#457 - #SEEEDFAIL

In a day and age where our social media platforms tend to tell a story about our lives that is much more "polished" than we'd like to admit, I want to take this opportunity to "pull back the curtain" on several areas of my life in an effort to make a point that I hope will be an encouragement to you.

In regards to my health...

Though you may #seeEDrun, what you don't see is me:

• Indulging in fast food way more than I should.

• Refusing to engage in exercise besides running.

• Eating, many times, to numb the emotional pain and stress I am experiencing.

In regards to my marriage...

Though you may see many happy pictures of my wife and I under the hashtag #seeEDblessed, what you don't see is me:

• Refusing to fix the bed in the morning when it is the one thing my wife has explicitly asked me to do everyday.

• Settling on date nights being dinner and a movie when I know I am capable of being much more thoughtful about how we can invest our time together.

• Pretending to be asleep in the morning so she has to take the dog out to the bathroom! (I'm such a selfish loser!)

In regards to my pastoral leadership...

Though you may see many great experiences I am blessed to have as the lead pastor of theMOVEMENT through the hashtags #seeEDpastor and #seeEDpreach what you don't see is me:

• Struggling to effectively lead the church staff.

• Procrastinating on my sermon preparation.

• Abdicating my responsibility to lead because I'd rather be liked by men than obedient to God.

In regards to my finances...

Though I am currently enrolled in Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University, what you don't see is me...

• Resisting creating and sticking to a budget.

• Neglecting to aggressively pay off debt because I'd rather have the latest pair of Jordans.

• Overspending on eating out because I refuse to develop the discipline of shopping for food and cooking at home. 

In regards to my heart...

Though many people have said that my "heart" is what they appreciate about me the most, what you don't see is me...

• Being more frustrated with others' sin than I am with my own.

• Giving up on people even though God has not given up on me.

• Envying the blessings of others to the point where I am blind to God's blessings to me. 

So what is the point of sharing these (there are many more!) inadequacies with you?

As sick to my stomach as it makes me to think about my many shortcomings, the point is this: if God can call, equip, use, and bless a prideful, irresponsible, selfish knucklehead like me, He can do the same with you!

Since the beginning of time, God has been using busted and broken men and women, just like me and you, to accomplish His purposes on earth and bring glory to Him in heaven. It's just what God does. 

Though by the time my life is through there will be many failures by which I could place the hashtag #seeEDfail, I am trusting that when all is said and done, the hashtag that will be placed next to my name will be #seeGODredeem!

Can you trust Him to do the same with you?

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

#456 - PASTOR, GET CARE

Pastor, you need to be cared for. You need to be listened to. You need to be heard. You need to be ministered to. You need a safe place where it is OK to talk about how you're really feeling. As an under-shepherd to the Good Shepherd, you need to be shepherded.

I've found one of the best places to receive this type of care is from other under-shepherds like yourself. Meet with another pastor in your city. Join a network of pastors. Connect with other pastors online. Do something. GET CARE. The quality of your care for others depends on it.

Additionally, pastor, you need to care for another pastor. A younger pastor. A newer pastor. A lonely pastor. You need to find a pastor who isn't being cared for and care for them. Minister to them. Ask them questions. Share your resources. Invest your time. GIVE CARE. In some ways, the quality of that pastor's care for their flock depends on your care for them. 

Too many of us are dried up spiritually, failing morally, unhealthy physically, and burnt out emotionally. Too many of us live lives of isolation, and it is only a matter of time before the enemy picks us off in the same way a lion can kill an elephant that has wandered away from its' herd.

Pastor, get care and give care. Soon. Our collective ability to carry out our task faithfully requires our commitment to these things. 

I write these words with deep conviction because in my 10+ years of volunteer/vocational ministry, I have had pastors who have extended care to me and their investment of time, effort, and energy has been a precious gift that has made all the difference in my ability to continue to be faithful to my call. 

As a pastor who cares for others, I am surrounded by pastors who care for me. 

Pastors, let's make it our goal to make this every pastor's reality. 

