Barnabas File

My wife and I recently attended a concert presented by Jason Petty and his backup musicians at the Arts Center in Cannon County.     Petty is a musician, actor, and storyteller who got his big break portraying singer Hank Williams in a show called “Lonesome Highway.”      He has built on this role to build a career in which he channels the country music icon in various shows,     and he has developed similar tribute programs built around other musical figures. Petty and his ensemble did a great job, but he got to me thinking about his business model. He is an itinerant performer who has found a niche and does this work at a number of different venues in the United States and Canada.  He continues to refine his offerings to reach different audiences with his product.  He is leveraging his talents to do something he enjoys doing. His business model is really an example of the “gig economy.”  The gig economy ...

In a recent Fast Company article , Stephanie Vozza suggested ways that a person in a job interview should answer the question, “What are your strengths?”     The answers she provided are good and apply also to those who plan to practice ministry in the 21 st  century. First, “I am a good problem solver.”  The church today has plenty of problems, although I would prefer to call them challenges.  Most churches have limited resources and unlimited opportunities.  Despite diminishing numbers, aging congregants, and declining financial resources, most churches are located right in the middle of multiple ministry opportunities. Leaders are needed who can identify those opportunities, bring both parishioners and community members together to address them, and leverage the resources available to pursue a path forward.  This means that ministry leaders need skills in asset-based community development, appreciative inquiry, human-c...