Barnabas File

Bivocational or biprofessional ministry has always been part of Christian ministry.  The idea of serving as a minister while earning a primary or secondary income is nothing new, but the concept has been more common in some eras than others.  With the declining revenues in many churches and denominations, some are asking such questions as, “Can the church andminister afford each other?” Biprofessionalism is one alternative that many churches consider.  Those ministers who are biprofessionalism understand both the positive and negative aspects of the practice.  A new paradigm requires new ways of thinking.  One challenge is helping the church to transition to the idea that the pastor can longer give his or her full-time to the congregation.  On the other hand, the trend provides opportunities for lay leaders to reclaim significant ministries in the life of the congregation.  This is the topic I want to address. Lay leaders may be asked to ...

Jesus taught that the Kingdom of God was already here but not yet present.   The Kingdom is a reality that is breaking through but has not yet come.   Each day we should be alert to signs of the Kingdom of God breaking into our ordinary existence.   Such signs give us hope, encouragement, and direction.   I was reminded of this recently when I read this text from Matthew 19:14:  “Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’” (NIV) With grandchildren in our home on a regular basis, I have had the opportunity to think about this verse in a real-life context.  We love our children and grandchildren, but we also recognize that their conduct is not always exemplary.  They argue, they are selfish, they fail to get along with their siblings, but they do show genuine expressions of love and concern when we least expect it. In this verse, I believe...

Having coached for almost ten years now, I have assumed that one thing that makes me attractive as a coach is my easy-going attitude.  For the most part, I come across as non-judgmental and supportive.  Some have termed it “Southern graciousness.” At some point in a coaching relationship, however, I may find it necessary to set this persona aside if I am to effectively coach my client.  I was reminded of this last year when I attended a coach training event in California.  We were asked to identify skills we needed to work on to be better coaches.  I chose three:  challenging, intruding, and taking charge. Now all of these run counter to my normal way of doing things, but our trainers pointed out that sometimes a coach should stretch and step outside of his or her comfort zone to serve the client more effectively. Clients do not need a coach who is a “yes” person but one who will make them dig deeper and discover the abilities, determinatio...

I have just completed the first of two eye surgeries that remove cataracts and implant a new lens in each eye.   This is a time of transition.   The vision in one eye is improved significantly while the other remains the same as before.   My old eyeglasses work great for the eye that has not had surgery, but not at all for the one with the new lens.   The transition will continue through the next surgery on the other eye and for some time after. This is a liminal space for me.  Alan Roxburgh introduced me to the idea of liminality.  In a ritual, this is the state of being on the threshold from one way of doing life to another.  One is almost there but not yet. It is a time of disorientation, stress, and promise. The nation of Israel experienced liminal space as they passed through the wilderness. They were no longer slaves but they were not yet what God had called them to be. Parents experience this liminal space when ch...

When I was a young person in the church, I was blessed by being involved in a strong program of “religious education.”  I learned the books of the Bible, learned how to pray, and even learned some theology, church history, and Baptist polity. Early in my ministry, I immersed myself in an emphasis on “discipleship” which included spiritual practices such as Bible study, scripture memorization, prayer, and witnessing.  Toward the end of that period I discovered Richard Foster’s work on historical spiritual practices and disciplines, taking my understanding of discipleship to a new level. Today, believers in many Christian denominations seem to have rediscovered and begun to practice these spiritual disciplines that help us to go beyond knowing about God to knowing God personally. Is it possible that the church in the 21 st century is becoming more spiritual?  More of us are becoming aware of practices initiated by the church fathers and mothers and making ...

My former pastor Mike Smith once said something to the effect, “Don’t say that Baptists have never done a certain thing.  Baptists have done a lot of things they may not be doing now.”  This is true of the church at large.  Every form of ministry was at one time new and untried.  In a missional church class several years ago, students helped me to see that innovation happens in the church in response to a cultural need, the innovation matures and become institutionalized, and then society changes and innovation is needed once again.  In reality, the church must always be in the process of renewal. This is not to say that innovation is quickly accepted.  Once a practice becomes established in the life of the church, change is hard if not impossible.  One reason is that change is uncomfortable.  Another is that each practice has someone willing to fight for its continuity even if it no longer works. Innovation is not easy, but reali...