Barnabas File

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Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity has become a hot topic these days, especially as the Federal government applies standards to not only delete references or training that recognizes and encourages the diverse nature of our country within government agencies but attempts to punish any entity that seeks to honor and promote diversity. This is a fool’s errand. Diversity is not an initiative; it is our reality! All we must do is look around us at the grocery store, at the shopping center, in the schools, and on our streets to see diversity. We are a nation of people from many countries, cultures, and personal experiences. We are made of people who decided to come to the United States or whose ancestors made that choice. Diversity is a fact of life. Even so, diversity challenges us to both empowerment and acceptance. How do we work to leverage our diversity to build a strong nation? In some cases, people with specific backgrounds or needs be...

Information or Formation?

Sociologist Brene Brown once said, “What we know matters, but who we are matters more." This applies to our understanding of Christian discipleship. As Christians, we often struggle with the balance between orthodoxy (right knowledge or doctrine) and orthopraxy (right practice or action). This is the challenge that James presents when he writes, “ But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” (James 2:18, NIV) Both right belief and right action are necessary in the life of a follower of Christ, but can one get in the way of the other? Historically, Baptists have been very good at communicating information about the Bible and the faith. They delight in asking questions of scripture that exegete the text in an attempt to understand the who, what, how, and why of the passage. We are less open to letting the text speak to us. For e...

What is Leadership?

Leadership has been a popular topic of discussion down through the ages. There has been an ebb and flow of emphases—authoritarian vs. participative; task vs. relational and many more. Take your choice. A recent graphic by Kavit Haria that caught my attention exemplifies two contemporary approaches to leadership. Haria suggests that many people tend to think that leadership is two things: giving orders and always having an answer. He then presents a broader understanding of what leadership actually is. Here are his suggestions: Making people feel safe. Individuals contribute more to an organization when they feel that they are safe physically, intellectually, and professionally. If a person fears or dreads coming to work, something is wrong. A feeling of safety facilitates participation and personal investment. Coaching. A good leader calls forth...

Take Time to Sharpen Your Ax

Abraham Lincoln is reported to have said: “If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend the first four hours sharpening the axe.” Stephen Covey in his The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People changed this to “Sharpen your saw.” But even earlier, the author of Ecclesiastes wrote, If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but wisdom brings success.” (10:10, NIV). The Message has, “Remember: “The duller the ax the harder the work; use your head: the more brains, the less muscle.” The basic idea behind the quote and the story is that we must spend time preparing to accomplish the tasks at hand. What does this mean for us in these volatile times that challenge our capacity and resilience? Let me share some ideas. First, Rest. In addition to an adequate amount of sleep each night, seize the opportunity during the da...

Is It True That People Are Your Greatest Asset?

Leaders will often say that the people in their organization are its most important asset. Many probably believe this. As I have been thinking about the development of clergy leaders, I wonder if lay and denominational leaders believe this. Is there sufficient investment in retaining, developing, and maintain clergy leaders? In his book The Systems Leader , Robert E. Siegel suggests that investing in staff should be a priority concern. Let’s look at his observations and apply them to our church and denominational settings. First, Siegel observes that it is cheaper and easier to retrain that replace. He writes, “Studies show that it often costs less to reskill a current employee than to recruit, hire, and train a new one. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, finding and training a new employee can cost as much as six to nine months of their salary.” This means reskilling existing pe...

The Career Game Loop: The Support of Peers

We often talk about the value of coaches and mentors in professional development but give little attention to the value of peers in helping us achieve what we are seeking. In The Career Game Loop , author Jessica Lindl emphasizes the importance of peers to our development. They can be older, younger, or the same age. The key is that you share a desire to learn and grow, and you are willing to make a mutual commitment to the relationship. Peers can provide both accountability and inspiration. Peers can hold each other accountable by giving attention to the following: Setting goals. We can share with our peer where we are and where we want to be, then articulating both specific goals and timelines to achieve them. Sharing progress. We need to keep in touch regularly with our peer to motivate us to make headway between conversations. Asking for feedback. Questions and feedback from a peer can he...