesfo rthecongregation,relyonScripturalprincip lesanddirectionfromJehovah sorganization.

2 SHEPHERDTHEFLOCKOFGOD ( :22,23; :20) sheadshipwhenyoudothefollowing:(1)Seekto understandandapplyBiblelawsandprinciples . John7:16-18; :17.(2)Obeydirectionfrom thefaithfulanddiscreetslave andfromoverseersappointedtotakethelead,s uchasthoseatthebranchofficeandthecircuit overseer. :45-47; :17.(3)Listencarefullytotheexpressionsof fellowelders. :10b; :19.(4)Dealinakindandlovingmannerwitheac hindividualinthecongregation, SHEPHERDTHEFLOCKOFGOD CHAPTER1imposepersonalviewpointsorarbitr aryrulesonothers. :28-30; :6; :1-3,5.(5) :(1)Makingrecommendationsfortheappointme ntanddeletionofeldersandministerialserva nts. SeeChapter8.(2)Decidingthenumberoffields ervicegroupsandwhowillserveasgroupoverse ersandassistants. SeeChapter7.(3)Decidingthesubjectsofloca lneedspartsandwhoshouldpresentthem.

3 See20:14-15.(4)Decidingwhoshouldserveast hesecretary,theserviceoverseer,theWatcht owerStudyconductor, ,ifanyone,shouldassistorsubstituteforthe sebrothersorthecoordinatorofthebodyofeld ersintheirassignments. SeeChapters3-6andInstructionsforOurChris tianLifeandMinistryMeeting(S-38).(5)Deci dingwhoshouldserveastheauxiliarycounselo rand,ifneeded,thecounselorsforauxiliaryc lasses. SeeInstructionsforOurChristianLifeandMin istryMeeting.(6)IftheKingdomHallisusedby onlyonecongregation, SHEPHERDTHEFLOCKOFGOD congregations,selectingabrotherorbrother stoserveontheKingdomHallOperatingCommitt ee. See21:14-20.(7)Decidingwhoshouldserveast heaccountsservant,theliteratureservant,t heterritoryservant,thecleaningcoordinato r,thepublictalkcoordinator,andanybrother swhoassistthem.(8)Decidingwhowillreceive additionalprivilegesandresponsibilities, suchasreadingattheWatchtowerStudy,readin gatorconductingtheCongregationBibleStudy ,servingaschairmanforthemidweekmeetingor weekendmeeting,handlingnonstudentassignm entsatthemidweekmeeting,servingasanatten dant,passingmicrophones,offeringpublicpr ayer,conductingmeetingsforfieldservice,a ndsoforth.

4 (9) See20:1,4.(10)Assigningtwoelderstoinvest igateaccusationsofseriouswrongdoing,dete rminingwhetherseriouswrongdoingrequiresa judicialcommittee,andchoosingwhowillserv eonthecommittee,includingwhowillserveasc hairman.(SeeChapters12and15.)Choosingwho willserveonthecommitteethatmeetswithonew hohasdecidedtodisassociatehimself.(SeeCh apter18.)Assigningtwoelderstomeetwithapu blisherwhohasdeliberatelyviewedpornograp hy. SeeChapter13.(11) SHEPHERDTHEFLOCKOFGOD CHAPTER1(12)Decidingwhichelderswillhandl etheannualmeetingwiththeregularpioneers, specialpioneers,andfieldmissionariesinDe cember/January.(13)Selectingspeakersfort hespecialpublictalkandMemorial,selecting thosewhowillofferprayerovertheemblemsatt heMemorial,andselectingMemorialmeetingti mes. See20:6-8.(14)Determiningwhetherapublish erisScripturallyfreetoremarry.

5 See12:71-76.(15)Reviewingthecongregation sresolveddonationtoKingdomHallandAssembl yHallconstructionworldwide. SeeInstructionsforCongregationAccounting (S-27).(16)IftheKingdomHallisusedbymulti plecongregations,reviewingandapprovingth emonthlyamounttobecontributedtotheKingdo mHallOperatingCommitteefortheupcomingser viceyeartocareforKingdomHalloperatingexp enses. See21:20andInstructionsforKingdomHallOpe ratingCommitteeAccounting(S-42).(17)Dete rminingwhethertohostaforeign-languagepre grouporgroupanddeterminingwhichmeetingsw illbeheld. SeeChapter24.(18)Determininghowtoextendh ospitalitytovisitingspeakers. See20:5.(19)Decidingwhowilltemporarilyse rveasthecoordinatorofthebodyofelderswhen anadjustmentmustbemadeapartfromthevisito fthecircuitoverseer. See3:1.(20)Determiningwhetheritisnecessa ryforthecongregationasawholetoconsiderpr ovidingsomeformofassistancetocertainneed ybrothersandHOWELDERSWORKTOGETHERASABODY CHAPTER1 SHEPHERDTHEFLOCKOFGOD sisterswhohavealonghistoryoffaithfulserv ice,particularlyiftherearenofamilymember sorotherrelativestoassistsuchonesandnoad equateassistancefromgovernmentagenciesis available.

