Barnabas File

You never know what responses you will get when sharing your opinions on a blog.  On my blog—Barnabas File-- I write about things that interest me or get my attention.  Occasionally, they get someone else’s attention, too. In reviewing my posts for the past year, these received the greatest response.   1.   The Church is in Decline:  What a Great Opportunity for the Church!   In this blog, I encouraged churches to get back to the basics—to love God and to love one’s neighbor.  I noted the decline of disciple formation and spiritual practices in churches, but concluded in this way:   Even so, in these days, I see signs of hope for the people of God.  I talk with pastors who love engaging the Word of God and sharing it with their people.   I meet lay leaders who are bright, creative, and open to new ways of doing church.  I work with seminary students--many mid-career folks--who see new opportunities to lead churches and not-for-profits to address human need--spiritual, physical, and rel

"I will light candles this Christmas. Candles of joy, despite all the sadness. Candles of hope where despair keeps watch. Candles of courage where fear is ever present. Candles of peace for tempest-tossed days. Candles of grace to ease heavy burdens. Candles of love to inspire all of my living. Candles that will burn all the year long. " --Howard Thurman

Although Bible commentators suggest that Luke was probably writing his gospel for a Gentile audience, the first chapter of the gospel links directly with the Hebrew Bible and prophecy.  Zechariah and Elizabeth are a righteous couple from priestly lineage who represent the best of that tradition.  There is a bit of humor in Zechariah’s encounter with the Angel Gabriel, his voice being silenced due to his doubt, and an older couple finding themselves pregnant, but the task they receive is serious--they will give birth to and nurture the new Elijah, forerunner of the Messiah.   Elizabeth and her husband represent several things that we should take seriously as we consider the role of senior adults in the church today.   First, they represent communal memory.  They remind us from where we have come. Senior adults today provide link to the rich heritage of faith not only of the Hebrew tradition but now the 20 centuries of Christian faith and practice.   Second, they represent giftedness and

One of the challenges of Advent is keeping the events and persons fresh and relevant.     There is a tendency to come up with some basic ideas and become stuck there.     In an effort to get some new perspective, I reading Adam Hamilton’s book The Journey. He combines biblical reflection, observations about the places mentioned, and some preaching imagination to bring new insights to Mary, Joseph, and others in these familiar stories.   As he writes about Mary’s visit to Elizabeth (which probably lasted several months), Hamilton identifies the mentor and protégé relationship that was established between the two women. It is one worth unpacking.   First, when Mary finds herself miraculously pregnant, she must have thought of her kinswoman Elizabeth who also had been unexpectedly blessed.  Through the family grapevine, Mary learned that elderly, revered woman was expecting.  Although their circumstances were different, Mary identified enough with Elizabeth to seek her out for support an

In a previous blog, I shared the February 2023 report from the Association of Theological Schools that discovered for the first time in its history that the Master of Arts degree enrollment of 27,790 students exceeded the Master of Divinity enrollment of 27,634 students.        Another part of that report indicated that the number of students enrolled in Doctor of Ministry programs continued to increase.  The Doctor of Ministry (DMin) is a two-to-three-year program that builds on a previous theological degree, usually the Master of Divinity, and requires that the student have some level of professional experience before admission.  Although there are biblical and theological components, these degrees emphasize professional development and practical application.   Seminaries that offer the DMin provide students the opportunity to concentrate on a particular area based on their needs and interests.  Perhaps one of the reasons that this enrolment has grown is that ministers are addressing

Holy God, we acknowledge our need for your presence in our lives daily. We share our concerns, place them in your hands, and listen for Your Voice.   For those who have lost loved ones in recent days and still feel an emptiness in their lives. . . Lord, hear our prayer. For the homeless, the jobless, and those who barely survive on the margins of society . . . Lord, hear our prayer. For refugees, immigrants, and those who are misplaced . . . Lord, hear our prayer. For those whose lives are threatened by mindless war and violence each day . . . Lord, hear our prayer. For political, charitable, and ministry leaders who confront the problems of our world. . . Lord, hear our prayer. For the family and friends who love and support us . . . Lord, hear our prayer. For the People of God who are called to be light and salt in this needy world . . . Lord, hear our prayer.   And we thank you, God, for the reminders of your presence in the ordinary things of life.   For the touch of a loved one’s

