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5 Questions with Geoff Surratt

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10 Stupid ThingsGeoff Surratt is the Pastor of Ministries at Seacoast Church, a multi-site church based in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. That makes Seacoast my second favorite multi-site church based in South Carolina. Geoff and the entire Surratt clan are a fantastic group of folks who are changing the way churches do church. Though Geoff has experienced many successes in ministry, he’s also made some mistakes. Here’s a brief interview where we discuss some of his more “stupid” mistakes.

TONY: People may not know that Seacoast was a pioneer for multi-site ministry. Would you be willing to share a little of that story?

GEOFF: Seacoast never intended to be a multi-site church. In 2001 we had grown to about 3,000 attenders and had run out of space and service times, so we made plans to build a larger auditorium. We ran into a major roadblock, however, when our local town council denied us permission to build.

Seemingly out of options we heard about an experiment that Willow Creek and a couple of other churches around the country were trying with multiple locations  utilizing video teaching. We didn’t think it would work for us in South Carolina (a state not known for being on the cutting edge), but we were out of options. We rented a storefront about ¼ mile from our original location and opened our first “offsite campus” on Easter Sunday, 2002. Much to our surprise it not only worked, but many people actually preferred the intimacy of a smaller congregation combined with the resources of a mega-church. Seven years later over 10,000 people each weekend attend Seacoast’s 13 campuses.

TONY: In honor of your new book, what’s one “stupid thing” churches do when initiating a multi-site strategy?

GEOFF: The biggest mistake churches make when considering a multi-site strategy is to attempt to launch before the church is ready to multiply. In The Multi-site Church Revolution, a book I wrote with Greg Ligon and Dr. Warren Bird, we identify three major questions a church must answer before going multi-site:

  1. How healthy is your church? If your church is not growing and is not healthy you should not export your disease.
  2. What is the driving impetus behind your desire to go multi-site? Some churches are addressing crowding issues, some are reaching communities that do not have a life-giving church, some are reaching into a new culture or demographic. A really poor impetus, however, is to keep up with other churches that are going multi-site. Going multi-site without a compelling reason is like trying to have a baby before getting pregnant.
  3. Are the key leaders behind the decision? Some churches have attempted going multi-site without having the senior leaders fully onboard with very poor results. While you will never get 100% buy in, if the senior leader is not fully invested it is not time to open a new campus.

TONY: How long did it take you to come up with 10 stupid things to write about in your new book?

GEOFF: Church is in my genes. My mom played the church organ on the night I was born and she was back on the organ bench the next Sunday morning. My grandfather was a pastor, my father was a pastor, my brothers are pastors, and my sister is married to a pastor. I won’t go into all of the cousins, uncles, and assorted other relatives that pastor or have pastored somewhere in America. Let me just say if I don’t have a relative already pastoring in your community I’m sure one will be coming soon. My family would start our own cult, but we can’t agree on who gets to be the leader.

The point is that church is in my blood. I have worked for or pastored a church since I was twenty years old and somewhere along the way I have committed every stupid mistake in the book. In addition to my own experience I have talked to hundreds of pastors across the country including the ten prominent pastors featured in the book. So in one way it took me 47 years to come up with the 10 stupid things I wrote about.

TONY: Is one of those stupid things more stupid than the others?

GEOFF: When I led a small church in Huffman, Texas, I was the pastor, the bookkeeper, the Sunday School superintendent, the worship director, the administrative assistant, the groundskeeper, the maintenance man, the janitor and the preacher. As I look back on my time at Church on the Lake, I can’t help but wonder what I was thinking. We had some great people in the church that would have done a much better job than I did at most of these jobs, but I seldom took the time to develop them or give them the freedom to make the job their own. As I’ve talked to pastors around the country I’ve discovered that I’m not alone. Trying to do all (or most) of the work themselves is the number one stupid thing pastors and leaders do that inhibits their church from growing.

TONY: Should we read anything into the fact that my boss, Perry Noble, is the first person that you interviewed for your book on this particular topic?

GEOFF: Perry was incredibly generous to contribute to the book. What you guys are doing in at NewSpring is incredible and an inspiration to pastors in smaller (and larger) communities around the country. I was very fortunate to be able to draw on the wisdom of leaders like Perry, Craig Groeschel, Mark Batterson, my brother Greg Surratt and others to provide insight in how to overcome costly ministry mistakes. My role in writing was to illustrate stupid mistakes from my own experience and then draw on the wisdom of others on how to recover. My mom always said that everyone is good for something even if it’s to be a bad example.

