Barnabas Church

At Charge Conference yesterday, our District Superintendent urged our church to become a "Barnabas" Church.

A Barnabas Church is a church that, after paying 100% of it's apportionments , offers to pay part or all of the apportionments for another church in the district which may be having difficulty paying their own. Our district is in a poor, rural area. There are many small-membership churches that probably cannot spare any funds for connectional ministries.

Our church began a couple of years ago paying our apportionments in ten equal 10% payments, so we are paid 100% by October. If we could make one more payment in November, that extra 10% would more than likely be enough to completely pay the apportionments for one of the smaller churches in our district. With our support they may be encouraged to increase their giving in future years. They may even eventually become a "Barnabas" themselves.

Remember, if not for the support and encouragement of Barnabas, Paul may have remained a content layman like many of us.