The Shepherd Leader at Home [eBook]

Knowing, Leading, Protecting, and Providing for Your Family

Husbands and dads play a crucial role in the health and survival of the family. That’s why leadership expert Tim Witmer has written this book—to strengthen our efforts to lead well. He applies a biblical framework to the role of leadership in the home, showing how effective shepherding involves “knowing, leading, protecting, and providing for your family”; all the while communicating solid principles with a down-to-earth, relatable tone.

Find in this book the wise counsel and practical direction that is sure to make a difference in your family today.

Timothy Z. Witmer (DMin, Reformed Theological Seminary) is professor of practical theology and coordinator of the practical theology department at Westminster Theological Seminary. He has served as senior minister of Crossroads Community Church since 1986 and is the author of The Shepherd Leader: Achieving Effective Shepherding in Your Church.

“Dr. Witmer’s The Shepherd Leader has been a huge encouragement to me and to my elders as we seek to be more faithful shepherds to our congregation. Now comes this helpful book: The Shepherd Leader at Home. In it, Witmer provides biblical, complementarian, practical direction for knowing, leading, providing for, and protecting our families. As a pastor, one of the five principle things I aim to do is to ‘promote family religion.’ That is, perhaps, a quaint way of emphasizing that godliness in the home is vital to the health of the local church. This book is a useful aid to that end. I commend it to you warmly.”
—J. Ligon Duncan III, Chancellor and John E. Richards Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, Mississippi

“With marriage and the family under present-day pressures, it takes a wise man to think and write well about being a husband and father under God. This book reveals Dr. Witmer as just such a wise man, and makes his wisdom available to us all. Highly recommended.”
—J. I. Packer, Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology, Regent College

“Another book on marriage and family life? Yes, but this one is different. It is short, but not easy; practical, but also deeply realistic; honest, but also warm. Also, thankfully, for all that Dr. Witmer is—seminary professor, preaching pastor, author, father, and husband—here is one thing he never pretends to be, namely Guru! Perhaps that’s why this is such a wonderfully encouraging book.”
—Sinclair B. Ferguson, Professor of Systematic Theology, Redeemer Seminary, Dallas, Texas

“I deeply appreciated reading The Shepherd Leader at Home. It provides a great approach for leading a family by practicing the ancient shepherding principles of knowing, leading, providing for, and protecting. I love the biblical foundations, the warm illustrations and the practical suggestions for caring for the flock at home. I highly recommend this book by Dr. Witmer.”
—Scott Thomas, Founder, Gospel Coach; coauthor, Gospel Coach: Shepherding Leaders to Glorify God

“Reading Dr. Witmer’s new book is simultaneously greatly encouraging and deeply convicting. Encouraging, because it’s saturated with the truth and hope of the gospel. Convicting, because there’s no greater measure of a man’s success that the way he loves his family. The Shepherd Leader at Home is devoid of cliché and filled with practical instruction on how to reveal the servant love of Jesus to our wives and children.”
—Scotty Smith, Teacher in Residence, West End Community Church, Nashville, Tennessee

“We can be thankful for many books written to help Christians raise godly families. Dr. Witmer takes aim at a specific kind of Christian family—the family of the ‘Shepherd Leader.’ And his aim is true—he hits the bull’s-eye! This is a book that is carefully biblical but also practical and realistic and is based in what Tim has experienced. This is a necessary compliment to Tim’s earlier book on shepherd leadership in the church—maybe this one about the home should be read first.”
—Stephen E. Smallman, Assistant Pastor, New Life Presbyterian Church, Glenside, Pennsylvania; Instructor, CityNet Ministries of Philadelphia; author, Spiritual Birthline, Forty Days on the Mountain, and The Walk

“We are faced with a serious global crisis in the collapse of the biblical family—a crisis, which will eventually lead to the collapse of the church and the society. Dr. Witmer, who already introduced the idea of shepherd leadership in the church, now explores shepherd leadership in the home from his ministerial experiences, with the hope of enabling us to overcome our contemporary crisis. His book is profound, coherent, and practical from the biblical perspective. It provides biblical and practical guidelines for the happiness of the family. If you want to keep your family happier, you should read this book.”
—In Whan Kim , Professor Emeritus, Former Professor of Old Testament Studies and President of Chongshin University and Seminary, Seoul, Korea