Geoff’s new book, Ten Stupid Things That Keep Churches from Growing, releases May 1 but you can pre-order your copy today.

5 Questions with Dino Rizzo

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servolutionEarlier this week, I caught up with Dino Rizzo, the senior pastor of Healing Place Church. Healing Place is a multi-site church based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Dino and his church have a rich history of serving people. The impact of that effort is touching lives around the world.

TONY: Give us a taste of the Healing Place Church story.

DINO: My wife DeLynn and I started the church in 1993 with the purpose of being a healing place for a hurting world. Louisiana has more than our share of poor and hurting people, and we just felt like God wanted us to do what we could to show them His love by serving them.  Now 16 years later, God has used the people of HPC to serve in ways we never imagined and a lot of people are going to be in Heaven because of it. That’s what really matters–that God is glorified and people are putting their hope in Jesus.

TONY: Your new book is titled Servolution. What exactly is a “servolution”?

DINO: Servolution is a revolution through serving.  It is not just an event; it is a culture. It means seeing the world from a new perspective.  No longer waking up and thinking, “How can I grow my church today?” or “How can I improve my career today?”  But rather, the first thought in our hearts every morning is, “How can I serve the people in my life today?  How can I reach out and care for those who I live next door to and work in the same office with?” It is actively pursuing the lost, the forgotten, and the poor to show them a God who is passionately in love with them.  We want to unite together to share God’s love through simple acts of kindness all for the glory of God.

TONY: Do you think there’s a connection between serving others and evangelism? If so, how do we fuel that?

DINO: Absolutely.  Serving others is what Jesus did.  It’s how he connected with people.  We have found that when people are hungry they have a hard time listening.  But when you meet their needs–whether that’s a free meal, a free bottle of water, a yard clean-up, or a rose on Valentine’s Day–they want to know what you’ve got to say.  They want to know what kind of love cares enough to give.  I like to call it the Gospel in jeans.  It isn’t enough to just preach sermons and pray for people. Sometimes you’ve just gotta get out and work hard.

It’s important to remember that you don’t always get to be the one to see the direct fruit of the serving you do.  But when you do, it is a great reminder–like just a couple weeks ago we had an outreach where we gave out Tootsie Pops at LSU.  A student got the candy with a note about a college service we were having that night.  He came to the meeting, heard about a men’s conference we were hosting, and ended up giving his life to Christ at the Men’s Conference.  That opportunity was created all because he was handed a free Tootsie pop.  It was never about the Tootsie Pop, but was always about the opportunity.

TONY: What is the “7 Days of Servolution” event, and how does it connect with the message of your book?

DINO: 7 Days of Servolution was birthed out of our desire for churches and ministries to be united for the cause of Christ and reach out with Jesus-style ministry.  We don’t believe that serving should something to be saved for just one week each year, but it can be a great catalyst week for churches to infuse serving into their DNA. It is simply churches serving their local communities in some way during the week leading up to Easter (April 3-9).  There are over 220 churches currently signed up, just indicating that they’re in–serving their community, sharing ideas, partnering with other churches and organizations in their area to make a difference.

It’s crazy to see some of the ideas that are coming out of this.  There are great churches all over the world with some great ideas to serve their communities and that’s what the book is about, really.  It’s about serving others, about partnering with others along the way, about the heart Jesus has for the poor and hurting, the lost and forgotten, wherever they are, whatever it takes.  We want to partner together because we believe that together we can do more than we ever could alone.

TONY: Finally, I heard you’re a Tigers fan. Is that true? (Because I’m a Tigers fan too.)

DINO: I am a Tiger fan (the LSU form of Tiger that is, not some orange wanna-be tiger). However, when it comes to basketball I’m all ACC, specifically the North Carolina Tar Heels. So while I see where you’re trying to lead me–down some Clemson path–I was born in Myrtle Beach and I know better.  :-)  I will concede that Clemson is my second favorite Tiger team but that’s all you’ll get.

Even thought Dino doesn’t cheer for the right team, he’s still a good guy. I hope you’ll learn more about 7 Days of Servolution and check out Dino’s new book.

