Daily Archives: December 24, 2011
Holiday Interviews – Brandon Hatmaker
The final round of our Holiday Interview series is with Brandon Hatmaker, author of Barefoot Church.
Happy Christmas from all of us at Zondervan!
EC: “What should a young pastor who is launching his ministry this new year be thinking about?”
BH: “Unlocking the Kingdom. How? Be consumed with seeking specific revelation from God on what he is uniquely gifted to do (beyond just starting a church or ministry). Treating that revelation as a “Kingdom” (bigger than us) moral imperative and trusting Jesus to build His Church while we remain faithful to Kingdom. See Peter and Jesus via Matthew 16: Blessed are you… because this was not revealed to you by man, but by my father in heaven… and I will build my church… and I will give you the keys to the Kingdom. In other words: Jesus never gave us the keys to the church. He gave us the keys to the Kingdom. Go unlock stuff.”
EC: “What is one reason Barefoot Church should be in our readers stockings this year?”
BH: “The holiday presents some of the greatest opportunities to involve people in serving. In fact, the church most often looks like the Church during the holidays. yet many times we just go back to our normal routines come January. Barefoot Church offers practical ideas for church leaders to leverage those service opportunities for the Gospel… building upon congregants exposure to need in helping them gain a greater understanding of what it means to be a missionary in their own context. It’s a springboard for engaging need throughout the year. (Also, it will help their perspective of serving move quickly beyond just checking the box and feeling good about themselves to something bigger than the event itself.)”
EC: “What would you want to say to someone who just finished Barefoot Church?”
BH: “Read it again. Ha. Seriously, some of the best books I’ve ever read I had to read 4 times or more. The first time it starts to get in my brain. The second I tend to hold it under more of a “is this biblical?” lens, the third for parts that truly resonate and tend to create tension in me personally… and the fourth for reproducible practices and principles that can and/or should apply to my ministry and/or life. They tend to either make more sense or seem more ridiculous each time I read a book. Seems worthwhile.”
