Barnabas File

The latest cultural putdown and internet meme seems to be “OK Boomer.” In  The New York Times,  writer   Taylor Lorenz defines this as, " Generation Z’s endlessly repeated retort  to the problem of older people who just don’t get it , a rallying cry for millions of fed up kids." She writes that teenagers use the term as a comeback to "basically any person over 30 who says something condescending about young people — and the issues that matter to them." Let me clarify at the outset that I am not a Boomer.  I am part of what is often termed the Silent Generation .  Born during World War Two, I was raised by those that I still consider the Greatest Generation, people who came out of two major wars and an economic depression but never gave up.  According to those who study such things, people of my generation “exhibit a strong loyalty to their personal beliefs and possess a strong work ethic.”  For the most part, the descri...

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...

A friend and I have an ongoing discussion about millennials and their role in church leadership.   As a group, millennials are parodied , maligned, and caricatured as entitled, self-centered, and clueless.   The truth is more complex.   The millennial generation (ages approximately 23 to 30) are in our organizations now.   Leaders have a choice.   They can work with millennials, harness their potential, and equip them for the future or they can miss an opportunity for organizational innovation and growth. In a Leadership Network article , Eric Swanson pointed out, “Millennials don’t want to work for you; they want to work with you.”  The millennial mindset is that of the journeyman worker--here today and gone tomorrow.  In many ways, this is understandable.  They have watched their parents and older siblings lose their jobs even when they have been with organizations for years and have done good work.  So how does a ...

We hear a lot about entrepreneurs--risk-takers who create, design, and deliver a new product or service.   But what about intrapreneurs? According to Wikipedia , “intrapreneurship   is the act of behaving like an   entrepreneur while working within a large organization.”   The idea is to allow opportunities for individuals and teams within an organization to integrate the innovation and risk-taking that characterize entrepreneurship into an established system.  Although this has great value, the practice itself involves some risks and willingness to rethink management and supervision. For several years, I was responsible for the supervision of about thirty full-time and part-time ministers who provided collegiate ministry on campuses across the state of Tennessee.  This was an interesting task considering the size of the state, the variety of campuses involved, and the varied gifts of those doing the work.  Many of th...