5 Questions with Fellowship Technologies CEO

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Recently I caught up with Jeff Hook, the president and CEO of Fellowship Technologies, to talk with him about what’s on the horizon for their company. Fellowship Technologies is the fastest-growing, 100% web-based, church management software company. Their solution is used by churches of all shapes and sizes across the country. (They also happen to be a site sponsor of TonyMorganLive.com which obviously makes them pretty cool.)

TONY: Give us a brief overview of your background and then share the history of how Fellowship Technologies got started.

JEFF: Prior to starting Fellowship Technologies, I spent most of my career in enterprise software and management consulting. Fellowship Technologies got it start out of a desire by Fellowship Church to divest itself of some leading edge software it had written to replace its then current church management system. I raised money from outside investors, bought the intellectual property from the church and launched the company in January 2004 with Fellowship Church being our first customer.

TONY: What would you say are the key benefits Fellowship One offers churches today, as well as can you give us a sneak peek at what’s coming next?

JEFF: In this economic environment, one of the key benefits is the fact that we are a Software as a Service (SaaS). With a Software as a Service, implementation is quicker than building servers and primarily revolves around training, process design and data conversion. Also, many benefits are derived from the ease of use of the system. Because our user interface is browser-based, the casual user can get to the information they need quickly, without much training and from anywhere they can get to the Internet, even their mobile phone! Finally I will mention that I believe our track record indicates how innovative our developers are. Fellowship Technologies was the first ChMS vendor to offer a check-in system. It is integrated to all activities and is still arguably the best in the industry. We were first to provide a closed loop process for integrated activity registration and check-in. We brought the church other firsts like integrated small group management, online giving and contact management.

As for new things, we have a new look and feel for the main portion of the system that makes it really easy to use. We are also diligently working on new Groups functionality through a joint development project with four of our more innovative church partners. This Groups capability will be foundational in how we support activities, resource management, curriculum management and social networks. We also have underway a data warehousing project that will allow our customers to write their own reports as well as perform analytics on aggregated data to support better decision-making.

TONY: In the past, I’ve heard you emphasize the need for churches to have a data management strategy.  Do you really think tracking and managing data translates into changed lives?

JEFF: Absolutely! Data represents information; information represents people. Churches can make better decisions to help support changed lives through better information. However, you know the old computer adage: garbage in, garbage out. If you roll-up incomplete or inaccurate data, you get bad data; and that is worse than no information at all.

TONY: Your annual conference is labeled the Dynamic Church Conference. How do you define a “dynamic church”?

JEFF: My definition of a dynamic church is one that is alive and changing all the time. A church is really the people in the church. If lives are being transformed, then they are continually changing. Improvement cannot happen without change. People who are truly alive are always learning and improving. Thus a dynamic church is made up of dynamic people!

TONY: Here’s maybe the most important question.  Will the Cowboys make the playoffs?

JEFF: Tony, I am no prognosticator when it comes to professional sports but I’m hopeful. After the loss to the Steelers, it can only happen if we win the remaining games of a pretty tough schedule. But with a lot of prayer, perhaps . . . :)

5 Questions with Dave Crenshaw

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The Myth of MultitaskingDave Crenshaw believes multitasking is a myth. He’ll tell you your brain is not capable of handling multiple tasks at one time. We are ineffective when we try to do more than one thing at one time. And, maybe more importantly, it negatively impacts how we relate with other people. I caught up with Dave last week to ask him a few questions about his life and his new book. Here’s the interview.

TONY: First of all, tell us a little bit about your story.

DAVE: I began as a small business coach about ten years ago, before I had graduated from college. I found that small business owners are some of the most disorganized people in the world, and they multitask constantly. Because I saw time management as a constant need of my clients, I developed a program to help them. The Myth of Multitasking is a fictional story that is really the combination of experiences of many of my past clients.

TONY: Technology was supposed to make us more productive, but your new book suggests it may have the opposite effect. Why is that?

DAVE: Technology isn’t the culprit. It is our lack of understanding of how to use and deal with the technology that we have that is the problem. In a sense, technology has evolved rapidly, but we as the users, have evolved slowly. It is important for us to remember that technology is the servant and we are its masters. We do have the ability to turn off our cell phone or to turn off email or text message notifications on our computer. Amazingly, most people don’t realize they can do that.