JUNE 2016

5 MEMORABLE MOMENTS (MAY 2016)

1. Enjoyed seeing Tori Kelly and Third Story live with my wife and Spencer and Lanae.

2. Ran 9 times for a total of 80 miles. (Ran "lake to lake" in Oakland)

3. Invested in and developed relationships with Staff Team, Ministry Leadership Team, and Pastoral Team at Acts 29 West Conference.

4. Took Merritt swimming for the first time in Discovery Bay.

5. Completed and posted Pursue Ebook. 

4 GOALS (JUNE 2016)

1. Run 100 miles. 

2. Complete rough draft of Leadership Development Pipeline.

3. Take Rebekah on date night to Commis. 

4. Create Zero-Based Budget for Paz Household.

3 HABITS

1. Post 100 words to edwardpaz.com 20 times.

2. Complete 15 training runs.

3. Read at least one chapter of one of the Gospels daily.  

2 SACRIFICES

1. Live by the budget.

2. Be in bed by 10pm.

1 COMMITMENT

1. By July 1, 2016, I run 100 miles.

PURSUE - EBOOK

If you are in need of motivation and encouragement to continue pursuing the calling for which you've been created, click on the image below and download this free resource today!

#455 - CHURCH PLANTER BEWARE

The money you'll raise...
The team you'll build...
The Sunday Services you'll execute...
The people you'll attract...
The baptisms you'll witnesses...
The babies you'll dedicate...
The weddings you'll officiate...
The small groups you'll start...
The life change you'll see...
The growth you'll experience...
The compliments you'll receive...
The challenges you'll overcome...
The leaders you'll develop...
The conferences you'll attend...
The impact you'll have...

It will all be very fulfilling. But, it will never be enough. 

Though you may think that your deepest longings and desires will be satisfied through the accomplishments of your ministry, it is a lie that you must not allow yourself to believe. 

If you believe this lie, your ministry will become like a drug addiction and your efforts will only be a means to experiencing your next high. The problem is, it will never be enough.   

No amount of money, baptisms, changed lives, growth, leaders, or influence will satisfy you. 

True and complete satisfaction comes not from accumulating the work we do for Christ, but from enjoying the work Christ did for us. 

Christ's work to save you.
Christ's work to redeem you.
Christ's work to cleanse you.
Christ's work to justify you.
Christ's work to adopt you.
Christ's work to choose you!

Christ's work for you will satisfy you like no work for Him every will! 

The irony is, the more in awe, wonder, and reverence we are of Christ's work for us, the more effective our work for Christ will be! The more satisfied we are in Christ, the better positioned we are to lead others to experience the satisfaction of Christ! The more at rest we are in what Christ has already done for us, the more at rest we will be in accomplishing what we have yet to do for Christ!

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. Colossians 2:9-10

#454 - HOW TO EXERCISE PASTORAL PATIENCE

Whether you are a pastor or not, it is very likely that, each day, you are given the opportunity to "exercise patience" with your friends, family, co-workers, and, most difficult of all, your Facebook "friends!"

Everyday, you are challenged to exhibit patience with those who say one thing and do another. Everyday, you are challenged to exemplify patience with those who do things differently than you do. Everyday, you are challenged to extend patience to those who strongly believe things you don't believe and express their beliefs in ways that frustrate you.

The opportunities to exercise patience with the people in our lives are endless!

For those of us in ministry, we are challenged to show patience towards those who struggle seeing their sin, admitting their sin, and leaving their sin. We must patiently deal with those who are fully aware of what God is leading them to do, but have a difficult time doing it. We must be patient with people as they do their best to exchange their will for their life for God's will for their life.  

So how can we do this well? 

The option that we are most familiar with is self-directed. When faced with an opportunity to exercise patience, we must reach deep down within and have self-discipline, self-control, and self-restraint to respond in ways that are healthy for you and not hurtful to them. 

Now, I don't know about you, but, more often than not, this method doesn't work for me! My spirit is willing, but my flesh is weak!

