Barnabas File

This poem originally appeared on Lindy Thompson's blog and is reprinted by permission. See more of her work at lindythompsonblog . I am the labyrinth. Keep moving. I don’t know where I am going, God. It looks like one way but ends up being another, and I turn sharply when I least expect it, and sometimes it looks like I’m going to collide with someone else – how can this be right? I am the path. I am the labyrinth. Keep moving. I want to see, God. I want to  know . Why must there be so much unknown? Why must there be so much waiting? Why do you move the way you do? I am the light. I am the path. I am the labyrinth. Keep moving. Other voices call and make other promises. It sounds easier to go where they are, do what they do, avoid what they avoid. I don’t see them beating their breast, prostrating themselves, begging for mercy, anguishing in their search for something real. I am the truth. I am the light. I am the path. I am the labyrinth. Keep moving. It woul

Work is more complicated than it used to be.     Most jobs require not simply a person who will be a “cog in the machine” but a motivated contributor.     Especially with younger generations, motivation comes not just from a paycheck, but in the ability to learn, grow, and contribute.     This requires managers who will adopt a different supervision style. In a recent article , Gallup provided a strong argument for managers adopting a coach approach to supervision.  Coaching requires a more personal, interactive style, but the writer states, “ When managers provide meaningful feedback to employees, those employees are 3.5x more likely to be engaged. ” Although becoming a coaching leader requires significant training, here are some ways that a manager can become a coach. First, recognize the uniqueness of the person you supervise.  Every individual has different experiences, skill sets, and abilities.  Their uniqueness can make a valuable contribution to the mission of th

One size does not fit all.   In the ecclesiastical structures of the 20 th  century, denominations often provided standards for local congregations to pursue in order to be more effective and efficient.  These standards and policies were meant to challenge each church and to call out the best in members. The problem was that each church is very different. Even in connectional denominations, each congregation finds itself in a distinctive context.  The area may be urban, suburban, or rural.  In reality, the setting may be shifting from one of these to another! Those who attend the church come from different situations with varying experiences of work, family, and education.  In many situations, the community is changing due to economic and social factors.   Churches in a particular denomination may have much in common, but the context in which they minister varies significantly.  This requires an awareness of where the church is and what is going on around it. As the church b

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 can be defined as “a free market system in which temporary positions

Several years ago, Intuit published its 2020 Report .  One of the key observations was, “By 2020, 40% of American workers will be independent contractors.”  A significant part of the population will be contingent workers who will piece together various paid opportunities in order to make a living.  Since 2020 is almost here, we should be asking the question, “What does this mean for the church?” From the perspective of how the church operates, this means we will see more of the following: First, outsourcing of non-ministerial services such as accounting, marketing, and cleaning to independent contractors.  This relieves the church of providing benefits and assures that someone with specialized knowledge or ability will meet a need that is important but does not need to be done by a paid staff member. Second, increased use of outside consultants, which is another type of outsourcing.  We already do this with capital campaigns and the model can be applied to other church

A friend recently accepted an intentional interim position in a church.     She was surprised on her first Sunday when it was announced that there would be a budget meeting immediately after the worship service.     She handled the situation gracefully and discovered that, due to the incapacitation of the previous pastor, laity had stepped up to take action, often without the pastor’s being involved.     The positive side of this approach is the commitment of the lay leaders to move forward.    The negative side was this was not the best practice and something the interim could help the church address before a new pastor is called. This incident points out the importance of lay leadership but also the need to get everyone on board before actions are taken.  When a church begins to think about transformation, it is important to get everyone on the bus. They may not all be going in the same direction initially, but once the bus leaves the station, everyone needs to be going to the

The Christian faith is not designed to be experienced in isolation.    There are certainly times when a believer may draw aside for contemplation, prayer, and communion with God, but Jesus calls out a people to follow Him. This, of course, reflects the way that God has worked throughout history.  God called Abram out of Ur and promised him that he would be the father of a great nation that would not only be blessed but bless all of the peoples of the world.  God made a covenant with Abraham and renewed that covenant with Isaac and Jacob (Israel). When the Hebrews left Egypt, God added a new twist.  The covenant now was not just with Moses, but with the people of Israel.   Covenants play an important part in the life of the people of God.  In a covenant, we make commitments not only to God but to one another.  Covenants not only voice mutual commitments but promise support, encouragement, and identify benefits from being part of the covenant. When a church considers being

Dr. Richard C. Halverson (1916-1995), chaplain to the U.S. Senate, is credited with this statement made in 1984 in a speech before the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church:  “In the beginning the church was a fellowship of men and women centering on the living Christ. Then the church moved to Greece, where it became a philosophy. Then it moved to Rome, where it became an institution. Next it moved to Europe where it became a culture, and, finally, it moved to America where it became an enterprise.”   This statement may be a bit harsh but, in many ways, our churches tend to function today more as businesses than as spiritual organisms.  For example, when the stewardship committee of a church sends out a letter encouraging congregants to invite people to church in order to “meet our budget,” the church has lost its focus.  When the building committee becomes more interested in maintaining the physical facility than serving the community, priorities are skewed.  When the

Several years ago, I was teaching a class on the missional church.     One session was devoted to the various paradigms out of which the church has functioned over the last two thousand years.    One student summarized the basic idea very succinctly when she said, “Every so often the church has to renew itself.” Despite all of the articles and blogs we read about the challenges that the church faces today, I am optimistic that the church will not only survive but prosper in the days ahead, but the way we do church will look different.  Even more traditional churches can adapt in order to minister effectively in their context without sacrificing their theological foundations. The key word is “adaptive.”  We must move beyond “rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic” and find a new means of transportation.  Rather than just tweaking a few things, we have to rethink how we do church. Encouraging adaptive is an emphasis of Pinnacle Leadership Associates, the group I work with in c

Church staffing has changed in many ways over the past 50 years.  New positions and titles have appeared to meet real or perceived needs.  In recent years, however, changing demographics and declining budgets have required congregations to reassess positions, add or delete some roles, and rewrite position descriptions. In a recent blog, John Wimberly addressed this trend and provided some suggestions about where congregations should place their staffing emphasis.  His observations are interesting but let me suggest some additional positions to consider. First, most churches would benefit from employing either full-time or part-time a Minister of Missional Engagement.  This person would help the church identify and establish partnerships with organizations who are impacting the community through service or social entrepreneurship programs.  This staff person would connect congregants to these ministries and might also lead the church to provide grants for new projects.  

Sunday morning Bible study is still an important part of the church I attend.   I teach a class most Sundays and have served in leadership roles in the Bible Study/Sunday School program over the years.     Our church has long had the policy of giving teachers and classes the opportunity to select their own curriculum.     This can be a bit messy, but I have been impressed by the wisdom and creativity shown in this process. I think a written curriculum is important.  Not only have I used materials from a number of publishers, I have written lessons in the dim, dark past.  The idea of scope and sequence in a series of lessons is important, but there are many ways to organize Bible and discipleship studies. In recent years, I have come the conclusion that a teacher and class can have the best materials in the world and still have an inadequate learning experience.  What makes a Bible study effective?  I think there are three things to consider--presentation, participation, and