TONY: My boss doesn’t let me take my laptop or my cell phone to meetings. Are you telling me he’s right?

DAVE: It depends. Personally I carry my Tablet PC with me everywhere and I find it very productive. However, I know when to shut the lid and give people my attention. Most people in our culture do not know when to stop using technology and start focusing on the person in front of them.  If you spend your meeting checking your text messages, sending email, and surfing the internet, then no, you are not productive. However, if you know how and when to use these tools properly, then technology can definitely increase your productivity.

TONY: I’m married with four kids ages 3 through 14. What advice do you have for someone like me that’s trying to juggle family and work and writing and more?

DAVE: Budget your time. Be at peace with the truth of time; the truth of time is that there are only 24 hours in a day and 60 minutes in an hour. This phrase sounds trite, but in our current society it has become almost profound. Learn to schedule 55 minutes of activity into a 60 minute hour. Balance comes from spending a few minutes less than what you have and leaving room for the unexpected.

Personally, I have a three year old and every day at five he knocks on my door and says, “Daddy let’s play!” Because I know this important appointment is coming, my computer is already turned off and my phone is set aside. From 5:00 pm forward I focus on my family until the next morning.

TONY: Be honest. From your perspective, how do churches add to or relieve the multitasking monster in people’s lives?

DAVE: I’m active in my church and teach a Sunday school class. No matter what your vocation in life, I’ve found taking a break regularly to rest your body and mind is vital to being more productive throughout the week. In this sense, one could say that the Sabbath is a divinely designed tool of effective time management. However, I’ve also seen people take on too many church responsibilities at the expense of their family and sometimes even their employer. Usually these conflicts occur on weeknights. There are only so many ways you can divide 24 hours. The key is to budget in advance how much time you are willing to devote to any activity and then live within that budget.

For more insights on this topic, you can pick up Dave’s new book, The Myth of Multitasking, or check out these free articles online.

5 Questions with Kary Oberbrunner

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Kary Oberbrunner is a friend of mine from Ohio. He serves as the Pastor of Discipleship and Leadership at Grace Church in Powell. The big news for Kary, though, is that his new book, The Fine Line, releases in January. In preparation for his book’s release, Kary is launching a blog tour, and this is the first stop.

TONY: First of all it’s an honor to launch your blog tour. Let’s start with this important question. As a resident of the Buckeye State, I’m just curious to know if you’ve ever been to my hometown of Piqua, Ohio?

KARY: Strike one. No I haven’t. You didn’t tell me these questions would be so tough.

TONY: Well, maybe this one will be easier. Tell us how you got from there to here.

KARY: I grew up a cheesehead, spending the first 20 years of my life in Wisconsin. Raised in a Christian home, I went straight to a missionary training institute out of high school. After two years there and a short stay in Paupa New Guinea I migrated east to Indiana where I attended Grace College. I met my wife, Kelly, in Grad School at Grace Theological Seminary. After serving for a year and a half in a small country church, we migrated further east to Ohio to Grace Church. God has been good to us and we have two wonderful kids.

I call myself a “Recovering Pharisee” because in my pursuit of studying the Bible and giving my life to the church, somehow I lost God in the process (This happened to Pharisees in Jesus’ day too. See John 5:39-40.). I went through a deep soul searching which included multiple desert-type experiences and a slew of counselors. I guess God had to break me before he could use me.

TONY: Your new book, The Fine Line, addresses what it means to integrate Christianity with culture. Why is that topic so important to you?

KARY: Jesus’ words in the Gospel of John 17 haunted me for years. He prayed to his Father before facing the cross, “I ask that they may be in the world…but not of it.” This paradox is a fine line indeed and discovering it is difficult, but not impossible. Each generation of people who follow Jesus must wade into this tension, wrestle with this question, and emerge with some kind of answer. Certain generations of Christians avoided the tension and as a result, the church and the world suffered because of it. But other generations ventured into the unknown—celebrating the mystery instead of suppressing it.

Here’s what I know: our difference from the world, not our similarity to it sets us apart. But even though Christ followers are called to be different, we’re also called to transform the world. Here lies the tension. We can’t be so far removed from the world that we lose contact, and we can’t be so much like the world that we’re no different from it.

TONY: That’s a question for Christ-followers, but what implications do you think that question has for the church?

