I recently ran into Leonardo DiCaprio, I mean Rich Wilkerson in New York City during the latest expansion of Hillsong in Manhattan. Between the laughs, awkward moments and past stories, I couldn’t help but not to re-highlight what he is doing in a little place called Miami. If you don’t know Rich, you need to and I suggest you stalk him HERE.

Rich Wilkerson Jr. launched and leads The Rendezvous, which is a youth movement in Metro Miami affiliated with Trinity Church. He is one of the flyest Jesus Influencers I personally know and courageously mobilizes the Kingdom for Christ. Big thanks to him, his wife and their team for allowing him to share some thoughts… hope you are in_spired.

iHateChurch: What is your greatest tool in drawing 18-25 demographic?

RW: The greatest tool we have at the end of the day is the person of Jesus. More and more I realize that people love Jesus. They love what he was all about. However, the problem is with His followers (which is us).

Mahatma Gandhi is one of the most respected leaders of modern history. A Hindu, Ghandi nevertheless admired Jesus and often quoted from the Sermon on the Mount. Once when the missionary E. Stanley Jones met with Ghandi h e asked him, “Mr. Ghandi, though you quote the words of Christ often, why is that you appear to so adamantly reject becoming his follower?” Ghandi replied, “Oh, I don’t reject your Christ. I love your Christ. It’s just that so many of you Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

Every week I am constantly trying my hardest to teach and preach Jesus while removing myself from the picture. If we can get people to Jesus He will do the rest. Every part of His life was absolutely amazing. From his obscure birth in an outhouse to the way he conducted his day to day relationships. Of course we must never forget for one second the price he paid on Calvary that we might be forgiven from our sins. The cross seems to be the central theme of the Bible.

This beautiful story of redemption, where we the undeserving one, received grace and mercy from the Holy one. While the cross is mind-boggling let us never forget the power20of Jesus’ resurrection. For it is there that we are given the opportunity to walk into the abundant life he so commonly talked about. Until we rest in the finality of the cross, we will never experience the reality of the resurrection. The greatest tool we have is to simply (I know it sounds elementary) preach Jesus. Believe me it more than enough!

iHateChurch: How do you and your team change the thinking of a generation who Hates Church?

RW: Through honesty and transparency. So much of this generation has seen all of the bizarre, cheesy, phony, fake christian stuff. I really believe this generation just wants the truth. It’s funny because the Bible says we shall know the truth and the truth will set us free. You see until Christ is Lord of your life you are living in captivity. You are living in bondage. Once he becomes Lord of your life you walk into a freedom you never knew existed. Freedom from sin, guilt, fear, insecurity, depression, worry… the list goes on and on.

This generation just wants the real thing. They simply want the truth. Good or bad, they want it. There is an old saying, “just fake it until you make it.” Yet, that doesn’t cut it with today’s crowd. They would rather you just be honest until you make it. For instance I have numerous times said to my leadership team, “Hey guys I think we should do this, but I really don’t know how to do it,” or “I feel like God is telling us to go there, but I’m not sure how to get there.” I feel like the old school way was to just act like you had all the answers, pretend that everything was perfect. In reality nothing is perfect. If today’s leaders can approach every situation with honesty and transparency I believe slowly but surely this generations negative outlook on the church will change.

We have 2 more Parts to the saga with Rich Wilkerson… Be ready for the jumpoff to continue

For those of you who just stare at Borders bookshelves and have no idea where to start or what to read, then take a look at this list. I have included a very diverse list of books from tastemaker essentials to new Jesus strategies. Whatever your flavor may be we have listed something for you.

The greatest gift is a passion for reading. It is cheap, it consoles, it distracts, it excites, it gives you knowledge of the world and experience of a wide kind. It is a moral illumination. – Elizabeth Hardwick

How To Reach Your Life Goals by Peter J. Daniels

If you don’t have a target you will have no idea what to shoot for. If you don’t have the right target you will travel down a road in which you may not truly  want. Peter J. Daniels refines goals and will get you to where you want to go. This is an old gunslinger book, one of the original goal setting manuals.

Ghandi Churchill by Arthur Herman

Bet you didn’t know these 2 legends crossed paths briefly during their lifetime. One was a master of war while the other an influencer of peace. If you haven’t had a dose of history lately then get your fingers on this one.

Sticky Church by Larry Osborne

Hey church people. If you wanna know why people keep walking in one door and out the other then have a read from @LarryOsborne. This guy is a wizard and has over 20 years of church FAILING experience. Some of the greatest lessons in life you will learn are from people who fail, you wanna know why? Cause they got the balls to get back up and fix it!

The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

One day you will develop a group of people who one day will accomplish SOMETHING. If you do not own this book then buy it, seriously, get your card out right now and invest in yourself. We all know you need to. Once you complete this one, I highly suggest you buy everything this guy does. Even if its a cook book, buy it, Lencioni is an all star.

Leaving Microsoft To Change The World by John Wood

If you are in the non profit sector or need some tips on fund raising, John Wood delivers. He first discovered his passion while climbing mountains in Nepal and now assembles libraries in 3rd world countries.

I almost forgot, you may also like this book if you are working 75 hours a week making over 150k and feel like your life is meaningless. Feel free to read Ecclesiastes 2 if you wanna know what the richest man who ever lived felt about “meaning“.

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