Barnabas File

In The Millennium Matrix, Rex Miller writes, "Although individual churches seem committed to being all things to all people, most businesses learned years ago that such a strategy eventually leads to disaster." (pp. 164-165) Miller notes that smart businesses focus on their "core competencies," the unique and superior skills that define their organization. Someone shared an article with me a couple of years ago on "the Outback Steak-Church." Outback Steakhouse does dinner and does it well. In most locations (Oak Ridge is an exception), they just do dinner. The idea is the same one that Miller articulates--know what you do well and stick to it. One church cannot be all things to all people. Different churches are more gifted in some areas than others, just as believers are gifted in different ways. Miller's idea is that churches need to find ways to work together and complement one another so that the larger mission of God can be actualized i...

After a week visiting Virginia's historic triangle, I have to say that these folks know how to do it right. Colonial Williamsburg, especially, has found a way to make history interesting to people who are not usually involved in the study of history. From the buildings (preserved, restored, or reconstructed) to people (trained and motivated reenactors), the historical events and persons become real to visitors. It is an interesting combination of education and entertainment (some would call it "edutainment") that goes down easily. While I was talking on the shuttle bus with a lady from Maryland, she shared what she considered a high compliment: "It's like a Disney World experience!" Actually, it was better than that and more historically accurate! Those of us who are religious educators could learn from this example. How do we help people feel and experience the truth of gospel? I am not just talking about recreating biblical stories (I am not encouraging a ...

Rita, Noah (our grandson), and I have spent the week immersed in history--Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown (as well as swimming and gift shops). In all three parts of the "historical triangle," the story of three aspects of American history are told well--Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement; Williamsburg, the capital of the "old dominion" of Virginia and site of early rebellion in the southern colonies; and Yorktown, the decisive American victory of the Revolutionary War. Attention is given to historical detail, political sensitivity, and "edutainment" (making the educational as pleasant as possible). Although a great deal of effort is made to show the contributions of different races to the emergence of the American nation, there is no way to hide the fact that at least two of those races had no choice about the matter. English, Dutch, Germans, and other Europeans came in hopes of a better life, fortune, or freedom of or from relig...

I am a Facebook addict. I got started last June and now have over 200 friends on the site. Most of these really are friends—people I know and work with now and many from the past with whom I have reconnected. I started it as an experiment in social networking and have enjoyed the way it has put me into contact with many folks that I rarely, or never, see in person. Facebook provides a number of applications. One must pick and choose carefully what to include for the personal profile. One application is called “My Church.” If you subscribe to this application, a nice logo will be added to your profile identifying you with a particular denomination. There is one for “Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.” Several of my friends have added this, but I have chosen not to. I have been wondering recently why I have resisted taking this step. One reason is that I hold to a rather archaic idea that there is really only one “Baptist denomination.” Certainly, we have divided up into different camps ove...

About the only time I think about my Native American heritage is when I fill out one of those forms that asks your racial identity. Although I always check "Anglo" or "Caucasian," I stop and think about my great-grandmother who was a full-bloodied Creek Indian (at least according to family lore). That would make me one-eighth Native American if my calculations are right. Last Saturday, my grandson Noah and I went on a mini-journey to consider our Native American heritage. We attended an annual "pow-wow" or Native American Festival at Middle Tennessee State University. We saw some colorful costumes, met some interesting people, watched some ceremonial dancing (which Noah described as "boring"), and did some shopping at various booths (Noah liked the shopping best). The life of Native Americans today is complex. I am no expert on these matters, but it appears that as the European settlers tried to impose themselves on the native population, there w...