Meet WBC Community Group Leader: Jim Barnes

How long have you been a follower of Christ?

I grew up in the Hurst, Euless, Bedford area of the DFW Metroplex.  I was a very young boy when my parents started going back to church.  So young, I really do not recall a time when I wasn’t attending.  I was maybe 3 to 4 years old.  Even going to church, I have had my share of stepping outside of God’s will in my life.  So much, that I almost went too far and lost my family because of it.  God saw us through it and allowing us to use that dark time in our life as a ministry for other men and women.

How long have you been at WBC?

My wife, children, and I have been attending WBC for about 6 years and we absolutely love our church.

Tell us about your community group. 

Our community group started in October 2011 out as a group of 5 men and their motorcycles.  With the love of motorcycles and Christ, we combined the two and started having weekly bible studies.  From the initial 5 members, we have grown to a regular weekly bible study averaging 10-11 men from all different backgrounds and aspects on life.  The motorcycle ministry is called the ‘Brotherhood Of No Excuses’ (BONE) and has additional requirements for membership.  The weekly Bible Study that BONE holds as part of the WBC Community groups are open to any man desiring to learn, be ministered to,  or just needing fellowship with Christian men.

Currently, we meet every week on Wednesdays at my home shop off I35 and Sterrett Rd from 7:00p-9:00p with the first 30 minutes or so being dinner and fellowship.

About half of our members are members of WBC and the other half are men who have been invited, family, friends, or new to the Lord and needing Discipleship.

Our Wednesday’s consist of my wife and I providing dinner @ 7:00p (always good man food) until about 7:30p.  At 730p, we typically spend 15-20 minutes in prayer requests and prayer before we break open God’s Word.  Most often, I teach/facilitate books and chapters in the Bible, but periodically, we go through a study book as well.

Outside of weekly Bible Studies, we often meet for fellowship, food, and fun.  We have numerous rides we plan from just a few hours in a day, to 8-9 day long rides to Colorado, etc.

Can you give us one example of your group living out biblical community?

Over time, our community group has gotten close.  As the group has gotten close, new members/attenders find themselves absorbed into the group quickly.  It is our goal for people to feel comfortable and at ease. 

Regularly, we help each other out and follow closely the prescription for a biblical community as shown in Acts 2:42-47 in what I call the concept of WORD.  Worship, Outreach, Relationship, & Doctrine.

One of the many examples of how we operate can be show through a recent project we came together on.  One of our members had hip problems and it was painful for him to ride.  It was determined by his doctor that hip replacement surgery was needed.  The group got together and assisted in modifying his bike to make the riding more comfortable with new places to rest his feet and put his hands.  Our group is regularly lending a hand to each other with physical labor, emotional support, money, and most importantly, prayer.

One example of your group reaching the lost

Perhaps the greatest example of our community reaching the lost is by God moving on a man in Red Oak to ask spiritual questions after seeing my daughter giving thanks over her food while visiting at their house.  “Why aren’t my girls thankful like that?” he asked.  That opened a door for giving him God’s Word and inviting him to our Wednesday bible study.  After sitting at the bible study that Wednesday night, he came over the next day and gave his heart to Christ on my back porch.  He saw the men and listened to their stories of falling… but getting back up.  He heard them confess their struggles and how God has helped them get through it.  He saw and felt the power of God in these ordinary men and became hungry for the same thing.

What is the best thing about your group?

Perhaps there is no best thing, but a best combination of things.  Our group holds one another accountable with no condemnation, just compassion and correction.  Someone in our group has gone through what you’ve gone through.

We all realize that just by being a man, we are targets so we look out for each other and in a loving way, keep each other in line.

We realize that  “I cannot do this on my own.  I need my brothers.”  Each time we have stepped out alone, we each have failed.  God expects us to have someone to lean on when we start to stumble.  That’s what we do.