GGC BARNABAS BOARD

In an online world in which there seems to be so much division and deception, with so many voices saying so many things, how can we as a church find ways to pursue unity within our own church and in the broader Body of Christ despite disagreements, while at the same remaining committed to exercising the kind of discernment that is necessary in order to be a Bible-honoring, truth-loving church? How can we become a people that is “patient” and “believes all things,” but which also “rejoices in the truth” (1 Cor. 13)? The “Barnabas Board,” which is based on a teaching entitled “Building Bridges While Loving Truth in Times of Division and Deception,” represents our desire to follow the generous, patient, unifying, and bridge-building example of the biblical figure Barnabas (see Acts 4:36-36-37; 9:26-30; 11:22-26)—the “Barnabas principle”—while at the same time following the discerning, noble, truth-loving, and Scripture-searching example of the church of Berea (see Acts 17:10-12) —the “Berean principle.”

In contrast to the “Grace Gospel Church” board, which is used to communicate official GGC teachings and events, the Barnabas Board is used to communicate events that include and/or are led by churches and ministries other than GGC. On the one hand, we value things that God may want to teach us through brothers and sisters in Christ outside of our own church. At the same time, because such events or teachings fall outside the formal jurisdiction of GGC leadership and oversight, we encourage all GGC congregants who may choose to attend such events to please remember to be good “Bereans,” examining and evaluating all things according to the truth of Scripture.