Lack of Vision

The Bible says that a people will perish for lack of vision; I see this happening in my local body of believers. Our attendance is down, visitors come but don't stay and there is just a general sense of apathy all around. We have a great teacher; his messages are annointed and inspiring but he freely admits that his strengths do not lie in the area of shepherding and this is what I believe people need. It's good to be inspired by a Sunday morning message but unless you have someone to come along side of you during the rest of the week and check your progress, the best you can hope for is increased knowledge on how you should be progressing. A great teacher presents the vision for a particular group of people but they need a shepherd to help them grasp that vision and run with it. A great teacher can give you knowledge but a shepherd shows you how to walk in it. A great teacher can inspire you to become a better person but a shepherd shows you what that looks like. We have tried to encourage people to join small groups but only a few of those groups remain. They are the ones whose leaders have great shepherding ability. Right or wrong I find myself feeling very responsible for shepherding our people; it is exhausting. I fear the health of our small congregation as it struggles along without a shepherd and without a vision. A people will perish without a vision and I am seeing that played out week by week. Father God, have mercy on us. Give us a vision, how do You want to use us? Show me how I can best support our leader and encourage our people to walk justly, to love mercy and to pray without ceasing.