6 ,Christbymeansoftheholyspiritcaninfluenc eanyeldertomakeanexpressionthatcontribut estoawisedecision,onethatmaynothavebeenr eachediftheeldershadbeenconsultedindivid ually.(Acts15:6-21) :Inadditiontotheelders meetingheldduringeachvisitofthecircuitov erseer,anelders ,thesewouldinvolvemattersthatcannotbehan dledbyindividualeldersorthatarenottheres ponsibilityofanotherentity,suchastheCong regationServiceCommitteeortheKingdomHall OperatingCommittee. See2:1;3 :(1)Atthemeetingheldaboutthreemonthsafte rthevisitofthecircuitoverseer,reviewthec ircuitoverseer ,consideranyrecommendationsfortheappoint mentordeletionofeldersorministerialserva nts. SHEPHERDTHEFLOCKOFGOD CHAPTER1(2)Considerwhetherandhowthecongr egationcandomoretogiveathoroughwitnessin thecongregation sassignedterritory. Acts20:24;seeChapter23.

7 (3)Considerthespiritualandphysicalneedso fwidows,orphans,theblind,thehomebound,th oseinnursinghomes,andotherpublisherswith specialcircumstances. :27.(4)Considerwhatfurthertrainingisneed edtohelpbrotherscareproperlyforcongregat ionassignmentsandtohelpthosewithpotentia l,includingnewlybaptizedandyoungerbrothe rs,totakeongreaterresponsibility. :2;see25:4-6.(5)Reviewthecongregationass ignmentsofallexemplary, ,isthereaneedtobalanceouttheworkloadofth eappointedbrothersortoadjusttheassignmen tssoastoprovidenewerbrotherswiththeoppor tunitytogainadditionalexperience? :17,18; :2b;see1 (6)Reviewpublishedinformationondisasterp reparedness. See26 :Forthemeetingthatisheldaboutthreemonths afterthevisitofthecircuitoverseer, (SeeChapter8.)Thecoordinatorofthebodyofe ldersshouldgiveacopyoftheagendatoeacheld erafewdaysbe-forethemeetingtoallowtimefo rresearchandprayerfulconsid-eration.

8 ( :5)Forthemeetingthatisheldduringthevis-i tofthecircuitoverseer,thecircuitoverseer compilestheagendaaftercheckingwhetherthe eldershaveadditionalpointstheywishHOWELD ERSWORKTOGETHERASABODYCHAPTER1 SHEPHERDTHEFLOCKOFGOD , , , ( :19) , meetings. (Acts15:25)Thebodyofeldersshouldalwaysba setheirdecisionsonBibleprinciplesandwrit tendirectionfrom thefaithfulanddiscreetslave. ( :45)IncasesthatdonotinvolvespecificBible lawsorwherethereisnodirectionfromthefait hfulslave, , ,twoelderstogethershouldcalltoexplainthe situationandtomakeanoteofthedirectiongiv en. See14:6-30;29 , , SHEPHERDTHEFLOCKOFGOD ,theflowofJehovah ( :19) ,youshouldnotholdbackfromgivingfelloweld erslovingcounselwhenneeded. ( :10)Onewayyoucandothisisbykeepingcommuni cationopenandfree, ,moreexperiencedeldersonthebodyanddemons tratepatience.

9 ( :32)Oldereldersshouldnottakeoffensewheny oungereldersgivesuggestionsorrespectfull yoffercounsel.( :9)Humilitywillenableyoutoacceptcounsel. ( :15)Evenifyoufeelthecounselwasnotentirel yjustified, :23, SHEPHERDTHEFLOCKOFGOD ,thesecretary, , , ,ifunusualfactorsareinvolvedoriftheservi cecommitteeisunsureofthethinkingofthebod y,theentirebodyofeldersshoulddiscussthem atterandmakeade-cision. See1:5;9:4;23:4; , , , , :(1)Determiningthelocationsandmeetingtim esforallmeetingsforfieldserviceandassign ingpublishers,CHAPTERTWOC ongregationServiceCommittee SHEPHERDTHEFLOCKOFGOD CHAPTER2includinginactiveones,tofieldser vicegroupsafterconsultingwiththegroupove rseersinvolved. See1 ;25:14.(2)AssigningpublisherstoconductBi blestudieswithinactivepublisherswhotempo rarilyneedspiritualhelp. See25:16.

10 (3) ,alleldersshouldbeinformed.(4)Approvingp ublisherstoreportfieldservicein15-minute increments. See22:14.(5)Approvingpublisherswhohavesp ecialneedsforconventionaccommodations.(6 )Signingcorrespondenceonbehalfofthebodyo felders. See22:1-8.(7)Sendingaletterofrecommendat iontotheappropriatebranchofficewhenapubl isherplanstomoveandwishestoobtaininforma tionregardingcongregationshavinganeedfor assistance. (8)Makingthefinaldecisiononpublicwitness inglocations,determiningwhatpublicwitnes singequipmentwillbeusedandwhereitwillbes tored,anddecidingwhichpublishersareappro vedtoparticipateinpublicwitnessing. See23:4-16.(9)Approvingpublisherstoparti cipateinprisonwitnessingaswellaswitnessi ngatschools,universities,nursinghomes,an dretirementhomes. See23:17-18;28:1-20.(10) SHEPHERDTHEFLOCKOFGOD See9:17-18.