KARY: A church is the people of God in a given time and a given location. If a church wants to be in the world, but not of it, then the people which make up that particular church must make that personal commitment. The larger organism cannot accomplish what the individual pieces are unwilling to do.

TONY: How have you seen this play out at Grace Church?

KARY: One tangible way we consciously step into the tension and walk the Fine Line is through our free medical clinic (check out the video clip). Doctors, nurses, and volunteers show up every Wednesday night to offer free health care to those who have no insurance. We offer prayer first. Some people accept it and some refuse.

We give people a taste of the Kingdom and some want more. Some just want a prescription. We now have several people in our church who started out as Grace Clinic patients. Although initially unbelievers, they made the decision to follow Jesus. Some of these people are hardened people: ex-convicts, drug addicts, and people wanting sex changes. Still Jesus has freed them from their addictions and given them holistic peace in this life and the next.

Walking the Fine Line (of being in the world, but not of it) is messy, but worth it. I wouldn’t want life any other way.

If you are interested in reading more about The Fine Line, you can download this sample chapter from the book.

5 Questions with Penelope Trunk

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Penelope TrunkOne of the aspects I most love about blogging is the new friends I’ve had the opportunity to meet along the way. One of those people is Penelope Trunk. Penelope is a columnist for the Boston Globe. Her syndicated column has run in more than 200 publications. Her book, Brazen Careerist: The New Rules for Success, provides non-conventional career advice for younger generations hitting today’s marketplace.

Beyond her writings on career issues, though, what I most appreciate about Penelope is her brutal honesty about the life issues she’s facing. It’s refreshing. It’s insightful. And, fortunately, I think you’ll get a sense of that in this brief interview.

TONY: What’s a woman like you doing in a place like this?

PENELOPE: I think I got here because I would write anyway, so why not write where people are actually talking intelligently in conversation. I love the blogosphere because no one is writing in a vacuum. I have a background in hard-core creative writing programs where everyone wants a book deal, but no one wants to hear criticism. I love the blogosphere because we are all honing our ideas and our communication skills by letting other people trounce them. And we think it’s fun.

TONY: Your blog is one of only a handful of blogs I follow that’s written by a woman. Is that a sign that I’m a male chauvinist or are there other contributing factors?

PENELOPE: I think good blogging comes from a history of good op-ed writing: Very short, contrarian opinions and strong reasoning skills. And, of course, op-eds are very male-oriented. I think this is because in general (brace yourself for post-feminist generalizations with no evidence to back myself up) women are not as interested as men are in telling everyone their opinions and making sure everyone thinks they are right. So men are giving opinions in this world and women are taking care of people. I know. Very general. But there is, in fact, hard evidence to show that men write op-eds and women take care of kids. I take the liberty of extrapolating the rest. Which is maybe why you like my blog. :)

TONY: You typically write about career issues. What do you believe are the key challenges that career-minded people are dealing with today?

PENELOPE: Actually, I think the same issues that face people in their faith face people in their career: Why are we here? How can we make a difference? How can we take care of ourselves and still make room for taking care of other people? When people ask themselves what should they be doing and how much money do they need, they are really asking these very very fundamental questions about being human. Unfortunately, it’s easier to answer the question “how many pages should my resume be?” so people are more likely to put that sort of question into words.

TONY: From my perspective, the Church should be a refuge for folks dealing with the daily grind. From your perspective, why do you think fewer and fewer career-types are turning to the Church?

PENELOPE: Really, fewer career types are turning to the Church? I’m surprised. I am also surprised, by the way, that the Church is capitalized. I’m doing it because you did it, but as a Jewish person, I always thought there were a lot of churches, like, a lot of types of church, so I don’t actually know which church I’m writing about when I write the Church. I will have to ask you this offline maybe.

The more I write about careers the more I feel compelled to write about faith. I know my readers don’t expect religion on my blog, so I have to tread lightly. Also, I feel that I am not so sure of myself in the what-are-we-here-for department as I am in the what-is-a-good-interview-answer department. But I am certain that if you are really serious about your career you have to be really serious about asking the question “why are you here?” and this is a question about faith… Isn’t it?

TONY: Now that you’re dating again, any recommendations for the single guys in the audience?

