Opening Comments: 3-5 minutes, devotional and prayer

The Role of the Shepherd

1. Presentation – Elder panel led by local elder or equivalent to talk about how they decided what their role should be (15-20 minutes)
2. Small group assignment – Written description of the role of an elder; what to focus on and what to delegate (20 minutes)
3. Cohort discussion – Each group reviews their written role descriptions (10 minutes)
4. Individual assignment – Write down how you will specifically adjust your efforts to match the elder’s role description (5 minutes)

Maintaining a Healthy Church

1. Presentation – Identify the spiritual vital signs of a healthy church (15-20 minutes)
2. Small group assignment – Each group will work on a list of ways to improve the spiritual health of their congregation (20 minutes)
3. Cohort discussion – Each group will share their lists, and the cohort will brainstorm on how the lists shared can be modified or improved (10 minutes)
4. Individual assignment – Write down specific individuals in your congregation who can help improve spiritual health and develop methods of applying these ideas (5 minutes)

Building a Healthy Team

1. Presentation – What effective teamwork looks like (10 minutes)
2. Teamwork physical exercise (if effective for the cohort)
3. Small group assignment – Discuss the teamwork model and discuss positive stories of teamwork (20 minutes)
4. Cohort discussion – Share positive teamwork stories (15 minutes)
5. Individual assignment – Write down specific ways you will utilize the teamwork learnings within your eldership (5 minutes)

Planning for the Future

1. Presentation – How can leaders pass the torch? Identify what succession planning looks like (20-25 minutes)
2. Small group assignment – Each group will develop a list to include in the process of passing the torch in their congregation (20 minutes)
3. Cohort discussion – As each group shares their lists, the cohort will ask questions and add information to modify the process of passing on the torch (15 minutes)
4. Individual assignment – Write down a preliminary list of individuals you can work with who can lead (5 minutes)

Opening Comments: 3-5 minutes, devotional and prayer

Communicating Effectively

1. Presentation – Define communication and how to communicate effectively (10 minutes)
2. Small group assignment – Discuss communication and how to improve (20 minutes)
3. Cohort discussion – Share improvement ideas (15 minutes)
4. Individual assignment – Write down specific ways you will improve your communication (5 minutes)

Leading Through Conflict

1. Presentation – Review a case study (10 minutes)
2. Case study: You are given information that a single male member of the congregation for the last six years is a convicted sex offender. An internet check by you confirms that he had been convicted for assaulting a child 12 years earlier.
3. Small group assignment – Discuss the case study. What questions need to be asked in this case? What are a few different possibilities and potential solutions? (20 minutes)
4. Cohort discussion – Open the discussion to everyone as to how this situation could be resolved (15 minutes)
5. Individual assignment – Write down possible steps to address conflict in the future (5 minutes)

Working With Ministers

1. Presentation – Review a case study (10 minutes)
2. Case study: Your minister resists your direction to redirect their efforts toward counseling members.
3. Small group assignment – Discuss the case study and provide a model for how to handle the situation (20 minutes)
4. Cohort discussion – Share approaches to handle the situation (15 minutes)
5. Individual assignment – Write down specific ways you will utilize the learnings to shepherd your minister (5 minutes)

Working with Deacons

1. Presentation – Review a case study (10 minutes)
2. Case study: Several deacons are not doing any of the assignments or expectations within the congregation. Members are frustrated. These deacons are confused because the elders have not fully turned over responsibility and still do the work themselves.
3. Small group assignment – Discuss the case study and provide an approach to how you would handle this situation (20 minutes)
4. Cohort discussion – Share approaches from other congregations that describe how a similar situation was handled (15 minutes)
5. Individual assignment – Write down three specific ways you can use the ideas discussed to improve the work of deacons in your congregation (5 minutes)

Opening Comments: 3-5 minutes, devotional and prayer

Leading With Integrity

1. Presentation – Review the Trust model for leadership (10 minutes)
2. Small group assignment – Discuss the Trust model and develop stories where trust was built (20 minutes)
3. Cohort discussion – Share trust-building stories (20 minutes)
4. Individual assignment – Write down specific ways you will build trust (5 minutes)

Leading Like Barnabas

1. Presentation – Define Barnabas leadership model (10 minutes)
2. Small group assignment – Discuss implementing Barnabas leadership model (20 minutes)
3. Cohort discussion – Share implementation ideas (15 minutes)
4. Individual assignment – Write down specific ways you will improve your leadership (5 minutes)

