A Story of Rebirth: The Bay Area Barnabas Group
By Dan Menegus, Managing Partner of The Bay Area Barnabas Group
God will find a way. The Bay Area Barnabas Group had a fruitful 10-year run from 2010 through 2019. However, circumstances changed, and it seemed that the season for the Barnabas Group in the Bay Area had come to an end, culminating in Managing Partner Larry Weins receiving a cancer diagnosis. But that wasn’t the full story.
Three years after Bay Area Barnabas had a final chapter meeting in April 2021 celebrating 10 years of ministry together, a rebirth and an unexpected new season of Bay Area Barnabas began. The rebirth story is still being written, but we are full of hope and excited about what God has already accomplished. Multiple times, we’ve heard God telling us to focus on the next step and let Him, not us, worry about tomorrow. We’ve experienced some opportunities to trust, and God has provided.
A picture of the group who convened for the October 2024 launch.
We were saddened that our beloved friend Larry Wiens, who founded and managed Bay Area Barnabas during its first 10-year season, lost his battle with cancer and was not with us for the relaunch in the fall of 2024. But he inspired this new beginning.
In the Spring of 2023, Alan Cerro and I felt a divine nudge to explore a relaunch. The previous fall, I had been offered a generous early retirement package from my employer of 37+ years. I felt called into a new, dramatically different season of life, which seemed to involve Barnabas. This was going to take a committed team and a community of supporters though to make this a reality. And we thought Larry’s support was going to be central to this effort.
Larry was enthused about a potential rebirth and ready to walk with us through the process before brain cancer changed that plan. When he passed away in November 2023, we were feeling dejected, having lost our mentor and guide, and seeing a mountain of obstacles in front of us to relaunch.
Then a month later, God spoke to us during a beautiful gathering honoring and celebrating Larry’s life. Story after story was told of Larry just doing the next thing God gave him to do, including starting the Bay Area Barnabas chapter. God used him to have a tremendous Kingdom impact—in his career, in his family and neighborhood, and in helping a wide variety of ministries. He was “all in” with everything God had provided for him to steward.
We were encouraged and inspired that day to just take the next step, and by January a passionate and committed relaunch team had come together. God provided a path forward through the obstacles, and on October 25, 2024, we held our first quarterly event, almost exactly three years after the event celebrating the first 10 years.
Sacramento TBG Managing Partner, Brian Dowd, sharing the 25 year history of Barnabas to the new Bay Area chapter
The Sacramento Barnabas Group, which had been supported by Bay Area Barnabas when it launched, returned the favor. TBG Sacramento allowed us to be guests at their events prior to our launch, made introductions to key people, provided us with resources and assistance, and encouraged us throughout the process. Brian Dowd acted as our sponsor to the other chapter Managing Partners. Last August, before we launched, I was invited to the annual Barnabas Managing Partners meeting. Our new Bay Area chapter was formally approved, we were prayed over, and then loved and supported in countless ways. The Barnabas Group chapters are one big family that desires the best for one another.
In addition, Dan Navarra, of the National Christian Foundation, was a huge source of support and encouragement during our launch and served as the Keynote Speaker for our quarterly kickoff event. Several of the past presenting ministry Executive Directors also spoke at our recruiting events, and Jonathan Fuentes of Points of Light who had previously presented to the former chapter was the first to present a new Big Question to our Barnabas fellowship.
This all brought the words “blessed to be a blessing” to life. This defines the entire Barnabas extended community.
We are now approaching our 4th quarterly event since our rebirth. Momentum is growing. About half of our over 40 current partner units are completely new to Barnabas. Our community is more diverse than it was when we closed our doors four years ago. Our Leadership Team and Board are entirely new to these roles. That said, we are so thankful for the support of those whom God called back to Barnabas and who said yes. God is using the foundations of the past but doing a new thing.
Our mission and purpose remains the same, but the ways we’re living it out are evolving. We are listening and learning, trying new things, and continuing to build collaborative partnerships - that is what Barnabas does well. We are always on the lookout for individuals with Barnabas DNA, Christ-led leaders who are strategic, generous, curious, and committed to excellence. We seek people who love to work in collaborative community with other leaders and partner with others in seeking to bring about human flourishing and the expansion of the Kingdom of the good news.
To God be the glory!
About The Author: Dan Menegus
Dan Menegus worked for a large natural gas and electric utility company for 37+ years, the majority of those years leading various engineering and technical teams. An early retirement package in mid-2022 allowed him to pursue various Kingdom-related mentoring and non-profit leadership roles in an expanded way since then. He had completed the 3-year The Master’s Program in 2011 which has greatly helped him to prepare for and think through various Kingdom opportunities.
Dan has a passion for what God is doing throughout the world, and particularly in the Bay Area. He desires to see Christ-following leaders throughout the Kingdom collaboratively working together to bear greater fruit. Dan has a heart for helping younger generations of men to understand God’s plans and flourish in all areas of their lives. This was birthed out of 20 years serving in various youth ministry roles. He also believes in the calling of the local church and has served in a variety of leadership roles as an elder and teacher. In 2024, Dan became the Managing Partner of the relaunched Bay Area Barnabas Group.
On a personal note, Dan has been married to his wife, Lynn for 43 years. Their second date was Lynn’s High School senior prom. They have two adult children and two grandchildren, and when not in the Bay Area they are likely back in Illinois hanging out with their two grandchildren.