PENELOPE: I think that women who are professional, and doing big things in their career do not expect to be in charge in the relationship. We are already in charge everywhere else. Here is something a friend’s brother said: He lives in New York City and he dates investment bankers. He says the line that works on them every time is “Stop being so professional and just be a girl.”

I deleted this answer. But then I decided to put it back. I am not sure what I think of this answer, but maybe it will spark good conversation on your blog and then I will know what I think of the answer. Here’s an interesting statistic: Women in Gen Y make more than the men do, on balance, but the women still choose to marry men who make more than they do. Which tells me that women do not want the power in a relationship. There. There is some evidence to back stuff up.

5 Questions with Craig Groeschel

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Craig GroeschelMy friend Craig Groeschel, the senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv, has authored another book that was just released by Zondervan. The book is titled It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It. I recently caught up with Craig, and he agreed to participate in a little game of “5 Questions.” Here’s what he had to share:

TONY: For those who aren’t familiar with your story, please tell us a little bit about LifeChurch.tv.

CRAIG: We started Life Church in 1996 in a two-car garage that had been converted into a small dance studio. We were incredibly passionate about reaching people who didn’t have life in Christ. In the first nine months, we met in four different locations. In 2000 we had outgrown our facility and started meeting in two locations. Over the years, with a continued passion for evangelism, developing leaders, and leveraging technology to spread the gospel, we’ve expanded to 13 locations in six states, including an Internet Campus.

TONY: It sounds like you hit a home run at the Leadership Summit last month talking about “IT.” What’s IT?

CRAIG: You asked what IT is. I wish I could confidently answer that question. I can describe IT, but I can’t really define IT specifically. IT is something special that God does in some ministries. I know we can’t create IT. We can’t reproduce IT. One person rarely brings IT. But the “wrong” person can kill IT. Just because you have IT doesn’t mean you’ll keep IT. And if you don’t have IT, by seeking God wholeheartedly, you can get IT.

TONY: If that’s “IT,” why is your church still so committed to technology and media?

CRAIG: Many people misunderstand IT. (And for the record, I am only using IT as a generally descriptive term.) Although I can’t tell you specifically what IT is, I can tell you what IT is not. IT is not haze machines, great videos, cool buildings, or creative sermon titles. IT is something born in the heart of passionate people. The reason we continue to use technology and media is because we believe those things can be used to spread the gospel. They are not a requirement for IT. They are simply useful tools for getting IT out.

TONY: Lots of ministry leaders look to you for wisdom and encouragement. What leaders do you look to for inspiration and to challenge your thinking?

CRAIG: I look to a ton of leaders. I learn from you and your church. I’m a big blog reader. (Some of my favorite ministry blogs include yours, Tim Stevens, Monday Morning Insight, Perry Noble, Dave Ferguson and Steven Furtick. Bill Hybels, Andy Stanely, Rick Warren, and Ed Young have all spoken directly into my life as friends and as mentors. I also enjoy learning from business leaders in our church.

TONY: Folks may not know this, but you and your wife have six kids. Do you think sex is the key to church growth?

CRAIG: Not only is sex one key to church growth, but to a lot of other good things in life! :)

You can follow Craig daily at Swerve where he blogs with Bobby Gruenewald, one of the other pastors at LifeChurch.tv.

5 Questions with Brad Lomenick

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Today is the early registration deadline for Catalyst in Atlanta on October 8 – 10. This week I caught up with Brad Lomenick, the executive director of Catalyst, to ask him a few questions. My main objective was to find out if I’m getting too old for gatherings like this. Let’s see what he had to say.

TONY: How long have you been connected with Catalyst, and what did you do in your previous life?

BRAD: Been connected to Catalyst since it started in 2000, and officially in a leadership role the last 4 years. Previously I was involved with a consulting company called Cornerstone Group, and a media company called Life@Work.

TONY: Most people know Catalyst for the conference each fall in Atlanta. Is Catalyst more than that?

BRAD: A huge part of what we do is our conference in Atlanta each October. But we are growing, and our vision is that Catalyst will be more than just a destination, or one-time gathering, but instead a mindset, identity, and community. We are launching a West Coast event next April, and also launching a one-day leadership event with Andy Stanley and Craig Groeschel in 5 cities over the next year. Plus Catalyst Space (catalystspace.com) is the official gathering place for our Catalyst community, and we are launching a new publishing partnership with Zondervan in 2009 that will be exciting.