But, I have found that there is a Christ-inspired and gospel-centered approach that tends to provide for me a power to exercise patience like nothing else can. 

At the most basic level, this approach says,

In light of how patient Christ has been with me, how patient should I be?

Paul, in his letter to Timothy writes, "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life."

Paul received mercy from Christ so that Christ's perfect patience could be seen and experienced by others. 

In light of how patient Christ has been with your sin, how patient should you be with others' sin? In light of how patient Christ has been with your shortcomings, how patient should you be with others' shortcomings? In light of how patient Christ has been with your irresponsibility, how patient should you be with others' irresponsibility? In light of how patient Christ has been with your stubbornness how patient should you be with others' stubbornness.

The answer: VERY PATIENT.   

Inhale Christ's perfect patience towards you, exhale a greater patience towards others. This is the essence of pastoral patience. 

You can't receive perfect patience towards yourself and not be empowered to exercise greater patience with others. You just can't.

I dare you to try.

#453 - FOR THE LEADER WHO WANTS TO QUIT

Leader, I know you're overwhelmed. I identify with your worry. I am all too familiar with your stress. I understand the feeling of being pulled in more directions than you can physically go. I can relate to your desire to do anything but lead. There are many days when I want to quit too.

But my encouragement to you today is this: let gratitude pull you through.

Take a moment to think about and reflect upon what has been accomplished through your leadership. It is very likely in the last 90 days alone, you have experienced progress, breakthroughs, and victories that have the potential to energize and encourage you if you take the opportunity to appreciate them.

What are the benchmarks that have been reached? What are the goals that have been accomplished? Who are the people who have been impacted? What are the projections that have been exceeded? Who are the team members who have been performing well? What are the dreams that have been fulfilled?

Let gratitude pull you through.    

Take the good that has been and leverage it as a force to pull you towards the good that will be.

If God has used you before, He can use you again. If God has strengthened you before, He can strengthen you again. If God has drawn people before, He can draw people again. If God has provided for you before, He can provide for you again. If God has given you ideas before, He can give you ideas again. If God has propelled you forward before, He can propel you forward again. 

If, through you, He has done it before, through you, He can do it again!

REMEMBER.

#452 - THE GREAT PRIVILEGE OF LEADERSHIP

Leader, are you aware of the privilege you have been given? The privilege to influence. The privilege to impact. The privilege to inspire. The privilege to equip. The privilege to encourage. The privilege to empower.

The privileges of leadership are many, but I would like to bring your attention to one privilege in particular:

You have the privilege of leveraging your platform for someone else's progress.

Whether you see it this way or not, as a leader, you have a platform. 

You have the ability to: "voice one's views or initiate action" in a way that the people who you lead cannot. This platform may come in the form of authority, opportunity, resources, leverage, access, an email list, a website, a social media account, or even a physical stage, and it is this platform that allows you to get your job done.

Leader, you have a platform.

But, in addition to your platform, leader, you also have a choice. 

You can use your platform primarily to pursue your prize, or, you can leverage your platform to propel someone on your team to a greater degree of progress and potential. 

You can use your platform to make much of yourself, or, you can use your platform to make much of others.

You can use your platform as a book to tell your story, or, you can use your platform as an encyclopedia to tell the story of many.

My encouragement to you is this: give your platform away. 

Give your platform away to the team member with potential. Give your platform away to the team member with experience. Give your platform away to the team member with drive. 

Give your platform away to the young man or young woman in the next generation with passion. Give your platform away to the older man or older woman from a previous generation with wisdom. Give your platform away.  

Give away authority. Give away opportunity. Give away resources. Give away leverage. Give away access. Give away stage time. Give away air time. Give away influence.  

Give your platform away.

As you already know, there will come a day when you no longer have a platform. But, will it be because it was taken away or because it was given away? If it is because of the former, that is a tragedy. If it is because of the latter, you will leave a legacy. 

#451 - HOW TO ATTRACT A GREAT TEAM

Who you are is who you attract.

John C. Maxwell refers to this as the Law of Magnetism, and I'm convinced that it is a principle that reveals more about the quality of your leadership, for better or for worse, than any of his other "laws." 

