Throughout 2010 you’ll find a new feature in Fresh Catch called the “Fishhooker of the Every Other Month.” The Fishhooker of the EOM is a friend of the Fishhook team, a leader in ministry and someone who values what Fishhook values:

JESUS: Following Christ’s example, we strive to love/respect one another and trust God in all we do and say.

SKILZ: Our expertise challenges churches to discover where God is leading them to make their next move.

WOO: We ignite and value the fun and energy that God brings to our relationships and the people we partner with: our client teams, vendors and fellow church communicators.

BIG-BOY PANTS: We strive for a professional and humbly confident approach, guiding clients toward expecting excellence from themselves.

EXTREME COMMUNICATIONS/MINISTRY MAKEOVERS: Collaborating with clients, we work to maximize their resources and empower people to be the hands and feet of Christ.

Our work allows us the honor of working with so many godly and smart church leaders that selecting the Fishhooker of the EOM is not an easy task. But we didn’t want that challenge to prevent us from introducing you to some great people who are serving the Church and connecting people to Christ.

For the February 2010 Fishhooker of the Every Other Month distinction, the Fishhook Team has selected Greg Snider, senior project developer in the Chicago office of Aspen Group, an innovative church construction and design company. Fresh Catch asked Evan McBroom to share his thoughts on why Greg deserves the honor:

1. What is Greg’s connection to/relationship with Fishhook?

The Connection: As part of the Aspen Group team, Greg has pulled Fishhook into their design/build Alignment Process to help churches improve how they communicate. Greg and Aspen bring together resources to help not just build a better building, but help church leaders build a better church.

The Relationship: It’s the perfect combination of work and play – colleague and friend. While Greg operates out of Aspen Group’s Chicago office, and I’m in Indy, we work together face-to-face at least once a month. We attend/speak at several conferences a year and in the midst of the work, there’s always time for laughter, swapping old stories, an early morning run and encouraging each other. We have a lot of fun.

2. Which of Fishhook’s Core Values does Greg most reflect?

That’s a tough one, because I can find Greg in all of them. As a Christ-follower, he’s sold out. He challenges clients to be bold yet discerning. Greg wears the big-boy consulting pants well, and he is the consummate collaborator. If I have to choose, I’d say everything I see Greg do is driven by his heart for God and the realization that people need to be in relationship with Jesus.

3. If you were describing Greg to someone who has never met him, what would you say?

Energy. If you walk into a room and you’re wondering which one is Greg, look for the tall, slim guy in the pressed shirt that has drawn a crowd and has the biggest laugh. All energy.

4. What has Greg’s impact been on the Church at large?

Greg makes stuff happen. I don’t know how you measure his impact, but I know there are church leaders who had visions and dreams and Greg helped them realize them — and those dreams have helped bring people to Christ. While I can see that Greg’s impact at Aspen Group has been significant, and while his impact on Fishhook has brought great opportunities to collaborate, Greg’s Kingdom impact must be huge.

It’s not just about what Greg get’s done, but also what Greg doesn’t do. He doesn’t put his interest, or Aspen Group’s interest or Fishhook’s interest before his understanding of the Kingdom interest. I’ve seen Greg counsel church leaders NOT to move forward with their facility plans until their ministries are fully ready for the pressure and stress that a facility project will put on a congregation and its leaders. The positive impact of that counsel has got to be enormous.

5. If someone had 1/2 hour to spend with Greg, what would you recommend he/she pick his brain about?

First, you have to ask him about his early business ventures helping do fundraisers for his high school cheerleading squad. After that, spend the next 25 minutes with Greg in your church facility. Tell him about your ministries — what’s working and what’s not — and see if he can help you find connections between your ministry challenges and your space. He sees things other people don’t see, and he’ll encourage you in the process.

Learn more about Greg Snider at http://www.aspengroup.com/key-personnel/greg-snider.