Win a Free Copy of the New PFP Audiobook!

We live in a more complicated and diverse world than ever before, as a result, Zondervan is giving away 30 copies of my audiobook Peppermint-Filled Pinatas: Breaking Through Tolerance and Embracing Love!

Here’s how you can win!

As a special promotion, the first 30 people to send me an email (eric@mosaic.org) promising to listen to the book and promote it within the next 3 months will receive a free copy!

(Promotion ideas could include an online review at amazon.com, audible.com, iTunes, your blog, or encouraging your pastor or small group pastor to use the book at your church).

Be sure to include “PFP Audiobook for Free” in the subject heading.

All who send me an email will receive a sample chapter, so everyone is a “winner.”

I was surprised with the speed (30 responses within 45 minutes) and the volume (130 responses in 12 hours) of your responses to win the free copy of PFP! Thanks for your interest and willingness to read the book, post a review at amazon.com, and most of all help overcome the negative Christian stereotype!

Here are the winners and future reviewers!

Robert from Arkansas; Dave, Ashley, Colleen, Jeff, Kolby, & Kurt from California; Steven & Jeff from Georgia; Isaac from Illinois; Lori from Minnesota; Becky from Missouri; Enrique from New Jersey; Lary from New York; Jason & Karen from OH; the Millers from Oklahoma; J.R. from Pennsylvania; Chris, Daniel, Dave, & Scott from Texas; Brian from Virginia; Ryan from Wisconsin

Canadians such as Tim from British Columbia, Christian from Quebec, Alicia from Prince Edward Island, and Ken from Alberta

From overseas: Chris from Scotland, Luis from Brazil, and James from Australia

I wish I had more books to give away!

For those who want to get a copy, here a few options:

• Discounted copies can be found at www.amazon.com for $11.04 each.
• If you are in Los Angeles, you can get a copy at a Mosaic gathering at the Mosaic discount for $10.00 each.
• If you would like to give a copy of Peppermint-Filled Pinatas as a gift to your friends, small group, or ministry leaders, contact samantha@awaken.org to receive 24 copies for $175 (includes shipping within the continental U.S.). This is a $150 discount! First come, first serve!
• Come to one of my upcoming speaking events as listed at www.ericbryant.org/schedule.
• Keep your eyes out for my next email newsletter with details on the next giveaway.

Thanks to those of you who have spread the word about the message of PFP - embracing the people Christian’s “love to hate” - through your blogs, podcasts, buying a copy for a church leader, or telling a friend!

In the future, to be the first to hear about special offers, be sure to sign up for my free email newsletter at the top right of my website!

Coming soon: Peppermint-Filled Pinatas Audiobook and Peppermint-Filled Pinatas Message Series (CDs or DVDs)…

The Starfish and the Spider

I have really enjoyed reading The Starfish and the Spider by Ori Brafman and Rod Beckstrom. In many ways, I feel like I found a book to explain how we operate at Mosaic - a decentralized and catalytic organism. My dissertation is about organizing innovation and raising up catalytic leaders (also see “Avoiding Burnout“).

The subtitle is misleading though.  Actually the organizations the authors describe aren’t leaderless but full of leaders!

Here are some insights:

“The blows to the recording industry, the attacks of 9/11, and the success of online classifieds and a collaborative encyclopedia were all driven by the same hidden force. The harder you fight this force, the stronger it gets. The more chaotic it seems, the more resilient it is. The more you try to control it, the more unpredictable it becomes. Decentralization… the absence of structure, leadership, and formal organization, once considered a weakness, has become a major asset. Seemingly chaotic groups have challenged and defeated established institutions. The rules of the game have changed.”

Centralized (coercive system): clear leader in charge, specific place decisions are made, rules need to be set and enforced or the system collapses

Decentralized (open system): no clear leader, no hierarchy, no headquarters, to influence people is to lead by example, everyone entitled to make her own decisions, rules and norms but not enforced by any one person, power distributed among all the people and across geographic regions

“A leader is best when people barely know that he exists; not so good when people obey and acclaim him; worst when they despise him.” – Lao-tzu

If you would like the full notes and to sign up for my monthly email newsletter, send an email to me at eric@mosaic.org with “Starfish” in the subject heading.  More info at www.ericbryant.org.

Dan Kimball Teleseminar

Our next live teleseminar will take place on Monday, December 1, 2008 at 1:00pm Pacific Time (4:00pm Eastern Time | other time zones) and features Dan Kimball!

:: CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ::

Dan Kimball is the founding pastor of Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz, CA. He is also author of several books including They Like Jesus But Not The Church, The Emerging Church: Vintage Christianity for New Generations & Emerging Worship: Creating Worship Gatherings for New Generations.

Listen to recordings of previous teleseminars with Erwin McManus and Mark Batterson.

Find out more about a new community of leaders, misfits, catalysts, and entrepreneurs committed to the Scriptures, Evangelism, and Innovation at www.theoriginsproject.org.

Evangelism, Innovation, and the Scriptures

A new community is forming….

There is so much we have yet to determine, but this will be a community of:

Go to The Origins Projects website for more details and to sign up.