Wespath, the benefits and investment entity of United Methodists, published a report in 2019 titled, “Clergy Health Factors--What Matters Most.”    The report states, “Healthy churches and congregations foster healthy clergy and church leaders--and vice-versa.”   The report identified 13 factors that influence clergy health.  Some are specific to the Methodist system--“stressors of the appointment process” and “appointment changes and relocation” --but might be translated into similar challenges in other denominational contexts.  Some deal with issues that might be addressed through formal counseling--“personal centeredness” and “marital and family satisfaction.”   The rest of the list reflects the concerns that I often see articulated by pastors in coaching conversations. For example, “relationship with congregation,” “work/life balance,” “existential burdens of ministry,” and “outside interests and social life.”     The study stresses the need for congregations and denominational sys

“See,   I   am   doing   a   new   thing ! Now   i t springs up; do you not perceive   i t?   I   am   making   a   way   i n the wilderness   a nd streams   i n the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:19, NIV) ≈   Our God is a living God who continues to show us new ways through challenging times.  Women and men throughout the history of the church have listened for the voice of God, receiving inspiration to attempt new and innovative ways to share the gospel and serve humankind.  We need leaders today who will not only embrace innovation but encourage others to do so as well.     In a recent webinar, Jay Campbell with the Blanchard Companies shared some practices that nurture innovation in an organization.  Several of these are certainly applicable to the church.   First, make innovation a clear priority.  As Christians, we must first set aside the time to listen to the voice of God through retreat and sabbath.  Leaders should offer team members and disciples the freedom to experiment and take ri

“My job is to find that spark of innovation and water it.”    This mixed metaphor may be the best description of how leaders in congregations deal with innovation. Innovation may be needed in today’s churches, but it is often met with doubt and suspicion.   There is a difference between creativity and innovation.  Creativity is coming up with a good idea; innovation is making it work.  Great ideas are not enough.  We must be able to put them into action.   In a recent webinar, Jay Campbell with the Blanchard Companies cited the statistic that “48% of executives believe innovation is risky” and should be avoided. What do you think that percentage would be among church leaders?   Campbell’s ideas resonant with the challenge facing anyone who would attempt to implement innovation in a congregation.  He cites two key innovation killers: fear of failure and a risk-averse culture.  This resistance is found both in leadership and in the way that teams or committees operate.   Leaders kills in

The authors of this book begin by paraphrasing Frederick Buechner: “being an innovator means being called to where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”    They develop the argument that developers get stuck, and innovation fails often “because innovators pay too much attention to their deep gladness and not enough to the world’s deep hunger.”   At the heart of innovation is the focus on authentic demand, people buying and using something because it becomes part of their lives.  For example, no one knew they needed a phone that could do everything until Steve Jobs led Apple to create one.  Now no one can live without such a device. It has become part of our lives.    They identify three forms of innovation:  Informative, Transformative, and Formative. Informative innovations provide more of the same with incremental change and some increased value.  Transformative innovations change the user’s perception and the scope of usage.  Formative innovations provide something

At some point, I discovered that you learn more by teaching than by being a student in a course.  For three years, colleague Beth Kennett and I have taught an Introduction to Coaching class as part of Summit Coach Training from Pinnacle.   In teaching, I have rediscovered at least ten concepts that I think every coach should remember.    The client is central.  Coaching is really all about the client. The client sets the agenda, and the coach provides the process.  If you have any concerns about what to ask or how to proceed, ask yourself, “Does this serve the client?” Coaching is really a partnership.  It is a collaborative activity.  Bob Dale spoke about coach and client as “thought partners.”  It is a partnership that fosters creativity on the part of client and learning on the part of the coach. You are not a “fixer.”  Many of us who are coaches come from backgrounds where we were problem-solvers—counselors, educators, clergy, leaders.  As coaches, “fixing” someone else or providin

