At the beginning of 2016, I sent two of my friends an e-mail.
I was making my resolutions - because I love resolutions - and I invited them to dream with me.
Let's create a podcast that replicates the environment of the neigbhorhood barber shop. Mix in story topics from sports and urban culture. Talk about imporant stuff. Talk about funny stuff. And, most importantly, have those conversations shaped by the gospel.
For a few days, we tossed around ideas.
Then, nothing.
For the next three months, no podcast talk.
Out of the blue, John Richards texted me that he was willing to give it a try. I knew John, aka J-Rich, from The Legacy Conference (a conference I would recommend to everyone), and we had stayed in touch ever since. (Click on John's name and read up on him. He's a super funny guy, a great encouragement and one of the sharpest young theologians I know).
My homeboy Jeremy Hartman (J-Hart), who was my college basketball teammate at Shenandoah University, agreed to give podcasting a try, too. (Click on Jeremy's name to read about his passion for basketball as a teaching tool for all of life).
In fact, J-Hart and I did a trial podcast around two years ago. Both J-Hart and I are well under 6-foot tall. Another one of our former teammates, the funniest guy on our squad, suggested we call our podcast "Small Talk." Really funny, Ahmed.
Once we had our new podcasting team established, we just needed a name. J Rich is tall, so "Small Talk" wouldn't work (Thanks for trying though, Ahmed). We came up with a bunch of good names, but The Box and 1 Podcast just seemed to stick.
Right now, we're in the infancy stages. Nine episodes deep in a weekly podcast. We have a budget of zero, no advertisers and the most basic of recording equipment. What we do have, however, is humor, ambition, good chemistry and a conviction to help people see things through a gospel lens. Check out the Box And 1 Podcast here or on iTunes and let us know what you think.
Chris Lassiter is a Christ-follower, a husband to Emily (read her blog here), a father to five kids and a freelance writer for Young Life Relationships, HipHopDX.com, JamTheHype.com and other publications. His first book, You're Grounded, was published by Moody Publications in 2013. You can order the book here. His first kids' book, Grits & the Grimels, comes out soon.
As we say good-bye to 2014, I'm taking one final look back at my favorite blogs of the past year.
If you've been keeping up with me - or if you are just peeping this for the first time - here's a flashback to my five favorite blogs of 2014. If you click on the blog title, the blog will open up.
1. Our podcast needs a name ... This was my favorite, because it's still a huge dream of mine to have a faith and culture podcast. My main man Jeremy Hartman and I did a pilot episode, and maybe one day we can find time to record consistently and make it a reality.
2. Ferguson Aftermath - Why Two Cops Came to My House. If 2014 is remembered for anything, it will be the year of great racial tension which revealed that we are not in post racial America just yet. So here's a blog post about people from my church willing to sit down and have hard conversations, as well as the explanation of why two cops showed up at my house.
3. That's an Interesting Way to Cook Chicken. One day, my wife and I may write a book on interracial marriage. It's a joy and a challenge. This blog talks about how the gospel and our different cultures shape both our experience in the kitchen and in the marriage.
4. Fake Jordans, Real Life. As a Young Life Leader at my former high school Robert E. Lee in Staunton, I work with a group of kids that are expert detectives on how to spot fake Jordans. The great irony is that many times I wish they had the same clarity in seeing the difference between a real and counterfeit life.
5. A Letter to My Friends Who Have Left the Church... Or have never started it. As the kid who left the church, I can sympathize with those that leave. This my story of why I went back, as well as an offer for you to come back, too.
If you're thinking of including church in your 2015 plans, come with me on January 4th. Our church, Holy Cross PCA, has a friends Sunday this week, and afterward I'm taking friends who come out for pizza and picking up the tab.
I would love to know which of these five was your favorite and why it was your favorite.
Chris Lassiter is a Christ-follower, a husband to Emily (read her blog here), a father to five kids and a freelance writer for Young Life Relationships, HipHopDX.com, JamTheHype.com and other publications. His first book, You're Grounded, was published by Moody Publications last year. You can order the book here.
Now you can catch me name-dropping like The Game, but I only came in the game to drop one name (Jesus) - Phanatik.
My main man Jeremy Hartman (peep his blog here) and I have dreamed about covering sports and culture since we were basketball teammates at Shenandoah University back in the day.
The only problem is when we dreamed, we didn't dream up a name. Now that we've successfully recorded our pilot podcast (which you can listen to here) , we need to pick a name for the podcast. Fortunately, we have some creative friends who either sent us great options or things so hilarious that I was literally on the ground laughing.
Here's what we need from you. If you like one of the name options 0r you have your own, let us know. Write your favorite on the JamTheHype.com link right here. We also want to know which of our friends you think is the funniest, so at the bottom of this page let us know which name you think is the funniest.
I will start with the funny names:
- BYOB - Bring Your Own Bible (I got superweak when I read this one)
- Turnover City (J Hart and I had a few turnovers in the SU backcourt)
- Church Party 3 (a hysterical parody of the movie House Party 3, nice)
- A Righteous Turnover (I see what you did there Melz)
- Spiritual Guidance from Staunton's own Kid-N-Play (speaks for itself)
- Wisdom from Point guards who pass and point guards who don't (let's just say one of us may or may not be a SHOOTING guard trapped in a point guard's body.)
Here are the names we we would actually consider for our faith, sports and culture podcast:
- Real Talk (We talk about real stuff ... it's a possibility)
- Gaining Ground (has potential)
- Get Lifted (well played with the spiritual double entendre)
- Small Talk (We're both a tad shy of 6-foot and it's a podcast)
- On Point (two former point guards)
- The Crossover (has a spiritual and an athletic meaning)
- Pardon The Introduction (you see what he did there)
- Podcast With No Name (the name of the pilot podcast)
- That's What's Up (Somebody gave us a shot out, but it kinda had a ring to it.)
Now that's you've seen the options - or if you have your own - help us decide!
Chris Lassiter is a Christ-follower, a husband to Emily (read her blog here), a father to five crazy and fun kids, a Young Life leader in his hometown of Staunton, VA. He has written for JamTheHype.com, Rapzilla.com, VIBE, HipHopDX.com and other sites.
Moody Publishers recently published his first book, You're Grounded, which you can read about here. The Cross Promotion gets updated twice a week. Please consider subscribing by e-mail or joining the blog at the bottom of the page where it says "Join This Site."
