First, if you've never heard of THE WORK OF THE PEOPLE, welcome to the club - They're a mustard seed just cracking ground. They like to say they're a community of artists who create visual media for the church to re-orient God's people around Jesus' good news and mission to make all things new.

Here's what some folks are saying...

IAN MORGAN CRON - Travis Reed and The Work of the People are incredible. Their films are simple yet content rich, artful but unpretentious, excellent but never slick, imaginative but coherent, moving but never sentimental. Travis Reed is unequaled when it comes to advancing the kingdom through his 'visual epistles'. I can't speak highly enough about them or the mission that inspire them.

SHANE CLAIBORNE - The Work of the People is sassy, fresh, creative... and grounded. I'm delighted to be conspiring with them, and hope you will too.

CHRIS SEAY - My job is to tell the story of God and to invite people into the redemptive narrative of the Creator. The truth is that my job is much easier when I have access to provocative media shorts that invite spiritual conversation, thought, and a longing for truth. I purchased a membership from The Work of the People and am honored to share their creative work when I preach.

GET FOUR FREE FILMS with PHILEENA HEUERTZ, including the film shown at this year's Catalyst conference!

1. Go to the Work Of The People HERE and open a new account, it's free.

2. HERE is link to Philleena's films. Add them to your cart.

3. Enter coupon code catalystphileena at check out and download for FREE.

This is a guest blog post from Sarah Francis Martin. Sarah is the author of upcoming book Stress Point: Thriving Through your Twenties in a Decade of Drama (Thomas Nelson, June 2012) and blogs at www.liveitoutblog.com.

I'd like you to join me in a little conversation I had with myself--a gut check if you will. After hanging up the phone for a ministry brainstorming session my mind swirled with possibilities and grand plans. I thrive on concocting marketing plans and to-do lists. Before I know it, though, I lose focus on my purpose and drown in a sea of details that revolve around making the project known rather than the very One I'm working so diligently for.

Scheme after scheme and plan after plan permeates my motivation and suddenly the thought of gaining favor in the eyes of my audience excites me more than hearing from the ultimate audience of One, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

The idea that my name would headline a book on the shelf stirs my emotions more than the very Savior I proclaim in said book.

As I sat on the couch with my phone in my hand, a lump in my throat, and beads of sweat that threatened to reveal my current stress level, here is what transpired in my mind:

Sarah, what is your problem?

Where along the way did you lose focus on what is really important?

Who do you think you are that your plans, your concoctions, will lead to more souls loving Jesus?

Since when were you more concerned with your name being famous?

Since when did you place that goal over the fame of your King?

These are not easy questions to digest and evaluate. I would rather not look that deep into my motivations which might reveal a servant caught up in the frenzy of doing ministry. I would rather continue on with the facade of humility--not letting other see this dark space in my heart. I wonder if John the Baptist ever struggled with this tug of war of pride over the greater Glory? Reading John 3:30 makes me think that John the Baptist probably did not expend brain cells on developing grand plans for his name and his personal ministry,

"He must increase, but I must decrease."

The good news is that His message is entirely more impactful than my own. Words spoken out of self-indulgence, no matter how holy they sound, fall flat. By evaluating my motivation for recognition and dampening the desire to personally increase, this very decrease of my pride allows for a deeper, more Spirit-driven message to arise from my ministry.

Though not the least bit pleasant, this gut check of mine reminded me a of my ministry goal that the Lord has set on my heart: to lead a generation of young adults to seek the face of the Lord, their King of Kings. (Psalm 24:6) How can I do this if I'm overly concerned with my own renown? Those who I desire to reach would see the hypocrisy, for we live in a world that specializes in self-increase and despises decrease.

I would love to say that this gut-check was a one-time-event and that I successfully resolved the issue at hand. Thank goodness the very mercy, grace, love, and continual forgiveness from the Cross that I so desire others to hear about applies to even me, over and over again, one gut check after another.

This is a guest blog post from Brandon Boyd, Catalyst World Racer!

The World Race is a unique missions trip that takes young adults into 11 countries in 11 months to serve while living in community. Brandon, our Catalyst Racer, has taken the challenge to abandon his worldly possessions (all except a backpack) and pursuit of the American Dream to experience how God is moving.

Check out his "Month One" blog below and follow him @CatalystRacer to hear first hand, real time accounts of his adventure and what God is doing in the nations through a small group of world changers and a lot of faith.

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My first month on the Race is over. The first break of ELEVEN.

It seems like a year ago that I left the US and at the same time this month has flown by! The first week of ministry was insane as thirteen like-minded-and yet completely different-Racers lived in community together. We lived on a "compound" with twelve-foot concrete walls and razor wire and slept in a three-room school.

My time in Guatemala has shown me that the real treasures here are the children.  We stayed at an orphanage called Los Gozosos. They have created a family environment for handicapped children. While their stories are not for the faint of heart, the kids are amazing and have found a place deep in my heart. They have been through more pain and struggles in their lives than most of us will witness in a lifetime. You can read more about these children here.

Guatemala has been nothing short of an ADVENTURE! It's only been one month and I've already:

+hiked an active volcano
-ridden a tuk-tuk (which is even more dangerous)
+walked through flooded streets in hurricane influenced rain in the dark trying to find the right street to turn on
-experienced a Walmart in a third world country
+rode on an old school bus packed to the brim with people down a hill going entirely too fast
-prayed in English for people that don't understand English
+passed out food in a garbage dump for people that scavenge for a living
-broken curses
+eaten street cart food that I have been told could kill me
-almost gotten run over by a police car
+been accused of stealing a pineapple that I most certainly bought but didn't know how to say that in Spanish
-eaten more frijoles than I knew existed

I've been under more spiritual attacks this month than the rest of my life, yet have seen more VICTORY, BREAKTHROUGH, and GROWTH in this month than I thought possible!

Follow me @CatalystRacer for real time updates about my journey on the World Race to 11 countries in 11 months. (At least as real time as third world internet allows.)

Join us at the We First Seminar in sunny LA in February! from We First on Vimeo.

Anyone who purchases a ticket can bring a non-profit leader for free as their guest.
Check out the article Simon wrote & an interview with him on the Catalyst podcast!

Mark your calendar for April 23 - 26, 2012 and commit to attend Exponential 2012. Here are just a few reasons why...

• Over 4,500 Church Planting Leaders
• Over 100 National Speakers (including Bill Hybels and Wayne Cordeiro)
• 15 Pre-Conference Intensives
• Over 100 Workshops
• Special Discounts for Spouses
• Inspiring, Encouraging, Equipping & Challenging leaders
• Group options to Customize your Experience
• Over 50 National Sponsors help make it Affordable
• Sunny Orlando, Florida

Exponential 2012's "Sifted" theme highlights the vital importance of the spiritual, physical and emotional health of the church planter as a vital component in catalyzing leaders who reproduce. Where most resources focus on the "doing" of models, approaches and innovations, "Sifted" focuses on the "being" and health of church planting leaders. Through the "Sifted" theme, Exponential seeks to create a national conversation around what it looks like to improve the support of church planting leaders, especially in the post-launch phase, and develop healthier and more productive church planters.

The super duper early bird rate of $149 for the planter and $79 for the spouse is good until December 2, 2011. Visit www.exponentialconference.com to learn more and to register.