20, 21. How can elders imitate the shepherd in Jesus’ parable? Give an example. (See also the box “Fruitful Weekly Visits.”)

²⁰ Second, Jehovah’s organization has trained elders to show concern for those who have lost contact with the congregation. (Heb. 12:12) Why should elders help such spiritually weak ones, and how should they go about it? Jesus’ parable about a shepherd and a lost sheep provides the answers. (Read Luke 15:4-7.) When the shepherd in the parable notices that a sheep is missing, he searches for the lost sheep as if it were the only one he possesses. How do Christian elders today imitate the example set by that shepherd? Just as the lost sheep remains precious in the eyes of the shepherd, so those who have lost contact with God’s people remain precious in the eyes of the elders. They view a spiritually weak individual as a lost sheep​—not a lost cause. Moreover, just as the shepherd decides to “go after the lost one until he finds it,” so elders take the initiative to find and help those who are weak.

²¹ What does the shepherd in the parable do when he finds the sheep? He gently lifts it up, “puts it on his shoulders,” and carries it back to the flock. Similarly, an elder’s heartfelt expressions of concern may gently lift up a spiritually weak one and help him to return to the congregation. That is what happened to Victor, a brother in Africa who stopped associating with the congregation. He relates: “During the eight years that I was inactive, the elders kept reaching out to me.” What especially touched him? He explains: “One day, John, an elder with whom I had attended the Pioneer Service School, took time to visit me and showed me some pictures he had taken of us during the school. They brought back so many wonderful memories that I began to long for the joy I felt when I served Jehovah.” Shortly after John’s visit, Victor returned to the congregation. Today he again serves as a pioneer. Indeed, caring Christian elders contribute greatly to our joy.​—2 Cor. 1:24.b