In the latest Craft & Character episode, Steve Carter talks with Church of the City lead minister Darren Whitehead about identifying the traps that often take senior leaders down. Of the 14 transformational practices offered by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, 11 of them deal with sex, money, or power. From there, Darren employs years of research to help us begin to identify the potential traps in our own lives. On the local church front, Darren reveals what the Church of the City is planning for Easter and how his team approaches telling the Resurrection story creatively each year.
In 2013 when Darren and Brandy Whitehead and their small team founded Church of the City, they had a vision to plant a family of churches that live in the way of Jesus for the renewal of global cities. The team has now planted 6 congregations across Nashville and New York City.
Originally from Australia, Darren has lived in the United States for over 20 years. He earned his Master’s in Ministry from Wesley Seminary and his Doctorate from Capital Seminary and Graduate School, with his dissertation focus on millennials and the future of the Western Church. He recently released his second book, Holy Roar: 7 Words That Will Change The Way You Worship, co-authored with worship leader Chris Tomlin. Darren lives with his wife Brandy and their 3 daughters in Nashville, Tennessee.
Steve Carter is the Lead Pastor at Christ Church of Oak Brook and is helping to champion the Preaching Institute to equip pastors on how to preach hospitable and transformational messages. Steve hosts the Craft and Character Podcast, which ignites preachers to grow in their craft while always intentionally working to have their character lead the way. He has also authored two best-selling books, Grieve, Breathe, Receive, and The Thing Beneath The Thing. Steve lives outside Chicago with his wife, Sarah, and their two kids. When Steve isn’t hanging around with his family, friends, or church community, you will probably find him watching a University of Michigan football game.
