Barnabas File

Parker Palmer is one of my favorite authors.     This quote from Palmer recently came to my attention:   "The good news is that God loves us, and we’re all created in God’s image. And if you really believe that today, then that means staying grounded in that good news, being open to the world, taking creative risks and investing yourself and your resources."   As I read this passage, I became aware that this provides a good theological basis for coaching.   First, we are all created  in God’s image .  As I am involved in coaching my clients, I am aware they are individuals created in the image of God.  They are special and unique.  No matter where they are in their spiritual walk, they are important to God and to me.   Second, my approach to coaching is  grounded in the good news .  For me that means everyone has the potential to be “transformed by the renewing of [the] mind” (Romans 12:2) and seeing life th...

I attended an all-male military school for 12 years.  This was not a residential school; we all lived at our homes in the community.  When I told people I went to a military school, one frequent response was, “Oh, have you been in trouble?”  No, I entered the school in first grade not because I was an incorrigible offender but because my parents wanted me to have a good education and were willing to sacrifice for me to go to a private school.   Fast forward to the present day.  As I work with churches and other organizations, I sometimes hear this statement: “This person has a problem. They probably need a coach.”  I am not sure of the source of this perspective, but it misses the real reason that a person should have a coach.   The present coaching movement was birthed through businesses where rising executives were (and are) provided coaches so that they could build on their strengths.  They were already doing well ...

When we promote coach training, we often refer to the process as “an additional tool in your ministry toolbox.”     As I talked with a ministry leader this week about coach training for his denomination, I realized that coaching is much more than simply a skill.   First, it is a biblical approach to developing disciples.  We believe that each person is “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14) and is unique in the sight of God.  Because of this, each of us has a special calling, one that can be discerned through interaction with a coach.  As believers we are also commanded to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18, NIV).  Entering into the life of faith is just the beginning because we are invited into a process of lifelong learning and serving.   This journey can be facilitated through a relationship with a Christian coach.   Second, coaching is a way of knowin...

Life Coaching or Personal Development Coaching can take many forms.     I recently was involved in a conversation with a colleague about coaching seminary students around their financial habits.     One of the things we discussed was whether a person needs to be a financial expert to coach someone about finances.     We agreed that helping a person to break old habits or, perhaps more proactively, develop new habits or behaviors was the key to financial coaching rather than financial expertise.       Developing new habits is not easy. Some suggest that, on the average, it takes more than two months before a new behavior becomes automatic — 66 days to be exact . More realistically, how long it takes a new habit to form can vary widely depending on the behavior, the person, and the circumstances. In a study by researcher Phillippa Lally, a key finding was that it took anywhere from 18 days to 254 days for people to form a new habit.   Thi...

The first real “job” for which I was paid was as a math tutor.     Considering that I failed Calculus in college, this is rather ironic.     I was a junior in high school and my math teacher recommended me as a tutor for an eighth grader.    The parents paid me ten dollars a session.   As I began working with this young man, I realized pretty quickly that he already knew what he was supposed to do.  He understood the calculations and was probably a better math student than I was!  The key was focus.  He needed someone who would just sit with him, respond to his work, and provide encouragement.  I did not need to be an expert; I just needed to be there.   I find myself in the same situation very often as a leadership coach.  As I talk with a client, I discover that not only does the person have the best knowledge of the situation we are discussing, but he or she has some ideas about how to address i...

In The Agile Church:  Spirit-Led Innovation in an Uncertain Age , Dwight J. Zscheile writes about the Book of Acts, “The apostles don’t typically understand what kind of witness God wants to bring forth until they are in the midst of it; it is much more improvisational.” I was recently introduced by a friend to a book on improvisational theater or IMPROV, and I have done some additional reading about the process and come to understand that there are certain concepts that are basic to improvisation.  First, there is a situation or an idea that runs through the sketch.  Second, the sketch builds on the idea of “Yes, and . . . .”  We take what is given and build on it.  Third, the performers use what is on hand.  Fourth, they work with their intuition. This seems to be what was happening in Acts.  The apostles had an idea that runs through the account: “We are called to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”  We co...

I have been doing professional life coaching over ten years and I find that I still have a number of opportunities to introduce and explain the concept to people.     Just about everyone understands athletic coaching either from observing a sports coach in action or serving as a volunteer coach.     Life coaching is a bit different.     Three basic ideas will help you understand how life coaching works.      First, the person being coached is the focus of coaching.  The coach is thoroughly engaged in the coaching conversation, but the conversation is all about the client.  When we engage in a normal conversation with a friend or colleague, we expect that each person will have their fair share of the time—not simply reacting but sharing their own ideas and experiences and carrying their part of the conversation.  In coaching, it is all about the client.  The coach is there to serve the client’s agenda—to...

