Barnabas File

“But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.   “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” --Acts 7:55-56, NIV In the Book of Acts, Stephen is known for several things.  He was chosen as one of the deacons of the church at Jerusalem.  He performed significant ministry.  He was very articulate in proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ.  He was martyred for his faith. Most Bible studies related to Stephen emphasize his role as a deacon in the church and his death as a precursor to the conversion of Saul (Paul).  In doing so, we miss something very significant about this early leader of the church. First, the role of deacon was more a function than an office.  Deacons were not administrators but servants who cared for the needs of church members; in this case, the Greek-spea...

What is your definition of “discipleship”?   In general usage, a disciple is one who follows the example and teachings of another person.   In the Christian context, a disciple is a follower of Jesus Christ, one who seeks to practice his teachings and make them a part of her or his life.   Living out the teachings of Christ is generally called the act of discipleship. Several years ago, I joined my colleague Mark Tidsworth in training church leaders to use coaching principles to help others to grow as disciples.  We called the process “ Disciple Development Coaching .”  Both Mark and I have a rather comprehensive view of what it means to be a disciple.  Our concept (and I think the belief of many others) is that discipleship encompasses all of life—not simply our spiritual practices but the way we care for God’s gifts to us, act in our relationships with others, and pursue our vocational callings. In a recent conversation, someon...