Wayne Perry

Listening to Your Sheep:: the Fine Art of Pastoral Diagnosis Wayne Perry

"Did you see the way that guy acted at that meeting? I can't believe someone would act that way in church!" If you have ever heard, or perhaps thought or said, something like this, Listening To Your Sheep is for you. Based on more than ten years of research, Listening To Your Sheep uses the common Biblical image of the people of God as "sheep" to describe the major types of people who are bound to be in every congregation. Not only does Dr. Wayne Perry describe the "sheep" and how they are likely to respond in common situations in a congregation, he also gives concrete advice the leaders of the congregation can use to work more effectively with these sheep. The book begins with some necessary background on listening skills and on the rules by which all human systems, from families to congregations to multinational organizations, operate. With this foundation in place, each succeeding chapters describes a particular kind of "sheep" which will be found in every religious body. Listening is indeed key to "diagnosing" each type of sheep. As the author points out, to "diagnose" actually means to "listen thoroughly." Dr. Perry shows how to listen to the words and the actions of the people in the congregation to understand what type of "sheep" you are working with. Each chapter also shows what happens when this type of "sheep" become a shepherd, that is, when the sheep becomes a leader of the body. The results are often fascinating. All the more so because the practical suggestions Dr. Perry provides are based on research into and observations of many different religious groups. You are sure to "hear" someone you know in this book.