Servanthood vs. Lordship

1. Presentation – Elder panel to talk about how to balance being an overseer and being humble (30 minutes)
2. Small group assignment – Review previous written description of role of an elder; how are we doing versus our written description (20 minutes)
3. Cohort discussion – Each group reviews how they are doing versus the description (10 minutes)
4. Individual assignment – Write down how you may need to adjust your efforts to match your elder role description (5 minutes)

Equipping Next Generation Leaders

1. Presentation – Effective succession planning and leader development (10 minutes)
2. Small group assignment – Discuss views of the leader development presentation and how to implement for your congregation (20 minutes)
3. Cohort discussion – Share takeaways (10 minutes)
4. Individual assignment – Write down specific ways you will utilize these learnings within your congregation (5 minutes)

Opening Comments: 3-5 minutes, devotional and prayer

Leading With Purpose

1. Presentation – Know your purpose (10 minutes)
2. Small group assignment – Discuss the purpose model and how you can use it (20 minutes)
3. Cohort discussion – Share uses of the purpose model (15 minutes)
4. Individual assignment – Write down specific ways you will focus on your purpose (10 minutes)

The Passionate Leader

1. Presentation – Provide case study on demonstrating passion, love and assertiveness (10 minutes)
2. Case study: A shepherd has a gay child – should he attend their wedding ceremony?
3. Small group assignment – Discuss case study and provide a model for how to work through this situation; review with the entire group (30 minutes)
4. Cohort discussion – Share approaches to handle the situation (15 minutes)
5. Individual assignment – Write down specific ways that you will personally prepare for and handle challenging situations (5 minutes)

A Mission Worth Remembering

1. Presentation – Example mission (10 minutes)
2. Small group assignment – Discuss views of the mission and how to develop meaning for your congregation (20 minutes)
3. Cohort discussion – Share takeaways (10 minutes)
4. Individual assignment – Write down specific ways you will utilize these learnings within your congregation (5 minutes)

Counseling and Coaching

1. Presentation – What effective counseling and coaching looks like (10 minutes)
2. Case study: A young man in your congregation confesses an addiction to pornography and asks for your help.
3. Small group assignment – Discuss the case study and provide a model for how to handle the situation (20 minutes)
4. Cohort discussion – Share approaches to handle the situation (15 minutes)
5. Individual assignment – Write down specific ways you will utilize the learnings to shepherd your flock (5 minutes)

Opening Comments: 3-5 minutes, devotional and prayer

Leading With Confidence

1. Presentation – How to lead with confidence and assertiveness (10 minutes)
2. Small group assignment – Take behavioral questionnaire and discuss responses (45 minutes)
3. Cohort discussion – Share any learnings from questionnaire (10 minutes)
4. Individual assignment – Write down specific areas where you will adjust your behavior (15 minutes)

Courageous Leadership

1. Presentation – Review a case study (10 minutes)
2. Case study: A married member couple seeks involvement in congregational efforts and were both previously married and divorced at a young age before being baptized.
3. Small group assignment – Discuss the case study and provide a model for how to handle the situation (20 minutes)
4. Cohort discussion – Share approaches to handle the situation (15 minutes)
5. Individual assignment – Write down specific ways you will utilize the learnings to shepherd your flock (5 minutes)

Building a Life of Influence

1. Presentation – Review a case study (10 minutes)
2. Case study: Two member families won’t speak to one another over their parents marrying after the death of their spouses.
3. Small group assignment – Discuss the case study and provide a model for how to resolve the situation (20 minutes)
4. Cohort discussion – Share approaches to handle the situation (15 minutes)
5. Individual assignment – Write down specific ways you will utilize the learnings to shepherd your flock (5 minutes)

Avoiding the Managerial Trap

1. Presentation – Differences between a manager and a shepherd. What is empowerment? (10 minutes)
2. Case study: A deacon resigned because he agreed to manage the facility and operated within budget constraints, but people criticized him for switching to LED lighting.
3. Small group assignment – Discuss the case study and provide a model for how to handle the situation (20 minutes)
4. Cohort discussion – Share approaches to handle the situation (15 minutes)
5. Individual assignment – Write down specific ways you will utilize the learnings to shepherd your flock (5 minutes)