In other words, the best indicator of the quality of your leadership is the quality of the people who are following you.

With this idea in mind, take a quick inventory. Are you pleased by the attitudes, work ethic, and level of commitment of those who would call you their leader?  Are you excited to work with the team you lead? Are you proud to call the people you lead your team members?

If your answer is yes, the good news is, who you are has something to do with why you've been able to surround yourself with great people. 

If your answer is no, the bad news is, who you are has something to do with why you've been unable to surround yourself with great people!

So what do you do if you don't currently have a "followership" that you are proud of?

 CHANGE.

If you want a team with a greater degree of commitment, become more committed. If you want a team with an increased passion for the mission, become more passionate about the mission. If you want a team who is more accountable for their work, become more accountable for your work. If you want a team characterized by transparency,  become more transparent. 

Who YOU ARE is who you attract.

Become more and you can attract more. Become better and you can attract better. Become greater and you can attract greater.

Or, if this seems too difficult for you and you find yourself unwillingly to put in the hard work necessary to develop yourself personally, you can just refuse to take responsibility and place yourself on the path of least resistance...

BLAME. 

#450 - AN IMPORTANT MINISTRY TENSION TO MANAGE

Service and Sales.

Being present and available for the people who are currently under your care while being thoughtful and intentional about planning for the people who are not yet under your care. 

Loving those "in the flock" while pursuing those "outside the flock."

Discipling "the found" while evangelizing "the lost."

As a ministry leader, this is a very important tension to manage. 

If you lean too far in one direction you run the risk of being outwardly ineffective, if you lean too far in the other direction you run the risk of being inwardly insensitive.

But, both sides of this tension are a necessity. Both deserve a certain amount of your attention. Both require systems and processes to be put in place to execute well. Both are a requirement of the Great Commission. 

With that in mind, here are a few things I try to keep in mind to manage this tension effectively:

1. Identify which direction you naturally lean. (I am naturally more "insider focused.")

2. Schedule time to invest your energy and effort in the opposite direction.

3. Recruit team members whose strength is your weakness.  

4. Pray that God gives you the wisdom of when to lean into which direction. 

I encourage you to take the time to take whatever steps you need to in order to strike this balance.

It may seem harsh, but the reality is, if we don't put the proper emphasis on both of these responsibilities of the local church, only one word will be fit to describe our ministries - unfaithful. 

MAY 2016

5 MEMORABLE MOMENTS (APRIL 2016)

1. Enjoyed watching, in great seats, the Giants beat the Dodgers in extra-innings with Hubert and Angela.

2. Launched The Blueprint (Our Discipleship Process) at theMOVEMENT and facilitated our very first discipleship training.

3. Ran 10 times for a total of 66 miles.

4. Preached at two events outside of theMOVEMENT (Vallejo Young Adult Ministry/Hijacked 2016 Pre-Camp Rally).

5. Invested in and developed relationships with staff at Directional Leadership Team Off-Site/Missions Intensive.

4 GOALS (MAY 2016)

1. Run 100 miles. 

2. Complete rough draft of Leadership Development Pipeline.

3. Take Rebekah on date night to Commis. 

4. Create Zero-Based Budget for Paz Household.

3 HABITS

1. Post 100 words to edwardpaz.com 20 times.

2. Complete 15 training runs.

3. Read a chapter of Proverbs daily. 

2 SACRIFICES

1. No clothes/shoes shopping.

2. Be in bed by 10pm.

1 COMMITMENT

1. By June 1, 2016, I run 100 miles.

#449 - A REALITY CHECK FOR PASTORS

Today I found out that yet another "high-profile" pastor has been removed from his position in ministry. The elders within the church discovered unresolved sin in his life that disqualified him from his role, and both the elders and the pastor decided that stepping down would be the best course of action.

In addition to grieving and praying for this man and the church that he leads, I also find myself staring at, once again, the devastating implications of sin - especially for those who serve in pastoral ministry.

