One of the disciples of the early church was a man named Joseph. Joseph was a very special man, and for that he earned himself a nickname – Barnabas. Barnabas means “Son of Encouragement”. Barnabas went on a missionary journey with Paul, helped start churches, and helped spread the truth of the Gospel.
Barnabas went on a missionary journey with Paul and another Believer named John Mark. John Mark ended up separating from the group and returning home mid journey. When the time came for their second missionary trip, Paul and Barnabas parted ways because Barnabas was insistent that he wanted to take John Mark, who had re-committed to missionary work. Paul was doubtful and chose to go on a missionary journey with Silas instead of Barnabas. But Barnabas did not give up, him and John Mark went on their own missionary journey. John Mark worked hard through the whole trip and kept his commitment. Both missionary teams – Paul & Silas and Barnabas & John Mark – helped spread the truth of the gospel through these journeys. None of it would have happened, if Barnabas had been willing to give up on John Mark and just go with Paul. But Barnabas – the Son of Encouragement – refused to give up. He saw the Spirit of the Lord in John Mark and worked with him.

At Pizza Ranch Headquarters we have a team called “The Barnabas Team”. This team is dedicated to helping encourage our staff, our stores, and our communities. The Barnabas team meets every Tuesday Morning to pray over all the specific prayer requests we receive, as well as praying for Pizza Ranch and its’ ministry partners. (if you would like to submit a prayer request click here.) The Barnabas team also helps with organizing Thursday morning devotions for our office and writing the Pizza Ranch Serves Blog Posts. Our Barnabas team is filled with individuals who are passionate about encouraging those around them.

Photo Courtesy of Patsy Stevens

Stevens, P. (2006, May 1). Paul's First Missionary Journey . Garden of praise: Paul's first missionary journey bible story. Retrieved August 1, 2022, from https://gardenofpraise.com/bib...