Opening Comments: 3-5 minutes, devotional and prayer

Heart of Love

1. Presentation – What a heart of love looks like as a shepherd (10 minutes)
2. Small group assignment – Discuss and develop real life example stories of a heart of love (30 minutes)
3. Cohort discussion – Share heart of love examples as shepherd with the entire group (15 minutes)
4. Individual assignment – Write down a specific example where you commit to demonstrate love to your members in a way you haven’t before (5 minutes)

Dreaming: Values and Vision

1. Presentation – How to develop values and vision (10 minutes)
2. Small group assignment – Discuss views of the values and vision approach and how to develop values and vision for your congregation (20 minutes)
3. Cohort discussion – Share takeaways (10 minutes)
4. Individual assignment – Write down specific ways you will utilize these learnings within your congregation (5 minutes)

Goal Setting / Strategic Planning

1. Presentation – Elder panel to talk about how they developed goals and the benefits (30 minutes)
2. Small group assignment – Discuss views of the goal development and how to develop goals for your congregation. Develop a few example goals (20 minutes)
3. Cohort discussion – Share takeaways (10 minutes)
4. Individual assignment – Write down specific ways you will utilize these learnings within your congregation (5 minutes)

Spiritual Growth: Being a Lifelong Learner

1. Presentation – Responsibility for spiritual growth (10 minutes)
2. Small group assignment – Develop personal spiritual growth assessment from pre-read materials (1 hour)
3. Cohort discussion – Each group review their assessment ideas (15 minutes)
4. Individual assignment – Take spiritual growth assessment for baseline (20 minutes)

NextGen Shepherding is a two-year cohort experience through which Christian men are intentionally prepared for faithful leadership within the Lord’s church. The program is offered by the Sunset International Bible Institute (SIBI) through the Sunset Academy of Leadership Training (SALT).

The mission of NextGen Shepherding is to guide churches in the development of a sustainable leadership pipeline. It is our goal to grow leaders who are rooted in Scripture, possess a desire to shepherd the flock that is the church of Christ, and understand the role of elder that is described within the New Testament. Our mission is achieved through intergenerational mentoring, spiritual development and formation, and appreciation for scriptural integrity.

The program consists of three primary components, as described below.

The first is the Foundational Curriculum, a weekly study guide consisting of Bible study, prayer, reference reading, and practical application of the concepts studied.

The second is the Digital Forum, a set of online, virtual collaboration tools. The online tool will allow cohort participants to interact with questions and exchanges of ideas. All students will participate in a monthly Zoom call, during which prepared materials will be discussed.

The third component is the Summit Sessions, in-person learning opportunities held three times each year on a Saturday.

NextGen Shepherding will be of benefit to any congregation, regardless of the congregation’s size, demographic makeup, or current leadership structure.

Congregational involvement generally falls into two categories. The first is the Sponsoring Congregation. The second is a Participating Congregation. The responsibilities of each are described in the following questions

The Sponsoring Congregation has two primary responsibilities. First, they are responsible for providing the Congregational Subscription that initiates a cohort. The Sponsoring Congregation may choose to pay the full subscription or may coordinate with other churches to share the cost.

Second, the Sponsoring Congregation provides the location for Summit Sessions (and any other in-person meetings), either in a church facility or other venue, and provides event support (coffee, drinks, meals, AV technology, etc.).

Lastly, the Sponsoring Congregation will also name a Local Facilitator who will act as the single-point-of-contact in working with the Cohort Facilitator, who is named by SALT. The Sponsoring Congregation will also take the lead in identifying cohort participants.

The primary responsibility of the Participating Congregation is to work with the Sponsoring Congregation to identify cohort participants. The Participating Congregation may also assist the Sponsoring Congregation and share certain activities, such as planning for in-person meetings.

Working together for 24 months, cohort participants will build close friendships and strong spiritual relationships that will extend to their time as shepherds.  We believe that these bonds will help churches be stronger together in the future.

A SALT resource will be named as the Cohort Facilitator, the individual who will work closest with cohort participants during the program.  The Cohort Facilitator will host most monthly Zoom calls and will be present at each Summit Session.  Other SALT resources or SIBI faculty members may be asked to contribute by facilitating certain calls or assisting with Summit Sessions.

There are no specific age limitations for participating in the program, especially as it relates to the upper age range. Generally, participants should be in their mid to late twenties before entering the program and be sufficiently mature as Christians to understand Biblical leadership.

