Barnabas File

In his book Good to Great , Jim Collins argues that those who build great organizations make sure they have “the right people on the bus and the right people in the key seats before they figure out where to drive bus.”  We need the right people on board to accomplish our mission.  He goes on to say, “When facing chaos and uncertainty, and you cannot possible predict what’s coming around the corner, your best ‘strategy’ is have a busload of people who can adapt and perform brilliantly no matter what comes next.”   Let’s consider a model for getting the right church staff “on the bus.”  First, we must be very clear about the need that we intend to meet and the resources available.  Generally, we define the area of responsibility and identify how an additional staff member might help the church meet that need. We also consider the resources we have available.  This may determine if we will meet this need through a volunteer/volunteers ...

This book by Wesley Granberg-Michaelson is difficult to categorize.     This is not simply a travelogue of the author’s pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, Lourdes in France, Chimayo in New Mexico, and Ogere Remo in Nigeria and other sites.    Although not a book of theology, it is deeply theological, helping us to understand who God is, who we are, and the opportunity to nurture a deeper understanding of both through the act of pilgrimage. Perhaps it is primarily a memoir that calls us to a new way of seeing our Christian walk.   The title of the book comes from practice of early Celtic pilgrims.  Quoting Christine Valters Paintener:     “The wandering saints set forth without destination—often getting into small boats with no oars or rudder, called coracles—and trusted themselves to ‘the currents of divine love.’  They surrendered themselves completely to elements of wind and ocean . . . In this profound practice,...

Remember when telecommuting and “work from home” were novelties?     During the COVID-19 pandemic, we discovered that remote work was a necessity, not an option. There certainly were both positive and negative aspects to this situation.     Working from home was a challenge if you had children who were also doing remote learning.     A good internet connection was mandatory and there were often connection glitches.    But few people missed commuting, dressing up every day, and spending hours on the road or on a plane to attend meetings.   Remote employees functioned so well in many situations that some companies decided that they didn’t need people concentrated in buildings anymore.  A regional insurance company that has been a mainstay in our community for over 60 years sent all of their employees home and they have never come back.  The building is up for sale.  The work got done without everyone being in the s...

Having a coach is a good investment for a client. A coach provides the client the opportunity to identify one’s growing edge and to live into it.     This involves discerning a desired outcome, action steps to pursue to get there, and measures of success.     The coach also helps the client identify the resources available to assist in that quest. Resources include time, relationships, abilities, and strengths.   Why should we encourage clients to work from their strengths rather than focusing on developing their weaknesses?  The client should take advantage of what he or she already does well in working toward a goal.  Generally, there is some innate reason that we are not strong in a certain area.  This may be natural inclination, lack of passion, or personal disposition.   Marcus Buckingham has noted:   “You grow most in your areas of greatest strength. You will improve the most, be the   most creative, be the most...