This man's story serves as another serious warning to me that unconfessed, unresolved, unattended to sin is costly. Not only will it undermine the work that you have put in to serve the local church, but it also has the potential to hinder the work that God is doing in the individuals within the local church that you serve.  (I understand fully that God's work in the lives of people will happen with or without me, but the idea of my sin in any way hindering that work is a terrible thought.)

Knowing that I am just as susceptible to sin as the pastor who was removed from his position, I am compelled to pray the following prayer that I encourage you to pray with me as well:

Heavenly Father, help me. Your word says that sin is crouching at my door and that its' will is to overtake me. Lord help me to be aware of this sin. Lord help me to avoid this sin. Lord and if, for any reason, I succumb to this sin, give me the humility and courage to repent and confess. Lord help me. Lord help me. Lord help me. Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil. The same power that rose Jesus from the grave lives in me, and I ask for that power to help me overcome sin today. I pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.  

#448 - A RECOMMENDED RHYTHM OF REST

When it comes to leadership, I am convinced that the most important person you will ever lead is yourself.  

If you can't effectively lead yourself to accomplish your goals and objectives, how can you reasonably expect that you would be able to lead someone else to accomplish theirs?

Those who see you as their leader are watching you, and if they see that you are unable to lead yourself, over time, their respect for you will decline and your ability to lead them effectively will eventually erode.

With this reality of leadership in mind, one of the most important areas you must lead yourself in is...rest.  Because no one can rest for you, because no one can force you to rest, you must establish and execute, for yourself, a rhythm of rest.

One of the greatest gifts you can give to the team you lead is your emotional energy, and if you do not have adequate rest, emotional energy will be something you do not have the capacity to give.

Several years ago, I was "sold" on the idea of making rest a priority by Pastor Rick Warren when he outlined the following recommended "rhythm of rest."

1. Divert Daily  - Every day break away from your work to do something you enjoy.

2. Withdraw Weekly  - Every week take a full 24 hours straight to disconnect from your work entirely. 

3. Quarantine Quarterly  (I added this one, and couldn't think of another "Q" word that would work!) - Though this wasn't a part of Rick Warren's plan, I recommend that every quarter you take 2-3 days to "get away" to think, plan, pray, rest, and do whatever else you need to do to recharge. I used the word "quarantine" because, as an introvert, I like the quarterly break to be in isolation!

4. Abandon Annually  - Every year take at least a week or two and go on a vacation! Leave the laptop at home, set up an email auto-responder, put your cell phone away, and take this opportunity to remind yourself that your work, your organization, and your team will be just fine without you!

If you're not yet convinced that establishing a rhythm of rest is important, I will leave you with this closing thought:

If you do not choose to rest, your body will eventually shut down and force you to rest.

The question you must ask yourself is, "Do I want my rest to be an intentional, proactive choice or a forced, reactive response?"

Choosing the former will surely strengthen your leadership ability, becoming a victim of the latter will indefinitely cripple it.

Choose rest.

#447 - 9 REASONS WHY I'M RUNNING ANOTHER MARATHON

Though I could easily come up with many excuses why I couldn't and shouldn't run a marathon this upcoming July, I choose to focus on the reasons why I can and will:

1. Beating my previous marathon times of 7:17 and 5:54 is a must. I am determined to run this one in 4:45.

2. Training for a marathon gives me the opportunity to practice leading the most important person I will ever lead...myself. 

3. Completing a faster marathon at 33 than I did at 24 and 29 would be very encouraging to someone like myself who is starting to feel older and older.

4. Encouraging Spencer and AJ as they train and watching them cross the finish line, at their first marathon, is more fulfilling to me than completing my own.

5. Challenging myself to accomplish something that is intimidating to me gets me out of my comfort zone is good for my personal development.

6. Running long distances, like nothing else, strengthens my inner will and resolve. If I ever want to become a great leader, I am going to need major resolve.

7. Enjoying the beauty along the various trails, breathing in the fresh air, and feeling my heart pumping as I run invigorates me and makes me feel truly alive.