 " You think things are different? You think times are different? … They will never let a Black man be Captain America. And even if they did, no self-respecting Black man would ever wanna be.—Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) Perhaps these are the defining lines of dialogue in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier mini-series that concluded on Disney+ this week.  I think all of us knew that Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) would eventually take on the role of Captain America, but the series challenged us to consider the hurdles to this conclusion:  Sam’s own reluctance to accept the shield from Steve Rogers after being his backup through several films; the expectations both of the public and the government about the Cap heritage; the treatment of Bradley, a Black Captain America, in the Korean War era; and the possible reluctance of a Black American to become the symbol of a nation that still struggles with systemic racism.   Marvel was not subtle about those themes in t...

In a conversation with a church leader prior to the pandemic, we discussed the various activities of his church and how they might lead individuals to become more committed disciples of Christ.     My friend is very concerned about taking people deeper into the faith, helping them to connect with God on a daily basis and transforming their lives.     Unfortunately, we found that many of the things that his church offered were attracting day campers rather than pilgrims.    This is true of many churches today.   During the latter part of the last century, many churches fell in love with church growth methodologies.  The church growth movement adopted the organizational and marketing ideas used by businesses in post-World War II America.  These included designing events based on the demographics of your community, providing comfortable meeting facilities, making certain that everything the church offered was polished, and evaluating c...

Pastors have always realized that there will be large numbers at church on Easter Sunday, and it has nothing to do with them.     Of course, this was not true last year, and it was not true this year.     Although some churches were able to meet again physically, many more were involved in worship online, as they have been for the last 14 months.   Despite everything, Easter happened.   God’s people celebrated the Resurrection in church buildings, open spaces, and their homes.  The physical numbers were not important; they never have been.  Numbers don’t valid the message.  If we are depending on larger numbers of believers gathering in worship to be a testimony to faith, we are fighting a losing battle.     A recent Gallup study reported that church membership in the United States has fallen below fifty percent for the first time.  Whether conservative, moderate, or liberal, all churches hav...

The life and accomplishments of the saint we call Patrick have certainly been embellished and enhanced by early hagiography and centuries of veneration.  Historians assume that some acts attributed to Patrick were either done by others or are simply good stories that have become part of his legend.  In death, Patrick is undoubtedly a much larger presence that he was in actual life.  This is true with so many religious and historical figures.  They may have been decisive, even heroic, figures but we can no longer separate the person from the legend. Not only is Patrick an iconic figure, he has also become linked with what we know call Celtic Christianity.  Thomas Cahill’s book  How the Irish Saved Civilization  introduced the rich tradition of the Celtic and specifically Irish contributions to a mass audience.  George Hunter drew on similar ideas for  The Celtic Way of Evangelism.   Just as we add much o...

When President Eisenhower left office on January 17, 1961, he warned the nation about the increasing power of “the military-industrial complex.”     This was surprising to many due to his career service in the military culminating with becoming a five-star general.     Some have suggested he did not go far enough and should have used the term “the political-military-industrial complex.”   In a Facebook post this week, a friend identified himself as recovering from the “religious industrial complex.”  I think he could have added “political” that term as well.  Many ministry leaders in the second half of the twentieth century not only grew up in the paradigm, but we helped to perpetuate it.  I know I did.   As a Southern Baptist, I grew up in a church that used denominational literature, supported denominational programs, and followed a denominational (not liturgical) calendar.  The Southern Baptist Convention and its a...

Although I am not certain, I believe it was W. Edwards Deming said, “What gets measured gets done.”     The grammar seems a bit tortured, but the idea is clear—unless you have some measurement for an activity, you probably won’t do it.    This applies not only to jotting down on a calendar or logging in an app how much you exercise, but we what do in ministry as well.   If we are going to take the time to plan and execute a ministry, shouldn’t we take the time to measure its effectiveness?  The problem is that the church is behind on identifying, keeping, and celebrating metrics for effective ministry in the twenty-first century.   The default for most churches is usually “nickels and noses”—what are our offerings and how many are in the pews?  I won’t argue that stewardship and participation are not important, but how do we measure Christian growth and missional engagement among other things?   Let’s acknowledge that this is an iss...

What is the difference between creativity and innovation?     Creativity is the ability to come up with great ideas.     Innovation is making a great idea a reality.     As Joel Barker has said, “ Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.”  Once we have developed our “God-sized dreams,”  what do we do with them?   First, this is a collaborative process.  If we have spent time understanding the gifts of our people and the capabilities of potential partners, we are ready to sit down together and come up with implementation plans.  We also find ways to communicate with the entire congregation, to share the vision, and to bring others into the work through their prayers, contributions, and participation.   Second, this is an intentional process.  We decide what we will do, and we mobilize the resources to do it. ...

Most of us have read Margaret Mead's quote , "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can  change the world . Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."  Although Mead may have been thinking primarily of a secular context, the idea is certainly central to the work of the Christian church. In the Book of Acts, some Christians were dragged before public officials with the charge,  “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also.” (Acts 17:6b, MEV)   Once we have clarity as believers, we can make an impact in our community and our world.  This clarity comes only through a time of collective  spiritual discernment with God’s people talking, listening, and praying.  They talk about their experiences, hopes, and fears.  They listen to each other with love and compassion. They pray seeking the leadership of the Holy Spirit.    Our church recently went through a pastoral transitio...

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...