If you are like me, you struggle with what is usually called “work/life balance.”     What I have tended to mean by this term is the process of effectively doing my work while taking care of the other important aspects of my life--family, friends, self-care.     Sometimes I have been more successful at this than at other times.   When I coach leaders, this is a topic that often comes to the surface.  Busy leaders want to be effectively engaged in their churches or organizations, but they also want to have a life!   I wrote a blog three years ago and commented on author  Bob Johansen’s term “work/life navigation.”  In that blog, I wrote and cited Johansen:    “Navigation” reminds us of whitewater rafting.  There are obstacles to be avoided but there are also currents that can help or hinder us in the process.  We have many choices, and they are always changing!  Johansen writes, “Work/life navigation is a clear and useful term, since it frames the life choices of a career very clearly b

Early in the history of the Christian church, believers were divided into two groups--the clergy and the laity.     Clergy were those called to a full-time Christian vocation.     Laity were the men and women who pursued secular vocations and supported the ministry of the clergy. Of course, these categories were not always hard and fast.    The Baptist movement in frontier America prospered through people who pursued a secular job (like farming) during the week and preached on Sundays.   Denominations have spent significant energy in differentiating between clergy and laity, and investing significant resources in the training of the former.  With declining resources and membership, however, judicatories are adopting flexible models of ministry that take advantage of the gifts of both biprofessional and lay leaders.  This certainly makes sense as many lay church members have not only spiritual gifts to serve but educational and professional skills as well.   At the same time, a third mi

A friend in the real estate business says that there are three primary concerns about buying and selling:  location, location, and location.  Where the property is located, especially in relationship to lifestyle concerns, traffic, schools, and shopping, is vitally important.   The same thing can be said for our churches.  Let’s think about it in this way:  God has placed us in a particular geographic place for a reason.  The reason is to be an expression of God’s kingdom in that particular place.  Of course, the context in which the church ministers may change over time.  Neighbors come and go. The community changes.  Once when we used the terms “urban,” suburban,” “neighborhood,” “county seat,” or “open country,” we had a pretty good idea of the context.  This is no longer true.  A county seat church may find itself in the center of a growing satellite community on the edge of growing metropolitan area.  An open country church may be surrounded by housing developments.  The members o

This is not a book you just read and put away.     Remove, Replace, and Restart: The Essential Maintenance Manual for Your Engine for Success   by Christian Greiser provides a model of development for people who find themselves at a professional turning point.     The author states, “This book is for leaders and managers who would approach a coaching session with questions and a search for clarity.”    Given our current culture, such a book is certainly needed.   We are indeed in the era of “the great re-evaluation.”  Many leaders, especially young and median adults, are taking a fresh look at their vocational situation.  A number of clergy find themselves in that situation as well.   For the author, “success” if more than climbing the organizational ladder.  Success means “taking active steps to avoid burnout and to maintain a balanced life.”  This goes beyond professional competency to embracing physical and mental health.  He recognizes that the pandemic “acted as a catalyst, accele

When I was in seminary, a chapel speaker said that someone asked him one time, “If you were not a Southern Baptist, what would you be?”     He said that his response was, “I would be ashamed.”   This is the context in which I was born and bred.  In 1998, I made the leap to what I believed was a more progressive Baptist tribe.  Between 2005 and 2008, I moved even further into positions where I could work with a more diverse family of believers.  Those experiences have been rich and rewarding.   There are many reasons for my decision (one that I did not make lightly).  One was the theological shift of the Southern Baptist Convention that sought to bring all of those in convention life—not only employees but churches—into lockstep.   Baptists have not traditionally been a creedal people, but groups of Baptists have historically adopted confessions of faith such as The Philadelphia Confession (1742) and The New Hampshire Confession (1833).   In 1925, the Southern Baptist Convention adopted