8. Learning lessons about life as I run has been very profitable for me. Running is a relentless teacher.

9. Adding another medal to my collection is always rewarding!

The beauty of well thought out, articulated reasons for pursuing a goal is this:

When strong reasons are juxtaposed to weak excuses, excuses don't stand a chance!

#446 - ABOUT EXCUSES

If there is one thing you can count on never having a shortage of, it is...excuses. 

Excuses for why you can't.
Excuses for why you shouldn't
Excuses for why you won't.

Excuses to prevent you from starting.
Excuses to keep you from continuing.
Excuses to stop you from finishing.

And the reason why you'll never have a shortage of excuses? Anything can be an excuse.

Let me say that again just in case you missed it. If you are looking for an excuse not to do something, you WILL find one because anything can be an excuse. 

Your age. Your race. Your socioeconomic status. Your parents. Your kids. Your education. Your religion. Your past. Your job. Your schedule. Your friends. Your President. The weather.

When an excuse is what you want, an excuse is what you will find.

My challenge to you is to not let the direction of your life be driven by your excuses. Do not let your future be determined by your excuses. Do not let your legacy be defined by your excuses.

Instead, allow the outcome of your life to be decided by a much more powerful force...

YOUR REASONS. 

#445 - THERE'S MORE

Are you challenging yourself? 

To compete harder. To achieve greater. To dig deeper. 

Are you challenging yourself?

To create better. To persevere longer. To reach higher.  

I encourage you on this first week of the second quarter of 2016, to make the decision to pursue a goal that will require you to push yourself to your mental, physical, vocational, or relational limits.

There is more inside of you.

More fight. More creativity. More value. More athleticism. More love. More contribution. More effort. More influence. More desire. More achievement. 

There is more for you to accomplish.
There is more for you to experience.
There is more for you to conquer.

But you must be aware,

Your "more" is always at war with your "less."

The war is real. The war is relentless. The war is always being fought.

But you have a weapon - CHOICE. So, wield this weapon and choose "more."

And do it quickly before "less" chooses itself.

APRIL 2016

5 MEMORABLE MOMENTS (MARCH 2016)

1. Enjoyed being a part of Christina's proposal day!
2. Re-energized at a productive/restful study break at Jenness Park. 
3. Finished the Livermore Half-Marathon in under 2 hours 10 minutes and earned my Golden State Half Series Medal for consecutively running Oakland, San Francisco, and Livermore Half-Marathons!
4. Accompanied my wife and friends to watch Justin Bieber live!
5. Led our church to serve 300+ at our Easter Outreach and 250+ at our Easter Sunday service!

4 GOALS (APRIL 2016)

1. Lead productive Directional Leadership Team Off-Site.
2. Take Rebekah to Commis for a date night.
3. Finish C.S. Lewis - A Life by Alistair McGrath.
4. Create Spring/Summer Reading/Listening Plan.

3 HABITS

1. Post 100 words to edwardpaz.com 20 times.
2. Complete 15 training runs.
3. Read/listen to an audio book daily. 

2 SACRIFICES

1. No clothes/shoes shopping.
2. Be in bed by 10pm.

1 COMMITMENT

1. By May 1, 2016, I complete 15 training runs.

#444 - THOUGHTS ON PREACHING - PART 1

Thursdays are the days I spend the majority of my day preparing for the message I am going to preach on Sunday. In addition to studying the text, preparing my Keynote slides, and doing a lot of praying (a LOT of praying!), there are several questions that I force myself to answer before I conclude my preparation for the day.

Over the next several days I want to share with you the questions I ask myself. Here are the questions I ask myself to help me set up my INTRODUCTION:

1. What is a compelling question that I can frame the message with that both unbelievers and believers would be interested in the answer to? [This gives the audience a "reason" to listen.]

2. What is a personal story I can share of how I have recently dealt with the issue this message addresses? [This connects the audience with me and my humanity.]

3.  What are several general ways that the audience has dealt with or is dealing with the issue that is being addressed? [This further connects the audience with the message.]

