The Leadership Blog Interview: Dino Rizzo

Dino Rizzo

Bio: Dino and DeLynn Rizzo have been Senior Pastor of Healing Place Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, since the church was founded in 1993. They are young and passionate pastors called to bring healing to hurting people.

Church: Healing Place Church
Blog: Dinorizzo.com

The Leadership Blog Interview Questions
1. Dino, what gives you the greatest joy in being a leader?
Dino: "I love seeing the people God has joined me with flourishing, fully alive and having a ton of fun changing the world for Jesus, especially my wife and three kids. When I see DeLynn lead worship and when I get to see my kids experience the joy of helping other people – that’s what I love."

2. What is your biggest pet peeve as a leader?
Dino: "I get pretty fired up when I see people in the body of Christ being impatient with the poor, the hurting, those who are lost and confused, people who are addicted, and those who are far from God. I think it is crazy when someone has been to the cross but still lives with a negative mindset."

3. Who made the biggest influence in your life as a leader?
Dino: "Those up close:· Wayne Austin (my father-in-law) is a man with massive integrity, and Robert Rizzo (my dad) was a giver and he taught me to be the same.
From a distance:
· Mother Teresa – her love for the poor
· John Osteen – his heart for missions
· John Maxwell – the leadership guru
· Bill Hybels – the way he does New Testament church today
· Brian Houston – his passion for the local church

4. What books have changed your life?
Dino:
· Jesus Style by Gale Erwin
· High Adventure in Tibet – the biography of missionary Victor Plymire
· David Wilkerson’s Two of Me
· In the Heart of the World – by Mother Teresa
· Heaven is in This House – Bobbie Houston
· Ted Haggard’s Primary Purpose

5. What's your biggest challenge as a leader?
Dino: "I have a passion for Jesus, for my wife and kids, and for the world from southern Louisiana to Africa and all over. My daily challenge is to focus that passion into the ways God has given me to express it."

6. What goals do you have as a leader?
Dino: · To keep growing as a man and as a pastor of an incredible church
· To see Healing Place Church’s new worship space completed
· To duplicate myself so that I can free up more creative time
· And to lose 30 pounds (can’t forget that one)

7. Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Dino:
· I will be going on year 24 pastoring this church, and I plan to be healthy, hearing from God and dreaming about the next ten years.
· I believe also that I will be supporting my wife’s role in leadership a HPC even more. The next ten years will be a great season for her.
· I believe HPC will be expressing our heart to be a healing place for a hurting world in dozens of environments around the world. I will be on my knees for that and for the excellent staff of Healing Place Church that they will continue to grow in excellence.
· Oh yeah, I expect to be in some PS2 championship because I rock at NCAA Football ’06 – there’s no telling how good I’ll be by 2016.

Thanks Dino for a great interview! You are an inspiration to us for all you did and are doing for the Hurricane victims. You're also lucky that you're not good Madden '06 because I could take you at that! Thanks also to Dan Ohlerking for helping me get the interview.