TONY: What excites you most about this year’s conference?

BRAD: Honestly, every year for me it is the chance to reconnect with so many different friends from all over the country. Catalyst has become a reunion for so many young leaders – the one chance we have each year to gather together and hear great speakers and be refreshed and inspired. I love the mix of speakers this year- really excited to hear from Seth Godin and Jim Collins.

TONY: What’s a recent learning related to young leaders?

BRAD: Young Leaders (including me) still love to be LED and deeply desire to be molded by those who have gone before us. I think there is a perception that because we have a tendency to have a “free agent” mentality towards our careers and vocation and calling that we are rebelling against wise mentors and older leaders. This is not the case. Young leaders still deeply desire to have someone lead them (this is true throughout history). The challenge is that our approach is different- we don’t (as a general rule) play into the more traditional idealism of waiting our turn, brown-nosing our way to the top, or not voicing our opinion because we haven’t “arrived” yet.

TONY: I’m turning 40 right before this year’s Catalyst Conference. Am I getting too old to hang out with cool people like you?

BRAD: First of all, if I am the standard for being “cool,” then we are in trouble! And I am not far behind you on the age meter- maybe we should have a Catalyst for the “in betweeners”…. Those in the 35-45 year old group! But seriously though, being “next-gen” is much more of a mindset than an age bracket. While most of our audience is in their twenties and early thirties, we have lots of folks who passionately connect with Catalyst who are in their 50’s, 60’s, and even older. Don’t worry Tony- 10 years from now, you and me and some of our friends can hang out in the “has been” suite at Catalyst……. While a whole new generation of young leaders take the baton and run.

I can’t wait for this year’s Catalyst conference. Among other things, I’ll be attending Perry’s Catalyst lab session on Wednesday, October 8. Maybe I’ll see you there.

5 Questions with Lincoln Brewster

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Lincoln BrewsterLincoln Brewster was kind enough to play “5 Questions” with me. Only, like a typical artist, he wanted to play by his rules. I sent him the questions. He recorded an audio file with his responses. In the spirit of full disclosure, these are my questions, but I’m not asking them. The interview lasts less than 10 minutes. Take a listen.

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If you haven’t already, check out this free stream of one of Lincoln’s songs off his new album. You can pre-order the album over on iTunes.

5 Questions with Jonathon Douglass

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Hillsong UnitedHey, this is pretty cool. I recently had the opportunity to interview Jonathon Douglass. You may know him as JD, one of the lead singers for Hillsong United. In honor of Perry’s visit this week with Hillsong’s Senior Pastor Brian Houston, I thought this might be the perfect time to share behind-the-scenes insights from a Hillsong insider.

TONY: For the three people left in the world that may not be familiar with your story, tell us about Hillsong United.

JD: Ok… We are a bunch of people who are totally passionate about serving God and his church. We have grown up in Hillsong Church (where we still all are really involved in serving) and just began to lead worship in our youth ministry. Our hearts were (and still are!) desperate to see God move in our youth group and he really did about 10 years ago and we started to write songs and God has really blessed what we do and now we get to share it with a whole lot more people than we ever thought!

TONY: Thanks for helping to bring rock music to worship. What artists have most shaped who you are as a musician?

JD: There have been many! I guess Coldplay and U2 are always the big ones. We all have different tastes in music but are pretty much open to be inspired by anything.

TONY: When the music stops, what grabs your time and attention?

JD: My family. Our church… Friends… I love the beach.

TONY: Your most recent project is called I Heart Revolution. What kind of revolution to you have in mind?

JD: Well it’s simple… the “I Heart” phrase is just another way of saying I love… I guess there are many things we hope are to happen from this project like people finding faith in Christ and recognizing the power of the local church but another main theme is were hoping we all move from being so self-centered and self-focused to live for others and be about loving our neighbor and using whatever we have in our hand to glorify God and help others… (that’s it in a nut shell)

TONY: The woman that cuts my hair is a big fan of Hillsong United and she’s going to Brooke Fraser’s concert next week. Do you think the person who cuts your hair would consider seeing me in concert?

JD: Well luckily the lady who cuts my hair is from church and she is a nice Christian lady so your chances would be higher than you think….

And there you go. You can learn more about Hillsong United’s I Heart Revolution by visiting their MySpace page.

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