Barnabas File

A friend got very upset with me once when I said, “I don’t treat all of my children the same way.”     He thought this was very unfair, but I tried to explain that my desire was to relate to them in a way that was appropriate to them as individuals.     I am sure that I did not always succeed, but I realized that each of them was unique--the needs of one were very different from the needs of another.    I loved, and still love, all of them but the important thing was that I attempted to provide what I thought each one needed.   So here is my secret:  I don’t coach all of my coaching clients in the same way!  Why?  Because they are individuals with different needs, experiences, and capacities.  Each person has their own particular way of processing experiences, learning, and acting.  If I fail to take that into account, our coaching relationship will not be effective.   For example, one client may k...

Amidst the bills and circulars, good news sometimes comes to my snail mailbox.     This week I received a church newsletter of something unexpected and positive that has come of the COVID-19 crisis.     This church usually had 500 to 700 in multiple Sunday services prior to the pandemic.     They continued and upgraded their livestream service after the shutdown.     Although they have resumed one service with social distancing and other precautions and have 300 in the sanctuary every week, they also have over 5000 watching or listening through an online presence!     As a result, they have upgraded their production capability with additional cameras, improved lighting, and updated control systems.    They are investing for the future.   To put this in context, this is a church near a large military facility, so they have former members scattered across the nation and world, so they already had an audience prepared to conn...

For years, many of us have struggled with ways to describe how we go about being Baptists.     Very often, we have defined ourselves in contrast to another group and resorted to comments like, “We are not THAT kind of Baptists.”    In a recent conversation, I suggested that Baptists that I identify with might call ourselves “gracious Baptists.”  You can look up the definition of that word for yourself but, for me, it suggests several things.   First, being a gracious Baptist means embracing the power of God’s grace.  As a former pastor said, “God has not called us to judge but to love.”  Our God is a gracious God, showing patient forbearance while offering forgiveness and hope.  As God’s people, we should reflect and exhibit that same grace.  The message we bear is the one that God exemplifies.   Second, being a gracious Baptist calls upon us to welcome the stranger and marginalized persons into our midst....

“Creativity is the power that generates innovation.”    At the beginning of The Creative Mindset , authors Jeff and Staney DeGraff define the interplay between these two processes.  Creativity is coming up with a great idea; innovation is making it happen.  Both are necessary to impact our world.  In this book, the emphasis is on developing a mindset and the skills for creative thinking that will result in innovative ideas that one wishes to pursue.   Since I have taught seminary classes involving creativity and innovation for several years, I am pleased to find this “toolbox” of tools and techniques to enhance the creative process.  The authors’ process is clear and easy to grasp:   Clarify--getting the challenge right; Replicate--mimicking and reapplying ideas; Elaborate--multiplying ideas by adding new ones; Associate--connecting ideas with analogies; Translate--creating stories from ideas; Evaluate--selecting the best ideas...

The church of which I am a member has responded effectively to the pandemic.     We quickly went to an online service, moved to doing Bible study and committee meetings (and even business meetings) online, and began providing proactive member contacts through phone calls and digital media.    With the leadership of a COVID-19 task force, we have a phased plan to restart on-campus activities based on public health data rather than opinions or personal preferences.   Many of the things we are doing have gone very well.  Our staff has led in putting together a Sunday morning worship experience that is recorded ahead and broadcast at the usual worship time.  Many members have contributed recorded segments and it has been fun to see individuals and families offering music, art, and the spoken word.  At last count, we seemed to be engaging more people in virtual worship than we were in person before the coronavirus.   Most of our Bib...

My LinkedIn account reminded me recently that I have been associated with Central Seminary in Shawnee, Kansas, for fifteen years this month.  It has been an interesting journey that has taken me to unexpected places.   Association with Central Seminary began while I was Coordinator of Tennessee Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.  The seminary offered an “alumni by choice” certificate to invite those who had attended other seminaries to show their support and I readily signed on.    My more official relationship with seminary began in 2005 when I became the volunteer site coordinator for Central’s teaching church site at First Baptist Church in Murfreesboro.  We provided the opportunity for students who were already immersed in ministry, work, and family life to pursue the Master of Divinity degree without uprooting their lives and relocating to pursue a seminary degree.   During the Tennessee Site years, I was invited to become an adjunct i...

Pinnacle Leadership Associates is launching Summit Coach Training this month.  This course on "Introduction to Coaching" will be of interest to both those seeking coaching certification and leaders wanting to enhance their skills.  Click here for video

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have talked and written a lot about what characteristics are needed to lead in a crisis.    Our present situation has called forth the best in leaders but also has identified gaps that might not have been apparent or crucial before.   As I listened to one of the speakers at the 2020 Global Leadership Conference, I realized that the characteristics for successful leadership in a crisis are the same that are needed for leadership at any time.     Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic teaches at University College London and Columbia University and is also the Chief Talent Scientist at ManPowerGroup.  He and his team have done extensive research on resilience during the pandemic, but their findings are applicable at any time.  Here are the characteristics or traits they identified of a successful leader.   Intelligence--the ability to learn quickly. Curiosity--knowing what you don’t know. Humility--willing to listen,...

