An inspirational book by Carl Lentz, the “rock star” pastor of Hillsong NYC megachurch that guides readers toward a more engaged, spiritually grounded and fulfilled life.

As head pastor of the first United States branch of Australian megachurch Hillsong, Carl Lentz is redefining not just Christianity, but spirituality as a whole. The handsome thirty-eight-year-old former Division I basketball player wears skinny jeans and motorcycle boots. He has a hipster haircut, and his muscular arms are covered in tattoos. He wears lots of bling, loves hip-hop, and is vocal in his support for Black Lives Matter, as well as other human rights issues that an older generation of religious leaders might consider taboo. Some eight thousand parishioners—most in their twenties and thirties—pack into New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom each Sunday to see Lentz animatedly pace the stage while mixing self-deprecating humor and timely pop-culture references with keen analysis of Bible passages. His unorthodox style rooted in positivity, practicality, and inclusivity has earned him many celebrity followers, including LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kendall Jenner, Selena Gomez, Gayle King, Bono, and Justin Bieber.

One of Lentz’s fundamental beliefs is that no matter your background, no matter how late you were out Saturday night, you are more than welcome to build a relationship with God. You just need to trust your inner wisdom and believe that there is a purpose for your life. In his first book, Lentz inspires readers to take stock spiritually and emotionally and shows how to live a life filled with more meaningful connections, increased gratitude, and stronger moral convictions—how to truly own each precious moment.

 

Pastor Carl Lentz leads Hillsong Church NYC, an eight-thousand-member Christian congregation in the heart of Manhattan. Born the youngest of four in Naperville, Illinois, Lentz later moved with his family to Virginia. Though his parents were Baptists, he struggled to connect with the denomination’s strict message, and started to explore spirituality on his own. At age twenty, he discovered his calling and enrolled in the Hillsong International Leadership College in Australia, where the Hillsong Church was founded in 1983. While completing his pastoral training there, Lentz met his wife and copastor, Laura. In 2010, they helped launch Hillsong Church NYC, the first US-based branch. The trailblazing couple now lives in Montclair, New Jersey, with their three amazing children. Own the Moment is his first book.