As a valued member of Igniting Souls, I want to share one of my favorite conferences with you, including a special discount. CATALYST. It’s somewhat of a family reunion where I get a chance to say hi to publishers, thought leaders, old friends, and new friends. I hope to see you there. Enjoy a little description below, a trailer, and a discount code. The Early Bird Rate ends June 28th.
Join us for the Catalyst Conference (www.catalystconference.com) October 3-5, 2012 in Atlanta, GA, where 13,000 young leaders will converge for the leadership experience of the year, including high-octane speakers, powerful worship, innovative programming, and a leadership experience unlike any other.
Hear from leadership authorities including Andy Stanley, Patrick Lencioni, Francis Chan, David Platt, Christine Caine, Craig Groeschel, Perry Noble and Matt Chandler, along with several innovative thinkers and practitioners like Emmy award winning executive producer of Survivor Mark Burnett, Harlem Children’s Zone founder and TIME 2011 Most Influential People list Geoffrey Canada, Equal Justice Initiative founder Bryan Stevenson, musician Israel Houghton,uber blogger and best-selling author Jon Acuff, , and best-selling authors and TED Talks sensations Susan Cain and Simon Sinek.
Plus, Catalyst Labs will feature innovative thought leaders like Reggie Joiner, Michael Hyatt, Mark Batterson, Tim Elmore, Lysa Terkeurst, David Platt, Carlos Whittaker, Eugene Cho, Bob Goff, Lynne Hybels, Tullian Tchividjian, Jen Hatmaker, Jon Acuff, and others.
A special registration rate of $199 is being made available to you (over $120 savings). To take advantage of this Exclusive offer, call 888.334.6569 to speak with the Catalyst Concierge team, or register at www.catalystconference.com and use RATE CODE FOB. This rate expires on Thursday, June 28th, so make sure and register early.
* If you want the Catalyst + Encompass World Partners option (formerly GBIM) click here. My buddy John Ward is brains behind this one.
I’d love to introduce you to my friend Jonathan Merritt, author of the new book, A Faith of our Own. I first met Jonathan at Taco Mac in Atlanta, while down at Catalyst Conference (led by Brad Lomenick), with my friends Tim Willard and Jason Locy, authors of Veneer. You can accomplish a lot over salsa and chips. I walked away from our chat that night and subsequent meetings after that thinking: I like this guy! If we lived closer and if Taco Mac was in that town I’d love hanging out and collaborating with Jonathan more. Maybe I can convince of this anyway. Besides being a great guy, Jonathan is an insightful author too. And for this reason I introduce you to him in the format of 5 Questions:
How did you get from there to here? (a little bit about you) I grew up in a very conservative home, both politically and theologically. My dad was a prominent Baptist minister with international television audience, and he would serve as President of the Southern Baptist Convention from 2000-2002. Religious right leaders such as Jerry Falwell were greatly admired in our home, as well as among our close friends. Being Christian meant being conservative. Or in a strictly political sense, being Republican. Yet as I got older I nurtured a creeping intuition that perhaps American Christians hadn’t fully thought through what it meant to follow Jesus both in public and in private. This led to a journey of sorts–from meeting Billy Graham in his Montreat home to serving in Mother Teresa’s home for the sick and dying–that became A Faith of Our Own.
Give us the Big Idea (3-4 sentences) behind your book. The book tells the story of a generation who is tired of power-hungry, polemical, and partisan expressions of Christianity that are strangling the faith in America. These Christians want a faith that is less entangled with partisan political trappings and more rooted in Christ, not causes. A Faith of Our Own casts a vision for what a more Jesus-driven faith might look like in America.
Why did you write the book? I wrote the book because I thought I was alone. Or at least on the fringes. But when I began to look around and speak to peers, I noticed that there were scores of others just like me. Hungry Jesus followers who wanted more for His Church. Passionate Christians who wanted to rediscover the faith for themselves. This book is my “it gets better” video to them.
How do you remain a Soul on Fire? (practical steps) The best way for me is to remain in community. That’s hard when you’re a full-time writer because it is easy to just sit at home or at a Starbucks and pound away on the keyboard for hours on end without having to interact with anyone else. But that’s not healthy. It’s not what Jesus called “abundant life.” I’ve had to make an effort to carve out time to reconnect with old friends, bear my soul to discipleship partners, plug into a small group, and be present when I’m amongst family. This keeps that fire kindled, I think.