Although we have heard the quote, attributed to Gene Kranz, “Failure is not an option,” in some contexts we should encourage failure.     Amy Edmondson, in her presentation at the 2020 Global Leadership Summit, suggested that this might be our best approach to innovation and change. Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School.   She first identified three types of failure: Preventative failure--We should know better and make sure it does not happen. Complex failure--We did not know better, and the failure is the consequence of unforeseen circumstances. Intelligence failure--We intentionally launch out into novel territory, acknowledging the potential to fail. Intelligent failure offers opportunities for learning and growth.  Edmondson argued that we should promote intelligent failures if the following is true: The opportunity explored is significant.     This is a chance to do something that is new or...

As we engage in these volatile times, leaders of organizations--including churches--have struggled to understand their roles.     Most job descriptions were not written for crisis situations.     Leaders have been asking themselves questions like, “What am I supposed to do now?”     “Am I providing what my church/company/team needs?”     “How will I know that I am doing the right thing?”   If one has a clear understanding of their individual purpose as well as that of their organization, then he or she has guidance for action.  This does not guarantee success, but it does provide a sense of momentum.   As Peter Hawkins discusses Purpose Led Organizations, he identifies five disciplines of a purpose led organization.  These apply in times of relative calm as well as times of crisis.  They apply both to the organization and to those who lead it.  Let’s look at each briefly.   First, commissionin...

A coaching client was not only a pastor, but a military chaplain.     He had served a period of time on active duty and had taken the opportunity to pursue the training that would complement his experience so that he could advance in rank but also in impact.    What he learned about the difference in tactics and strategy helped me to understand what leaders must do to expand their capacity to lead.   The chaplain who thinks tactically asks questions like, “What am going to do for chapel services next Sunday?” or “Who can I get to lead this group?”  On the other hand, the chaplain who thinks strategically asks, “How can I staff to meet the spiritual needs of the airmen in my squadron?” or “What are the added responsibilities I face if we are deployed?”  One is thinking short term and one is thinking long term.  Short term thinking gets the job done; long term thinking prepares for the next challenge.     Strategic thin...

When times get difficult, culture can both affirm our strengths or magnify our weaknesses.       Unfortunately, we often don’t know what we have to work with until crisis comes.     This should encourage us to try to better understand and assess our cultural norms.     In writing about the Purpose Led Organizations, Peter Hawkins identifies three outcomes of purpose related to culture.   First, it attracts and energizes employees.   In Good to Great , Jim Collins wrote:    The executives who ignited the transformations from good to great did not first figure out where to drive the bus and then get people to take it there. No, they  first  got the right people on the bus (and the wrong people off the bus) and  then  figured out where to drive it. They said, in essence, “Look, I don’t really know where we should take this bus. But I know this much: If we get the right people on the bus, the right people in the...

I will be very transparent that I attend these meetings more for information than inspiration, but I came away wi th b oth.     Craig Groeschel, pastor of Life.Church, and Albert Tate, pastor of Fellowship Church, were the bookend preachers.     Both were inspiring and competent. Like most large events, the Global Leadership Summit went virtual this year. Although there were still some large group viewings across the country, the event was produced as an online event that could also be viewed by small groups and individuals across the country.     The production was well done, and I only experienced one brief service outage during the conference.  This is unusual for an event this large.  Of course, viewing from home is convenient and it is nice to be able to go back or pause as you wish, but there are a lot more distractions. Groeschel is an effective communicator who is informative and encouraging, but he goes more for the head than th...

In defining purpose, the Gallup Organization explained, “A company’s purpose is a bold affirmation of its reason for being in business.     It conveys what the organization stands for in historical, ethical, emotional and practical terms.     No matter how it’s communicated to employees and customers, a company’s purpose is the driving force that enables a company to define its true brand and create its desired culture.”   As water is to fish, culture is to any organization--including the church.   We are immersed in culture with all of its artifacts, values, and assumptions.  Unless something happens to challenge those givens, we rarely think about the culture we find ourselves in.     For the most part, a church creates culture without thought or intention.  Stephen Blandino writes,    Every organization has a unique culture, but not every organization created their culture on purpose.  Most drif...

What drives your organization or church--mission, vision, or purpose?     In the 20 th   century, most companies sought to have a clear mission statement and a clear vision for the future.      Peter Hawkins stated, “A mission captures the company’s ambition, a vision shows what it will be like when success is achieved.”     Hawkins argues, however, that in the 21 st   century, an organization’s purpose is more important.     He defines purpose as “who the company serves and what is of value to them.”    Having a purpose is much more service-oriented and altruistic.   Take, for example, two sporting goods companies.  Adidas states that it “strives to be the global leader in the sporting goods industry with brands built on a passion for sports and a sporting lifestyle.”  On the other hand, Nike proposes to “bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world (If you have a body, you’re an...