Barnabas File

In  Missional Renaissance , Reggie McNeal observes, “Genuine spirituality lives and flourishes only in cultures and relationships of accountability.”  A reality check on this statement comes from the Barna organization which has found that only one out of ten believers have an accountability structure.  This provides a significant challenge for coaches, especially as we work with believers.   Although many Christians think of their personal relationship with God as their primary accountability structure, we are called throughout the New Testament to be active and engaged members of the church, the Body of Christ.  As part of a worshiping and serving community of faith, we are part of a group of sisters and brothers who challenge and encourage us. Hebrews 10:24 states, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (NIV). This provides an accountability structure that clients and their coaches often fail to recognize and utilize. ...

Old Testament Reading: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, NIV   9  Two are better than one,     because they have a good return for their labor: 10  If either of them falls down,     one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls     and has no one to help them up. 11  Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.     But how can one keep warm alone? 12  Though one may be overpowered,     two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.   New Testament Reading: 2 Corinthians 3:11, NIV   11  Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.     Sometimes we must unlearn old things so that we can learn new things.   One of the things I had to unlearn was that scripture ...

You can always count on your students to bring you back down to earth!     In the seminary class I teach on Missional Imagination, we challenge students “to think, imagine, innovate, and lead in ways that foster ministry startups and nurture established ministries that are missional in nature.”     At least that is what the course description says.     Another way of describing our goal is helping students to reimagine Christian ministry as part of the   missio Dei --the mission God given to the people of God and empowered by the Holy Spirit.     Of course, it takes a whole semester to unpack this concept, but eventually someone will ask a question or write a paper that includes a statement like this:  “Although missional ministry is often slow and may not have quantifiable results, the truth of the matter is those who are funding the ministry will always want to have a visible and measurable outcome as proof that their dolla...

We lead busy lives.   Often the important loses out to the urgent.     Important things are those that reflect our personal, emotional, professional, and spiritual values.     They are our “north star” to guide our lives.    The urgent is often what happens when we don’t attend to the important. When someone says to me, “I don’t feel that I am growing as a Christian. My life seems to be going nowhere.”  My response is, “Are you practicing the things that are important to you, the things that give your life meaning and purpose?  How’s your prayer life?  Your devotional reading?  Your fellowship with other believers?”  Often, my friend is neglecting those basic practices of life and the results are clear. This has been a challenge for believers since the time of Christ.  How does one stay focused on and practice those things that produce personal and spiritual growth? One approach...

Preachers will tell you that the worship experience, especially the sermon, is at the center of Christian discipleship.   Christian educators will argue that worship may get people in the door, but the small group experience of Sunday school or Bible study is where they connect and grow as disciples.     Both have valid points. Worship and Christian formation are the two sides of the coin of Christian discipleship.  If the church is serious about the transformation of believers into disciples, both are necessary. If worship is adoration of God, then it is an essential part of one’s growth as a disciple.  Although worship in recent years has tended toward an entertainment model with the participants as the audience, we need to remember that the audience for worship is God.  Soren Kierkegaard wrote, “ Worship isn't God's show. God is the audience. God's watching. The congregation, they are the actors in this drama. Worship is their s...

You can always count on your students to bring you back down to earth!     In the seminary class I teach on Missional Imagination, we challenge students “to think, imagine, innovate, and lead in ways that foster ministry startups and nurture established ministries that are missional in nature.”     At least that is what the course description says.     Another way of describing our goal is helping students to reimagine Christian ministry as part of the   missio Dei --the mission God given to the people of God and empowered by the Holy Spirit.     Of course, it takes a whole semester to unpack this concept, but eventually someone will ask a question or write a paper that includes a statement like this:  “Although missional ministry is often slow and may not have quantifiable results, the truth of the matter is those who are funding the ministry will always want to have a visible and measurable outcome as proof that their dollars...

As Christian leaders, we often say that we want to nurture a new generation of leaders and involve them in the life of the church. On several occasions, however, I have personally observed questioning and criticism of the decisions and leadership of young adults who have been asked to assume responsibilities in the local church. Although the desire is sincere, too often the reality is that we are too set in our ways, uncomfortable with change, and want everything to be “perfect” (according to our standards). Calling out and empowering young leaders is a painful process, both for the young leaders and the church! They will never be ready unless they try, succeed, and sometimes fail. In Missional Renaissance , Reggie McNeal points out that “Jesus deployed his disciples long before they were ready.” [1] From personal experience they learned how much more they needed to learn from the Master and were motivated to do so. For young adults to become leaders, they need three thin...

When we think about apostolic leadership, our attention usually goes immediately to the Apostle Paul—out there on the cutting edge, starting new faith communities, facing hardships, and winning Gentiles to the Way. In Missional Renaissance , Reggie McNeal reminds us that Paul was not the only apostle, and there was more than one style of apostolic leadership. In comparing the Pauline and Petrine styles, for example, he notes: “Some find that they can be missional only in new settings and are quite at home engaging cultures that are not culturally Christian. Other leaders are most comfortable and effective at home serving as missionaries to the church culture, challenging those in it to connect with the Spirit’s agenda in the world beyond them.” [1] While Paul was penetrating the Gentile world with the gospel, Peter and James stayed in Jerusalem and shared the message of Christ in the center of Jewish influence. They were confronting an established system with a message of ...

Preachers will tell you that the worship experience, especially the sermon, is at the center of Christian discipleship.   Christian educators will argue that worship may get people in the door, but the small group experience of Sunday school or Bible study is where they connect and grow as disciples.   Both have valid points. Worship and Christian formation are the two sides of the coin of Christian discipleship.  If the church is serious about the transformation of believers into disciples, both are necessary. If worship is adoration of God, then it is an essential part of one’s growth as a disciple.  Although worship in recent years has tended toward an entertainment model with the participants as the audience, we need to remember that the audience for worship is God.  Soren Kierkegaard wrote, “ Worship isn't God's show. God is the audience. God's watching. The congregation, they are the actors in this drama. Worship is their show. ...