• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
ChurchPlants

ChurchPlants

Looking to plant a church? Find free ideas on how to get started, church planting tips, and establish a strong healthy church. Browse now!

  • Teams
  • Growth
  • Leadership
  • Strategy
  • Finances
  • Free Downloads
You are here: Home / Devotions / Barnabas

Barnabas

June 18, 2013 by DCPI Devotions

Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement) . . . ~ Acts 4:36 

READING: I Thessalonians 5:11-15 

Over the next five days I would like to focus on five practices, based on the life of Barnabas, which will assist you in finding more leaders. One of my favorite Bible characters has long been Barnabas. The poor guy doesn’t get much attention in Sunday school classes or sermons. At first glance he is remarkably second fiddle – a mere role-player in a cast of superstars. And even then, he is not in the storyline for long, exiting halfway through the Book of Acts after a testy exchange with the Apostle Paul over staffing priorities for an upcoming mission’s trip.

But when it comes to finding and empowering people for ministry in the New Testament church, Barnabas had no equal. I can make the argument (at least from the human perspective) that without his significant contribution and nose for finding, training and developing leaders, there would have been no Apostle Paul, no Book of Romans or any other of Paul’s other New Testament letters, no Gentile Christians, and no Gospel of Mark. That’s quite a legacy for someone who gets so little attention from theological pundits and preachers.

I’ve come to the conclusion that those who are most successful at building teams inevitably share with Barnabas the five traits that make up what I call The Barnabas Factor. At the same time, those who habitually bemoan a lack of volunteers, low morale and a chronically high turnover rate tend to lack these same five traits. 

So what are these powerful traits that made Barnabas so different? And what can we do to build them into our own life and ministry? 

Father, Help me to encourage others as Barnabas did. Help us all to become Sons ofEncouragement to your glory and for the blessing of the church. Amen.

Dynamic Church Planting International (DCPI) “Equips Leaders to Plant 5 Million Churches Worldwide.” Learn more
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter

About DCPI

Dynamic Church Planting International is committed to training and equipping church planters around the globe, planting reproducing churches and establishing national partnerships. Learn about them at their website, DCPI.org.

« Previous Post
Next Post »

Primary Sidebar

Church Planting Jobs

Search Here

Christian News Now

Enter your email for tips on how to have a thriving church!

Footer

Company

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise
  • Terms of Service
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Get Email Updates
  • Christian News Now

Copyright © 2025 ChurchPlants

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise
  • Terms of Service