Don’t worry about sounding arrogant or bold, but what are some God-sized dreams He’s placed in your heart? For most of my Christian life, I have experienced God exclusively within church. Yet, the Bible paints a picture of a God who often shows up in the most unusual places. I want to spend the next year searching for God in those unexpected places in the next year. I’m want to go to the dangerous expanses and the seemingly God-forsaken places to look for divine fingerprints. Check back with me in a year or so and I’ll let you know what I’ve found.
Like I said, Jonathan is a man of depth and inspiration. I appreciate him and his skills. And during our recent sermon series at Grace Church (Empire of Dirt), I’ve enjoyed listening to his dad’s sermons in prep for mine.
This last fear may sound strange at first, but I’ve seen it spring up in my coaching clients more and more. We deeply fear our own success. And many times it’s the highly successful people that fear greater success the most.
Here’s why.
Success is a type of magnifying glass. The spotlight shines brighter when you’re on the platform. Most of us know our flaws and we fear exposure of those weaknesses. We do everything to protect and cover and hide those cracks. We know standing on a bigger stage will guarantee a higher level of scrutiny.
We believe when we’re in the crowd we can at least wear our masks. That these masks won’t shine as bright on stage. We know our makeup can’t cover up every imperfection and so we play small in order to maintain our image. We want a bigger platform, but not one big enough to reveal us.
We fail to understand that success means a deep awareness of our failures. I find myself sharing my failures more and more. This posture helps me connect with others more easily and it helps me be more believable. The sooner we get comfortable with ourselves, the sooner others will be comfortable around us.
Some might be disappointed with me for that reality, but I’m not because God’s not. And neither is my Team.
And I share my Pain for no other reasons then to connect with other people in their Pain. I’ve found that in an appropriate setting, when I’m authentic, it helps liberate others to be more free with who they are.
I’m not ashamed of who I am, because it’s who I am. I don’t have to prove myself, because I’m already accepted by the God of the Universe.
I love what Catalyst Conference Director Brad Lomenick tells young leaders, “People like to feed pigeons, but they also like to shoot at eagles. Leaders stay focused on your goal amidst criticism!” (Subscribe to his blog for great leadership content.)
If you’re going to succeed, you’re going to get shot at. But I’ll tell you what, there’s no feeling like flying. It beats crawling on the ground.
I know you’ve heard Marianne Williamson’s famous quote. I love it whenever I hear it, because it’s so clear. Although I don’t agree with her map of the world, I find her excerpt extremely truthful.
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
Just for the sake of comparison, I rewrote her quote from the complete opposite angle. I believe reading it this way will help get a glimpse of how we often see ourselves. Like I said before, we’re often the biggest critic of our own success. But there’s nothing redemptive about sabotaging our own success. Maybe you’ll let this next paragraph be the last time you see yourself for anything less than you’ve been created to be?
Our deepest fear is not that we are powerful. Our deepest fear is that we are inadequate beyond measure. It is our darkness not our light that most frightens us. We should ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, you’re right, who are you to be? You’re not a child of God. Your playing big does not serve the world. There is something enlightening about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are not all meant to shine, as children do. We weren’t born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. In fact, it’s only in some of us; not in everyone. And as we let our own darkness shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are enslaved by our own fear, our presence automatically enslaves others.
See what I mean? This version douses the fire and quenches the passion inside each one of us. And when you’re not on Fire, neither is your world.
(Join me this Sunday in person or online as I speak at Grace Church on FEAR. I will post it Monday. You will be shocked and encouraged by what you hear and what you learn. These 3 posts recent posts on fear are taken from my forthcoming book coming out in Feb. 2013. Look for many surprises on this website coming out in 2012-2013 that will help you overcome your FEAR. Also, if you resonate with this message, consider joining our YSN Team of Certified Speakers and Trainers.)
In May I interviewed Tim Willard and Jason Locy authors of Veneer. (Read interview here.) These guys are not only friends, but they are articulate, insightful, and authentic students of Jesus and cultural trends.
Recently, I sat down with these guys at a Taco Mac in Atlanta. After hearing their hearts, I knew I had to bring them to Columbus and they agreed on November 11th. You won’t want to miss this special evening that will challenge your living, stimulate your thinking, and inspire your being.
The Catalyst team tells us the inspiration behind the theme:
In our culture of cell phones, laptops, iPad, etc. we really believe this is going to challenge church leaders at the core to be present in their churches, cities, families, and friendships.
