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THE SHEPHERD'S TASK

Ancient Widsom to Rejuvenate and Deepen Our Relationship to Faith, Service, Spirit, Community, Compassion and Calling

Presented by Roxy Wright, this powerful experiential workshop is for anyone seeking a refreshing, innovative approach to the leadership, and emotional / social intelligence principles that Jesus modeled two thousand years ago.  The Shepherd's Task provides useful skills for clergy, spiritual counselors, and church members as well as people who are curious about Jesus' relevance to modern life.  Those who've felt disillusioned by the Christian faith they grew up with have also been inspired and renewed by this workshop.

Based on her fourth book, The Power of the Herd, and fifteen years experience teaching advanced personal and professional development skills to people around the world, Linda Kohanov created an insightful, unprecedented look at Jesus' approach to power, leadership, community building and compassionate social activism, showcasing ten skills Jesus modeled that "were so sophisticated civilization is still trying to catch up."

In part through non-riding activities with horses, you'll practice techniques for handling interpersonal challenges at home, work, church, school and in political / social activism contexts.  You'll learn how to engage compassionately with others while holding them accountable for unproductive behaviour, offering positive alternatives to interactions that normally result in shame, blame, retaliation and disempowerment.  You will also learn how to develop the "emotional heroism" needed to handle challenging situations and open your heart to love, calling and service.

In her fourth book The Power of the Herd, Linda looked at traditional herding cultures where shepherds must manage large groups of powerful herd members without the benefit of fences, nurturing all the tribe's animals, keeping them from straying, fighting or getting hurt.  Master Herders employ a sophisticated understanding of leadership and group cohesion as they move through seasonal grazing lands, facing predators, and dealing with changing climates and resources along the way.  This knowledge, as it applies to human "herds", is emphasized throughout the Bible, though it was downplayed when Christianity was absorbed by city-based cultures.  Through her studies of traditional pastoral cultures and twenty years experience with her own herd of horses, Linda began to see a deeper wisdom in biblical references to shepherds and their flocks that has been virtually lost by modern civilization - and yet remains key to understanding many of the skills Jesus was referring to and modeling throughout his life.

In sharing this perspective with tens of thousands of readers in several of her books, she attracted a number of ministers, priests and spiritual directors who came to Arizona to study her work in depth as a means of bringing greater power, vibrancy and practical community-building skills to their congregations.  At the same time, these insights captivated people who had previously rejected the Christian faith they grew up with, inspiring them to engage more meaningfully with Jesus as an innovator who faced incredible challenges to introduce a new form of compassionate, emotionally and socially intelligent leadership - at one of the most brutal times in history.

In this two-day workshop, you will learn how to:

  • Cultivate the soulful, heart-centred, incredibly effective, nonviolent form of power that Jesus modeled, in yourself, your staff, family, congregation and community
  • Use emotions as information in professional and personal situations (without discussing the emotions themselves)
  • Help others manage fear and anxiety in times of significant change or competition
  • Recognize the antiquated, often unconscious power plays that people engage in regardless of culture, religion, nationality, or social status
  • Develop "emotional heroism," that unique combination of power and compassion, courage and self-control, accountability and forgiveness that Jesus introduced 2000 years ago

 

 

 

Last update: September 2019    Copyright 2010-2021 Heart's Haven Ranch Ltd.