5 More Questions with Kary Oberbrunner, Part 2

Welcome Back to Part 2 of an interview with Kary Oberbrunner. Youc an read Part 1 here.

Kary Oberbrunner founded Redeem the Day, a movement connecting people to a process that ignites their souls on fire. Author of Your Secret Name, The Fine Line, Called and The Journey toward Relevance, Kary earned a Doctorate in Transformational Leadership and a Master of Divinity. Besides life coaching, he serves as a pastor at Grace Church in Ohio.

Let's resume the interview:

6. Yesterday we talked about some of the criticism you received due to this book. How are you handling the criticism?

I believe God is telling me to roll with it. I think the world is full of many broken and hurting people who wear their Given Names every day. These are the people I pursue, not those who throw stones. These people take up too much time.

7. Why is this book so important for church leaders to read themselves?

Church leaders set the pace. If church leaders prefer wearing masks and posturing for position, than the non-leaders are even 10 steps behind them. Church leaders must model what it means to live freely as the people of God who've discovered how to walk in their New Names.

8. Are there any resources that go along with the book to help leaders implement it into a ministry context?

I wrote Your Secret Name with the church in mind. In fact, I have a whole page on my website devoted to Pastors, Teachers, Leaders and Counselors. They hold a special place in my heart.

I also wrote Your Secret Name with small groups in mind. It's why I:

• created a page for small group leaders with some special tips and tricks.
• made a video to help kickoff your group’s first night.
• wrote a Secret Name test so group members could go deeper on their own.
• asked people to share their Secret Stories so you could witness the impact of the book firsthand.
• just uploaded a sample chapter so you could read it and decide for yourself.
• included free discussion questions in every book so the group leader wouldn’t have to over-think it.

I hope pastor's tailor the message of Your Secret Name to their unique context. I'd love for them to preach through it in their own way. After all, it's the biblical story of Jacob discovering his Secret Name.

9. What do you hope to accomplish with the book? What's the take-away for the church?

I hope to spread the message of hope and freedom that Jesus offers. A take-away for the church is to realize that there is a huge group of people in need of discovering their New Name. The target audience of Your Secret Name has evolved into what I call the 3D's.

DISILLUSIONED-

DEPRESSION – According to the World Health Organization (WHO), depression is 1 of the leading causes of disability. The National Institute of Mental Health states that 18 million people suffer from depression in America. Among teenagers 20 percent will suffer from depression by the time their adults.

SELF-INJURY – Experts estimate that 4% of the population struggle with self-injury (biting, cutting, burning). Many write words onto their bodies.

ADDICTION – Each year only 10 percent of Americans who need alcohol and drug treatment get the help they need.

SUICIDE -- The WHO predicts that by 2020 the rate of death will increase to one suicide every 20 seconds.

DISENGAGED-

According to the Gallup Organization* =

· 29% of the U.S. working population is engaged in their lives.

· 55% of the U.S. working population is not engaged in their lives.

· 16% of the U.S. working population is actively disengaged in their lives.

These 16% actively disengaged, are set on sabotaging their lives, jobs, and families. (* http://gmj.gallup.com/content/379/Passion-Work.aspx)

DECHURCHED*-

Those without a past relationship to the church are called unchurched, but there are many with significant past church involvement who are exiting-the de-churched. The de-churched are guilty of a false gospel of “moralistic deism,” which believes that if you obey God’s rules he will bless you with what you desire.

The problem arises when God’s blessing doesn’t come—or doesn’t come in the form we want. Divorce, illness, poor grades, failed relationship—virtually any hardship has the potential to destroy one’s faith in Christ and the church that represents him. People walk away and enter the ranks of the de-churched.

Another group within the de-churched population have simply lost confidence in the institutional structures and programmatic trappings of the church. For them the institutional church is not an aid in their faith and mission. Rather it’s become a drain on time, resources, and energy. It feels like a black hole with a gravitation pull so strong that not even the light of the gospel can escape its organizational appetite.

(*Excerpt from Skye Jethani) (*Matt Chandler on the De-churched = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzTm3W2Ai7s)

10. What's next for you? Any other books coming like "Your not-so-secret-or-important middle name?"

I hope to walk in my New Name and the calling surrounding it. At this moment, my church has joined me in an Outreach to the 3D target audience. God's brought a super cool team together, committed to helping others discover their Secret Names and who God created them to be. Here is a website with more information. http://yoursecretnamesaturdaynights.eventbrite.com/

Thank You Kary for doing this. I appreciate you and your book very much

Thanks so much for your kindness.

That concludes my interview with Kary Oberbrunner. I hope these past few days have peeked your interest enough that you will go out and get a copy of Your Secret Name today!