I leave you with a challenging quote from Jim Elliot:
Wherever you are, be all there.
Translation? BE PRESENT.
And don’t delay because the Early Bird Rate ends on Thursday (8.25.11).
I had the opportunity to sit down (digitally) with Tim Willard and Jason Locy and ask them 5 questions about their new book Veneer. But first, the book trailer (their hearts come through loud and clear AND without any Veneer).
Kary: What made you write Veneer?
Tim & Jason: In our earliest conversations around the topic we noticed how inflated the culture had become: Enron, Madoff, housing industry, suburbia McMansions, four-dollar coffees, really smart phones, branding. In the church world, the relevance movement was in full swing as churches tried to look more and more like culture. We couldn’t escape the reality that society seemed to be influencing the church instead of the church influencing society.
Our questions centered on what culture looked like and how it was affecting us as humans, as Christians, and the church in general. We eventually came to the realization that these societal issues were by-products of our human condition. And we wanted a different way, for the world, Christians, and the church to act.
So the idea for Veneer was born.
Kary: Guys, what is the Big Idea behind Veneer?
Tim & Jason: Veneer is a thin, surface level, coating that manufacturers apply over an inferior product in order to increase the perceived value of the product. People have a veneer too. We all struggle with things that we think are “inferior.” Our inferiority comes from the scars and scrapes and dings of life. Things like self-doubt or failed relationships or lost jobs or problems with kids—things that often embarrass us. So we veneer our scars with a shiner version of ourselves.
Kary: In the book, you talk about the language of culture. What is that?
Tim & Jason: The language of culture is a way to say, “What does culture celebrate and find acceptable?” As people, we look to the broader culture and try to adapt to what we see everyone else doing. The language of culture gives us various ways by which we can veneer as we try to mimic the world of celebrity, buy in to the promise of consumption, and place our trust in the hope of progress. Eventually, most of us live our lives covered in this language because we’re afraid or embarrassed about what lies beneath.
Kary: How can we, as individuals and the church resolve the problem of veneer?
Tim & Jason: We use the metaphor of antique wood to contrast veneer. Unlike veneer, antique wood is beautiful because of the scars acquired over time. In our efforts to fit in with society veneering ourselves with fake perfection seems right. But if we view ourselves as antique wood, beautified by the scars of life, then our perspective shifts. Through the lens of redemption, then, we can see that the things that caused pain or embarrassment in our lives fade away.
In order to view ourselves in this way, however, we must exchange the language of culture for the language of God. We find the language of God in relationships, in love, and in an abiding life. Together, these ways create for us a life that allows the stripping of our veneer while a full life, focused on others, takes shape. The second part of the book unfolds the language of God and challenges readers (and us) to seek spiritual renewals and to exchange the language of culture with the language of God.
How did writing this book change each of you?
Tim & Jason: For me (Tim) the process of writing the book revealed the subtleties of veneer. It’s when I think that I have no veneer that I need to reassess and dig a little deeper–sure enough, there it is. It also challenged me to evaluate my relationship with God. Was I just going through the motions? Was the relationship “me” centered or Christ centered? I was also challenged to seek times of honesty and renewals with my wife. How were we doing? Were there unresolved hurts? The unveneered life can be challenging, but also beautifully freeing.
For me (Jason) the process has challenged me to seek honesty, or openness, in my relationships. So much of what keeps us from one another goes unsaid and eventually it’s the unsaid that erodes us personally and relationally. I really value when the ones I love, who are closest to me, are honest with me. It gives me a sense of peace knowing they care and allows me to be open and transparent with them.
{WARNING - This post will probably be lengthy and candid. Some of my posts tend to be cryptic and guarded -this one is not one of them. Here’s hoping you can see my heart. }
The 10 reasons why I won’t be writing another book:
# 10 – Me = As I learned (from Scott Belsky, founder of behance, in the Catalyst Podcast - Episode 90 with Michael Hyatt) there are 3 types of people= the Dreamers (those who focus more on the ideas), the Doers (those who are obsessed with executing ideas and following through on projects), and the Incrementalists(those who can do both). I am blessed and cursed with being an Incrementalist. What does this mean? That I could write 50 books in my life-time. And so I say, “Big Deal” and ”Who cares?” According to Belsky:
With the ability to rapidly develop and then execute ideas, the Incrementalist finds him- or herself leading multiple projects (and, in many cases, multiple businesses) simultaneously.