Participants should be faithful Christians who aspire to lead in the Lord’s church at some point in their life.

Any type of leadership experience will be advantageous for students. This can include secular leadership in a job, work as a volunteer, or serving as a deacon or minister within the church. However, leadership experience is not required to enter the program.

It is our belief that service as a shepherd requires both life experience and diligent preparation. We believe that serving as an elder is a unique experience unlike most other leadership opportunities. Therefore, it is our goal to help men earnestly prepare for this unique and important role before accepting the role.

We believe that there is a dramatic difference between leadership training and leadership development. Training is brief experience, perhaps a day or two, where concepts are presented. Development implies a deeper understanding and practical application of certain concepts. It is our belief that the role of shepherd is the most important that a man can take on. As such, development and preparation should be equally critical.

Enrollment in a cohort is open. However, there are certain obligations for participation, such as in-person attendance at Summit Sessions. We strongly urge students to enroll in a cohort that is geographically near your home. We also ask that potential students who are enrolling in a “distant” cohort notify the Sponsoring Congregation before enrolling.

The curriculum is heavily focused on shepherding, as opposed to the various “business models” that are sometimes used by elderships.

Participants will gain a deeper understanding of core themes such as: discernment, discipline, emotional intelligence, being present, teamwork, influence, and trust. Additionally, expect a maturing of Biblical principles such as: patience, character, integrity, humility, prayer, and gentleness, among others.

The vast majority of the work you will do is online, at your own pace, and at the time of your choosing. The only scheduled events will be monthly Zoom calls that are part of the Digital Forum and the six Summit Sessions that will be held over the 24 months.

Weekly activities include a short scripture reading; the reading of a brief chapter or two from reference material; prayer; and an activity associated with practical application of the material. Together, this time will amount to a minimum of an hour or so per week. The monthly Zoom call will last 45-90 minutes, depending on discussion. The Summit Sessions will be held on Saturdays and will generally be 4-6 hours in duration.

Materials can be delivered electronically (editable PDF format) or a printed manual can be delivered by mail.

A list of 15 different books will be used as reference material as part of the Foundation Curriculum. These books can be purchased online for $150 to $175 using providers such as Amazon or Thriftbooks.com.

The schedule for the in-person Summit Sessions will be set as the cohort starts. The first Summit Session will serve as the cohort kickoff and the first meeting of all participants and the Cohort Facilitator. The cohort participants will reach consensus regarding the schedule for monthly Zoom calls.

No, all facilitators and instructors will be provided by SALT.

We believe that discussions regarding doctrine are best conducted between current elders and potential cohort participants. NextGen Shepherding is not intended to be a process for vetting individuals as it relates to doctrinal matters.

Congregational Subscriptions are $3,000 annually and may be paid in full by the Sponsoring Congregation or shared with other churches who wish to participate. The Individual Subscription, paid for by the cohort participant, is $250 per year.

In those instances where resources are limited, both congregational and individual costs are subject to negotiation. Assistance with costs may also be available.

The only costs incurred by the Sponsoring Congregation are expenses that occur when the Cohort Facilitator must travel for Summit Sessions. The costs are based on usual and customary expenses for the geographic location in question and are generally limited to flights, hotel, ground transportation (car rental or Uber), and meals.

Subscription and expenses will be paid to SIBI in accordance with their standard processes and procedures.

Yes, enrollment for cohorts is open. We suggest that participants enroll in a cohort that is near them, geographically. Should a student enroll in a cohort that requires travel for Summit Sessions, the expense incurred will be the responsibility of the student.

Absolutely! We strongly believe that every church who has men capable of serving as shepherds should follow Biblical example and appoint them. However, we also recognize that there are exceptions when capable men are not available. As part of our mission at SALT, we believe it is important to do our best to support any congregation of the Lord’s church who expresses a need related to leadership development.

Cohort participants should make every effort to attend all six Summit Sessions. However, we do recognize that life happens and exceptions may occur. In order to successfully complete the program, participants must attend a minimum of five Summit Sessions.

No, it does not. Following Biblical example, we believe it is the responsibility of each congregation to choose their own shepherds. While we are confident that completion of the NextGen Shepherding program will prepare men to serve more effectively, completion of the course does not convey the role of shepherd.

No. The curriculum is designed such that a student should participate in the cohort from day one.