4. What is at stake if myself and the audience do not understand the answer to the question being posed? [This adds "gravity" and "weight" to the message.]

I spend a significant time on how I "set-up" my message because I am convinced that it's not enough to just "teach the Bible" on Sundays. I must show those I am ministering to how what I am about to teach has implications and applications for their life that truly matter.

I liken the introduction to a message to how I feel about the first few pages of a book. If a book doesn't get my attention in the first few pages, I'll most likely put the book down and never get to "the rest" of what the book has to offer! Similarly, if I can't get the audience to care about what I'm going to say in the first 5 minutes, it will be very difficult to keep them engaged for the next 35!

#443 - A PROPER ROLLOUT

Though we are a church that is in its' third full year, I am ashamed to admit that a clear, intentional, strategic discipleship process has not been something we have had in place. 

But, in an effort to remedy this issue, as a leadership team, since January, we have been working on defining the discipleship process at theMOVEMENT.

In a few weeks, I am going to do my best to rollout this process.

With this is mind, here are a few questions I'm doing my best to answer as this "rollout" unfolds:

1. Who are the stakeholders who will ensure this rollout's success?

2. Are the stakeholders on board? 

3. Has clear communication gone out in regards to when the rollout is going to take place? 

4. Have proper handouts/visuals been created so that what is being rolled out is clearly understood? 

5. Is the "Why?" behind what is being rolled out convicting and compelling? 

6. Do we have positive/negative testimonies in place of people who have benefitted from and missed out on what is being rolled out? 

7. Are the "next steps" we want people to take obvious and easy? 

8. How will people get their questions answered in regards to what is being rolled out?

9. How will people provide their feedback to what is being rolled out?

10. When will version 2.0 with all of its' upgrades/fixes be released? 

In no way is this an exhaustive list of all that needs to be involved in a "rollout," but these are the things on the top of my mind. 

What else would you add to this list? Please comment below! 

#442 - EASTER 2016

220 adults. 30 kids. 1 baptism. And PLENTY of churros!  

As I reflect on my third Easter Sunday at theMOVEMENT, our most well attended service in the history of our church, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for God's gracious goodness in my life! 

In an effort to practice my personal value of resolute gratitude, here are 5 things I'm grateful for in regards to this past Easter Sunday. 

1. Leading a selfless, sacrificial, and committed team. I am so blessed to be surrounded by a group of people who have caught the vision of Overwhelming Oakland with Love and, whether paid or unpaid, are willing to do whatever it takes to make that vision a reality! I have done nothing to deserve the team I am privileged to lead, it's all grace.

2. Worshipping with a diverse community of people who represent various cultures, ages, socioeconomic statuses, and degrees of faith in God. I am so blessed to be a part of a community of faith that accurately represents the demographic of the city in which it has been called to serve. I have done nothing to earn being a part of such a diverse community, it's all grace.

3. Serving alongside my family. My mother and father served on our church's guest service team and my youngest brother sang with the band. To carry out the mission of God with the people who are closest to me is one of my life's greatest joys! I have done nothing to merit doing ministry with my family, it's all grace.

4. Preaching the Gospel to a packed house! My Heavenly Father knows that it is a desire of my heart to be used by Him to preach the good news to as many people as possible. To have the opportunity to share the uniqueness of the Christian message to a full room is something I hope I never take for granted. I have done nothing to entitle myself to such a privilege, it's all grace.

5. Seeing a dream become a reality. What started out as a hope in my heart is slowly but surely becoming a fulfillment of my faith! Unchurched people trying the church. Dechurched people returning to the church. Overchurched people enjoying the church! I have done nothing to warrant such results, it's all grace.

Because I know me better than anyone else, I am convinced that if it were not for the grace of God, theMOVEMENT Church in Oakland would not be experiencing the type of favor and blessing it is experiencing. An awareness of my inadequacies, shortcomings, and deficiencies does not allow me to take credit for something that surely God is doing!

What God did in and through our church this past Sunday is more evidence to a truth that I am learning to grasp more and more as the years go by:   IT'S ALL GRACE!