Pastor Robert Griffith Virginia: Leading with Compassion—A Theology of Showing Up
Pastor Robert Griffith Virginia
Leadership in the church isn’t measured by titles or speaking time. It’s measured by how we show up when things are inconvenient, unpredictable, or uncomfortable. Nowhere is this more evident than in foster care ministry.
Foster families don’t need perfect leaders. They need dependable ones—people who show up on hard days, ask honest questions, and serve without waiting for applause. Scripture calls this compassion. Not the soft kind, but the steady kind.
In Matthew 9:36, we’re told that when Jesus saw the crowds, “he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” His compassion didn’t stay internal. It moved him to act. To heal. To lead. To teach. His leadership started with presence.
That same model applies to foster care. It’s not flashy work. There are no viral moments. It’s showing up with dinner. Sitting in waiting rooms. Driving to appointments. Praying over paperwork. Holding space when words don’t help.
We don’t need more programs before we have more presence. Often, the most meaningful ministry starts with showing up and staying.
As pastors and ministry leaders, we must resist the temptation to lead only from the front. The church learns by watching. When we serve behind the scenes, the congregation starts to believe that’s normal. And it should be.
Leaders set the pace. Not through volume, but through presence.
So how do we build a culture of compassionate leadership in churches?
Start Small and Personal
Visit a foster family. Listen to their experience. Ask what helps and what doesn’t. Be specific in your care.Talk Less, Do More
Public advocacy matters, but so does quiet service. Consistent action over time creates trust.Train Through Example
Invite others to serve with you. Let people shadow your small acts of care.Stay When It Gets Boring
Ministry includes repetition. Support gets less exciting over time—but that’s when it matters most.Honor Dependability, Not Just Visibility
Recognize the quiet leaders. The volunteers who show up again and again without asking for thanks.
Churches that serve well in foster care don’t do so because they have more money or staff. They do it because someone showed up first—and kept showing up.
Let’s be that kind of leader. The kind who doesn’t flinch at discomfort. The kind who takes on the burden with joy. The kind who builds trust by being there when it counts.
Compassion is not a feeling. It’s a discipline. In the church, and especially in foster care, it’s also a theology—one we live out through presence.
To explore foster care engagement, national dialogue, or connect with Pastor Bob Griffith’s book Fostering Jesus, visit FosteringJesus.org.