Barnabas File

Seth Godin does good work.   Not only does he provide alternatives to old ways of doing things, he reminds us not to neglect proven concepts.   In a recent blog post , he wrote about the differences between managers and leaders.   He said: “Managers work to get their employees to do what they did yesterday, but a little faster and a little cheaper.   Leaders, on the other hand, know where they'd like to go, but understand that they can't get there without their tribe, without giving those they lead the tools to make something happen.   Managers want authority. Leaders take responsibility.” Godin goes on to point out that we need both managers and leaders, but he shows his bias when he says, “It helps to remember that leaders are scarce and thus more valuable.” Although I understand his sentiment, I have to disagree.   I would say that both are valuable, but only if they understand their respective roles and both accept the responsibilities tha...

As parents who have faced the task of putting together a toy on Christmas Eve can attest, “some assembly required” is an understatement.   The job usually takes much longer and produces more sweat and frustration that we expect.   My friend David Cates used this illustration in his sermon yesterday, challenging us to the task of “being builders.” David’s sermon and illustration got me to thinking about the fact that all of us have the opportunity to build something—a life, a family, a church.   Often we have the chance to do all three.   As we do so, we discover that there are both internal and external aspects to building. Internally, we have to do the hard work of clarifying our purpose in life—as a person, a family, or a church. This comes as a result of knowing our values, discovering our strengths, and then setting our course.   As we do the hard internal work, we achieve external results. At the same time, there are external concerns we must...

                In response to my recent blog post on the way forward for Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, a friend suggested that I was dealing with reorganization of the national entity.   Actually, I am suggesting not reorganization but reconceptualization.   Whenever a new leader comes on board, the first step usually taken is to reorganize.   Reorganization gives the impression that things are being changed and thus improved. Wrong!   Too often this is just rearranging the various parts without addressing basic values, strategies and systems.   The same thinking provides the same kind of results.   New thinking presents new results. If the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is not only to survive but prosper, it is time to go back to the drawing board and identify the values, strategies and systems that define a missional judicatory.   For the last two decades, CBF has attempted to gain credibility with ...

In a recent Harvard Business Review blog post , Ron Ashkenas asked the question, “Where have all the leaders gone?”   Admitting some nostalgia for the past, he nevertheless points out the low confidence ratings for the President, Congress, corporate leaders, and leaders in most segments of society.   He goes on to comment on the   large sums spent in recent decades on leadership development programs and wonders if we are getting our money’s worth.   Ashkenas suggests two possible reasons for the growing perception of leader ineffectiveness.   Both may have implications for church leaders as well.   First, he suggests that “the velocity and volume of issues that leaders are confronted with today has increased substantially.”   Leaders have always faced problems and change, but both seem to come more rapidly today with increased means of communication, short attention spans, a desire for “quick fixes,” and a growing consumer mentality even in ...

A friend recently shared with me these words from German theologian Helmut Thielicke:   “The gospel must be preached afresh and told in new ways to every generation, since every generation has its own unique questions.    The gospel must constantly be forwarded to a new address, because the recipient is repeatedly changing his place of residence.” Please note that Thielicke does not say that the gospel message itself needs to be changed, watered down, or made more palatable for a new generation.   He is saying that if we are to communicate the gospel effectively to people of a new time and culture, then we must be willing to answer the questions generated in that environment, use the images and metaphors that are understood by the people to whom we are speaking, and speak in such a way that we can be understood.   The core message is the same, but the way it is presented varies. This is one reason that those of us who are communicators of the gosp...

I was introduced to the phrase above when I was a campus minister and doing research on young adult values and expectations.   The idea has stayed with me and I have found it helpful in explaining what happens in a number of organizations when they “cast a new vision,” “organize to be more effective,” or make some other change that is more cosmetic than significant. In a recent blog, the Rev. Linda Grenz, publisher and CEO of LeaderResources , takes a look at the Episcopal Church and challenges congregations to ask questions that will lead to change that is more than cosmetic.   She points out,   “Organizational systems theory says that a system is designed to produce what it is producing. If you like what the system is producing but want to ‘improve it,’ tinkering with the system enables you to produce a better result . . . faster, better, cheaper. But if you don’t like what the system is producing, you have to change the system. ” Grenz goes on to pose ...

Are you familiar with TED talks ?   These are relatively brief presentations by thought leaders that stimulate, inspire, and encourage.   At the Annual Fall Gathering of the AlabamaCooperative Baptist Fellowship yesterday, one of the breakout sessions was titled “CBF Meet TED:   Inspiring Stories from and for Our Movement.”    Hosted by Chris Aho, the session featured three short presentations to stimulate, inspire, and encourage participants. All of the presentations were helpful, but the presentation by Jamie Mackey, minister to students at First Baptist Church, Huntsville,Alabama , particularly caught my attention.   Jamie identified the four ingredients of a healthy student ministry—relationships, Bible study, ministry, and fun—and explained their importance.   He made some application to other types of ministry as well—senior adults, campus ministry, etc. As I listened to Jamie’s presentation, I realized that these are the ingredient...

With the announced retirement not only of Executive Coordinator Daniel Vestal but also long-time leader Terry Hamrick (who has at least three different titles on the website) and the upcoming report of the Hull Committee, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is entering a significant time of transition.   Plagued with financial shortfalls in the past year like so many judicatories, some hard decisions will have to be made about future mission, organization, and services. Although I no longer hold a leadership position within CBF life, I am a supporter and feel that I have a stake in the future of the organization.   As I think about the future of CBF, I suggest that we need to consider two major areas—competition and opportunities. Who are the competitors of CBF?   The “knee jerk” response would be the Southern Baptist Convention, but this is yesterday’s competitor.   Those related to the SBC have made their choice about the path they will follow and that pa...