ANNOUNCEMENT: The Barnabas Initiative

By Nazarene Caffeine Staff -

Two digital hands shake with a city in the background

Introduction

Today, September 26, 2025, Nazarene Caffeine is proud to announce a new effort that we call The Barnabas Initiative. The Barnabas Initiative is a new effort designed to walk alongside those who are exploring faith in Jesus or have recently taken their first steps as followers of Christ. The Barnabas Initiative is named after Barnabas, an early Christian who was known as the "Son of Encouragement." Barnabas is most well-known as the person who served as the bridge between Saul--who was known for his persecution of early Christians--and the early church after Saul became a Christian. The Barnabas Initiative desires to follow this example by providing initial spiritual care, guidance, and connection for people who are often overlooked or unreached by the church, and those who want more information about following Jesus.

Whether someone is curious about Christianity in the wake of cultural events, considering taking the step of faith, or simply looking for a supportive community, the Barnabas Initiative exists to meet them where they are. Through basic discipleship classes, personal guidance, and connections to local Nazarene churches, we are committed to helping participants grow spiritually, feel encouraged, and begin a journey of meaningful relationship with Christ. Our goal is to leave no sincere seeker without basic discipleship and connection to a local church community that can walk with them throughout their life and continue the spiritual care of their souls. In this announcement, we would like to explain what The Barnabas Initiative is doing, and why.

It should be made clear that The Barnabas Initiative is not a replacement for, nor in competition with, the local church. Rather, it serves as a link in the chain, connecting those who might otherwise be overlooked or lost with a faithful local congregation. It is a pipeline, not a roadblock, as will become evident throughout this article. Our goal is to partner with new Christians and local churches, guiding each to meaningful connection with the other. While this initiative is undertaken personally, it is intended to operate in harmony with local pastors and church leadership, ensuring that all guidance, teaching, and discipleship are grounded in Scripture and faithful to Nazarene doctrine. In doing so, we seek to provide new believers with solid spiritual care while strengthening, not replacing, the ministry of local churches.


Initial Connection

The first thing that The Barnabas Initiative offers is an initial connection with those who want to learn more about Jesus. Our desire is to be a connection point for those who are interested in, or are just starting, their walk with Jesus but who may not have a pre-existing connection to the church. We want to be a link in the chain that connects those who are seeking Christ and/or are just beginning their new life in Christ to a Christian community that can provide ongoing spiritual care. This is accomplished in a couple of different ways.

First, we have set up a page for the purpose of making this connection. The page has a simple explanation of the message of the Gospel, as well as what it means to follow Jesus. This page can be accessed from the Nazarene Caffeine home page by clicking on the Follow Jesus button on the left-side navigation bar, or by clicking on the Following Jesus link at the very top of the page. It can also be accessed from almost any of our articles by clicking the small orange button at the end of the article that says Start My Journey. We have made the opportunity to land on our Following Jesus page as available as possible. This page serves as the primary way that we connect with people and help them begin their new life in Christ. After making an initial connection with a new Christian or someone who wants to know more about the Christian faith, we invite them into a time of basic discipleship.

Second, we provide an opportunity for those who are curious to learn more about Jesus or what we do at Nazarene Caffeine to stay connected through a monthly newsletter. Individuals can sign up for this newsletter by using the form at the bottom of each page on the website, or by clicking on the Stay Connected link on the left-side navigation bar. This newsletter helps us to stay connected to both our regular readers and those who are just beginning their new walk with Christ.


Starting A Discipleship Journey

When new Christians or those who want to know more about the Christian faith reach out to us through our Following Jesus page, the first step that we take is to walk with them through a type of Basic Bible Studies For New Christians type of discipleship discussion. This discussion is intended to help the new Christian develop an understanding of the Christian faith that will set them up for success in their walk with Christ.

This discussion takes place over the course of approximately 10-12 weeks, either in person (if nearby) or over Zoom (if not nearby). We want to ensure that we take enough time to allow the new Christian to ask questions and have them answered, while at the same time receiving a solid foundation regarding Christian faith and practice. By the end of this time period, we believe that those who participated in the discussion will have the tools that he or she needs to grow in his or her faith over the course of their lifetime.

While this discipleship journey is going on, we also want to help newer Christians take one of the most important steps on their walk with Christ: Connecting with a local Christian community that will walk with them throughout their life.


Church Connection

Perhaps the most important thing that we could do during this process is to connect newer Christians with a solid church. As a Nazarene, I believe that our denomination has a particular strength in our emphasis on holiness and holy living. Because holiness is so important to the life of the Christian, our primary goal is to connect these new believers with local Nazarene Churches where holy living is emphasized and where Scripture is taught, not only as a means of passing along information, but as a means by which God provides transformation. We provide multiple ways to connect individuals with local Nazarene Churches.

First, anyone visiting Nazarene Caffeine can click on the Find A Church button in the left-side navigation menu. This will redirect them to the Church of the Nazarene's official Find A Church page, where they can search for a local Nazarene Church by location and see information about each of these churches.

Second, during the 10-12 weeks we are working with newer Christians for discipleship, we will also be working to connect each of them, individually, to a local Nazarene Church. In doing so, we help each person get connected to a local Christian community that will walk with them long after our Basic Bible Study time ends. The Christian life becomes far more difficult if we are isolated, and we want to help those we disciple avoid the difficulties that come with isolation.

Finally, our monthly email newsletter will contain a link to the Find A Church page to help those who are looking for a church discover a solid Nazarene Church in their area. Our end goal is to ensure the long-term spiritual care of those who connect with us, and the best place for this to happen is in a local church.


Conclusion


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