Barnabas File

Whether we like it or not, someone is bound to ask the question: “How big is your church?”   One might avoid the question by responding with questions such as, “What do you mean by ‘big’?”   “Do you mean how many resident members or regular Sunday morning attendance?”   “Do you mean square footage?” While well meaning, the initial question can be translated, “Is your church successful?”  The question is rooted in our ingrained desire to measure success or progress.  Numbers indicate whether a church is growing or declining.  For some, numbers indicate the vitality of the congregation.  Of course, numbers can also apply to dollars, member involvement in missions and ministry, and whether the church is able to support its staff, pay its bills, and keep the roof fixed. Since numbers define what we do, perhaps the best thing to do is to come up with our own numbers or metrics to measure where we are on the journey.  In his book, ...

GPS is a wonderful invention.   All one has to do is either type in (or speak) a destination and step by step directions are provided to get there.   I must say, however, that I often pull up an overview map that shows me the “big picture” of how I will get there as well as some perspective on the arrival point.   I like clarity about where I am going to end up. Author Lewis Carroll wrote, “If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.”  Before you depart on a journey, it is a good idea to know where you are going.  As a church makes decisions about the change it wishes to initiate, there should be clarity about the desired future before planning on how to get there.  This is the desired goal the church is working toward—more engaged worshippers, expanded ministry to the community, or a great commitment on the part of participants to Christian formation, for example. There will always be those who resist set...