Barnabas File

In churches across our nation, the time has come for crucial conversations about the future of each congregation.  As churches face the realities of changing communities, demographic shifts, unexpected ministry opportunities, and financial challenges, their continued effectiveness demands difficult conversations about mission, vision, and use of resources. Most pastors are not equipped to lead these discussions.  Even those who realize the need are often either untrained to do this or unwilling to do so. Our programs of theological education rarely train ministers to lead these crucial conversations.  Seminary training does several things well.  First, it tends to strengthen the spiritual foundation of the potential clergy person.  Second, it equips the minister to exegete the scriptures and deliver sermons competently; however, the topics of such sermons tend to address matters of personal development rather than community engagemen...

The new Marvel Studios film Black Panther is epic.   Director, actors, screen writers, custom designers, and production team have created an engaging and dramatic story that will challenge many of our perspectives.   In this blog, however, I will not provide a review of the film but comment on one significant insight. Without giving too much away, early in the film a man is killed.  He is the father of a young child who is ignored and left behind.  The child is a royal prince of the kingdom of Wakanda, and this abandonment will have tragic consequences in the future.  This event reminded me that we are leaving too many children behind and abandoning them to poverty, disease, ignorance and violence.  This is true not only in other countries but in the United States as well. When it comes to economic status, the Washington Post reports , “ In the richest nation in the world, one in three kids live in poverty.” According to UNIC...

One of the most satisfying and (I think) productive times of my ministry was when I was selecting, supporting, and supervising a state-wide team of collegiate ministers.   I enjoyed the synergy, collegiality, and fun of that experience.   As I read Mark Miller’s new book, Talent Magnet:   How to Attract and Keep the Best People , I recognized things I did well in that setting and learned some things that I could have done better. Why concentrate on attracting top talent for your organization?  Miller provides a number of reasons, but the key point is that top talent helps to create a dynamic organization.  The best people make your organization the best it can be whether it is for-profit, not-for-profit, or faith-based.  High achievers push all of us to be better at what we are doing. Using the “business story” format, Miller provides an added twist by not only telling the story of a company but also the story of teen-agers looking fo...