The result? Burnout. Emptiness. Success. And possibly most frightening - 50 ideas that saturate the market, but never reach their true potential.
# 9 – Idea = As we learned in the movie Inception (trailer below), there is something incredibly powerful about an idea that is stripped free of all the extra toxins that slow it down. A relevant quote from the movie:
What’s the most resilient parasite? An Idea. A single idea from the human mind can build cities. An idea can transform the world and rewrite all the rules. Which is why I have to steal it.
Your Secret Name is the SINGLE IDEA that I believe that can transform the world and rewrite all the rules. I’m not saying everyone will read it – that’s up to you. I’m just saying that those who do will be changed. Arrogant? I don’t think so. I’d say – confident.
Why do I think this is possible? Because of the other 8 reasons listed below.
# 8 – Prayer = A large number of you responded to the Secret Name cause via a 12 month prayer and fasting effort that is still continuing (ends November 1st). God has spoken and acted in a variety of dramatic ways (including hundreds of people who responded in Indiana / Your Secret Name Saturday Nights). We’ve seen the Lord save people and change people. The clearest thing God has told me:
If you want to move on and focus on something else, go ahead. But when you do, I’ll remove my blessing.
Guess what? I’m not moving anywhere.
# 7 – Stories = We’ve been humbled and perplexed at the way God is setting people free. He’s been waking up people in dreams, speaking audibly to others, and bending circumstances, all to show off his power and relentless passion to whisper our Secret Names. Here’s some of the Secret Stories.
# 6 – Pain = Eating disorders. Self-injury. Cocaine. Cutting. Addiction. Rape. Legalism. The common thread is pain. People in pain are gravitating toward Your Secret Name. They know they’re meant for more, but they’re not sure how to get there. God is using the book to show them the next step. Here are a few comments from some readers:
I just read an intro to your new book and watched the video and have been blown away. I have lived with an eating disorder and a wrong view of who I am for far too long!
Tonight I discovered, I was never a slut and never a whore. These were lies. That is not who I am. Christ knows who I am. He gave me the name Beloved. The test gave me the name Washed. I am His Beloved and He has Washed me from from the filth I thought was me. He has known all along that was never me.
# 5 - Art= Unsolicited art by unknown artists. Original songs, photographs and paintings have been submitted revealing personal interpretations of Your Secret Name. Check out this one called Identity.
#4 – Lies = I think the Enemy is committed to try and make us believe 2 lies. One about our Father. And one about ourselves. Jesus told us his purpose in the Gospel of Luke:
The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed.
My purpose is to partner with the Spirit as He sets people free from these 2 lies.
# 3 - Confirmation = An email from today:
I finally stopped and listened to week 2 of YSN Saturday nights. All I can say is it was amazing.
As I sat here and listened to this, tears formed in my eyes again. Once again I saw the power of God flowing through this message. I simply cannot believe how much God has given. Aside from salvation, YSN has to be the most powerful message I have ever heard.
The world has to get this. It is their ticket to freedom. It is key to taking back the world for Christ. You have my word that I will do anything I can to help you. I am committing to praying for you every day.
Thank you for being God’s message of hope to a world that is starving from it.
# 2 – Opus = I have more important things in my life than writing another book - like my relationship with God, my wife, and my 3 wonderful kids. Writing is only part of my Magnum Opus. Your Secret Name was THE book I needed to write. Some people have asked me, “How long did it take you to write it?” I reply, “My whole life…literally.” After all, the book began when I was assigned my Birth Name - and a girl’s one at that.”
# 1 – You = I won’t rest (completely) until you find Your Secret Name and I’m committed to helping you in this process. From all I can tell, my time will be invested in IGNITING SOULS as they begin the journey of Your Secret Name. Look for more info. on this in 2010 and following…
{DISCLAIMER-I take orders from God, so this post reflects as far as I can see. I want to thank you for your support. I found out a week ago that Zondervan ran out of copies of Your Secret Name and so a second printing already occurred. I believe many people who read the book will discover the freedom possible in Jesus Christ. Thanks for spreading the word. Only God knows what will happen next.}
* For every copy of Your Secret Name that you purchase now until Monday receive 10 more chances to win from the prize list. Just email a copy of your Amazon receipt to info (at) yoursecretname.com and we’ll put your name in the hat 10 more times.
TweetSign up for Kary's newsletter. Receive a free gift Sign up
