Shepherding Different Characters
How can the book of Proverbs help us to respond to the different types of people in our churches well?
Downloads:
Watch/Listen on:
In the wisdom literature of the Bible we are introduced to a number of different characters who we may recognise in our own church ministry:
- The simple – naïve and immature, in danger of doing the wrong thing;
- The fool – lacks wisdom and won’t learn, is self-focussed and angry;
- The mocker – cynical and ridicules wisdom, takes advantage of others;
- The crushed in spirit – those who are hurt and wounded by others.
FIEC Head of Local Ministries Graham Beynon speaks with Zack Eswine, a pastor in Missouri, USA, and author of a new book on Proverbs, about how we can use what we learn in wisdom literature to help pastor those in our churches.
Discussion questions
You could take time to watch this video with your church leadership team and use the discussion questions below to explore the themes further:
- What is helpful about identifying these different characters?
- How might you approach people differently with this in mind?
- What cautions should we have in thinking about people in this way?
This interview was produced for and shown at the 2025 FIEC Local Conferences.
