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#SurpriseUsin6 – Following the leader…

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One of the shifts we have seen serving in Prague as Czech and Europe continue to deeper shifts into what is called post-Christian culture is that the models for missions over the last 50 years are becoming dated. We don’t simply see this as a challenge for the Church in Europe but that the American Church needs to notice, as cultural shifts are happening throughout the world. The question is, “Will we adjust or continue status quo as things have been done, ignoring the changing world around us?” I must offer a disclaimer, the Gospel doesn’t change, but the way we communicate it does.

There’s several buzz words attached to the shift that some are making – insider, missional and incarnational are just a few. While I use these words often, this is nothing new, I believe this was present from the beginning of our faith. Jesus modeled it,

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

Then Paul lived it out in the context of serving,

“For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. … I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. [23] I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.” 1 Corinthians 9:19, 22b-23

This is nothing new, but somewhere in the last 50 years, we started buying into attracting people to us, planning programs, writing manuals to go through, in the place of GOING TO THEM as Jesus did and his early disciples followed His lead on. So this is nothing new, it’s more like getting back to our roots and being “old school” even though we attach different words to these things today.

Nonetheless we need not get hung up on our systems, theories and programs and start BEING the church again and become all things to all, so that we might win some and then we share in their blessing.

The question for us is will we, the Church, observe, adapt and ultimately follow Jesus’ lead?

#SurpriseUsin6 – “Why football?” pt. 2

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I was asked, “Why football?” During the start of our trip back and in my first post about this, I shared that I worshipped God through my work in the details as a coach and as a result that allows me to be fully present for my players and those in our organization. The other reason why I coach football is that through coaching I can show our guys God’s love in practical ways, which in a post-Christian society goes a long way.

Showing God’s love in practical ways comes in many different forms and it starts with stepping back and being very, very intentional. One of the ways we show this is radical generosity, which is a deep value of ours. Radical generosity means meals, creative opportunities for team building, donuts at practice and more! Generosity changes people.

Another way I show God’s love is through coaching differently, while I’m passionate and get excited, I strive to coach how I think Jesus would coach, and also be me in the process. I’m not Tony Dungy and I’m not Dabo Swinney, while I wouldn’t mind to have their success, I’m not them, I’m Zach Harrod and God wants to me to coach my guys and lead in the way he made me and ultimately in the way of Jesus. So for me, that means being quick to say, “I’m sorry” when I get too excited and need to repair a bridge. Being this type of coach is delicate balance between being a friend and also being an authority, which leads to those moments when I need to swallow my pride and pursue forgiveness. Also being this type of coach, and ultimately friend, means being honest and truthful, even if that isn’t the popular thing. I like how Brian Knight put it, “The simple skill of honesty is to tell the truth as you understand it, with love and purpose, in an effort to share something of value.”

“Why football?” Simply put, it allows me to bring value, love and purpose through relationship, which has led to character change and eternal change through a common language. While I’m still growing as a coach, leader and man, I’m humbled to see God move through the sport!

#SurpriseUsin6 – “What’s your story?” – Guest post by Mike Jarrell

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Guest post by Mike Jarrell

Zach and Míša Harrod stayed with my wife Jackie and I for a 5 day stretch. It’s not often that my wife tears up and my kids make me promise to ask someone to consider not leaving. We had a wonderful time with this family.

I met the Harrods a few years ago on a trip to Prague, while I was providing some coaching and support for missionaries. Zach and I immediately hit it off outside of the restroom at the place where their church gathers weekly. It became clear that Zach was an authentic guy with a genuine love for others and desire to make a difference for the kingdom of God. The Harrods soon after began a coaching relationship with me. I lead a Collective, CREO, that is committed to multiplication of disciples out of the harvest. In my coaching I have found Zach and Míša to be both MOTIVATED to make a difference in Prague and TEACHABLE (Two critical qualities).

I’ve connected with a number of people who CLAIM to be making disciples and serving their community yet they have no STORIES. Zach and Míša laughed with my family, ate great food, and shared REAL STORIES of people they actually know and love. This makes all the difference to me! This couple is not simply a family that talk the talk, they know real people, shed real tears and share their table with others. I often say that the real test of a missionary isn’t in their ideas and strategies but their STORIES.

Zach loves coaching football and loves the guys he coaches. It is difficult to paint a picture of the life and mission of Jesus if you are not engaged, building real relationships and establishing common bonds with people through something that you mutually share. Because Zach is not an outsider (just a missionary raising support) but an insider (a coach who cares about his players and other coaches). He has credibility as someone who is not just “targeting” someone as his next convert, but someone who has come to build real friendships with people that are not projects but are valued friends. In the context of real friendship with no strings attached, Zach naturally shares the things he is enjoying (including his faith).

Míša has a passion for entering brothels and helping women who are being trafficked and treated as sex slaves. This couple is not distant to the pain and hurt of the city they live in, they have entered the mess and engaged the world with compassion and care like Jesus.

The challenge I want to leave you with is this; Do you have stories, or do you only share theories?

#SurpriseUsin6 – Kolem Stolu

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In following my wife’s lead with her theme about “by doing less, we saw God do more!” (Read her POST HERE)  This is a lesson we have learned in our church community as well. Two years ago after a tough season in our church, we in many ways were replanting a church and we looked at the situation and realized we couldn’t pull of “normal” Sunday gatherings every week, that is with music, preaching and what you would expect on a “normal” Sunday. We were also tired but we had a shared value of sharing our table and gathering around the table (or “kolem stolu” in Czech), as Jesus modeled.  

So in somewhat of a pragmatic decision we decided to have “kolem stolu” Sundays where we would gather around the table, share our lives, stories, thoughts and prayers. Some of us in leadership, included me, were reluctant in “doing less,” but we had a shared value and just couldn’t continue putting on shows for the sake of putting on shows each Sunday.  

What did God do in this midst of this? We saw DEPTH in relationship and our walks with Jesus in ways that we hadn’t experienced in years, I began to learn the stories of those that I had attended for years as we shared our stories and lives. Some started to invite their friends to the table to engage in conversation.  We saw God do more amongst us when we were honest with the situation and also decided to live out a shared value.  It was beautiful and one of the decisions that I love to brag on us and God about. 

Of course, not everyone enjoyed it, and others gritted their teeth to get through it, but we could not produce the growth in depth of relationship, community and even in looking outside ourselves to invite our friends to our table.  We saw God move and surprise us again!  When we were tired, exhausted, didn’t have a clue what to do and admitted this to God, he showed up and brought beauty from what was our perceived weakness.  Now the challenge is to continue to pursue him in this brokenness and honesty.  CLICK HERE to check out the rest of our #SurpriseUsIn6 posts and learn about us, #teamHARROD.

If you would like to give and help us reach our goal, so that we my return to Prague fully funded, please CLICK HERE!

#SurpriseUsin6 – Doing more by doing less

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Written by Míša Harrodová

Not many things change your world like becoming a parent. I thought I had some idea what it’d be like because I helped a lot with my brother, who’s 16 years younger than me.

Nope.

Really, I can’t think of a single thing that hasn’t changed since Ollie joined us almost 2 years ago.

A lot of those changes have been valuable lessons. God’s been using all of the unexpected, tiring yet miraculously energizing, overwhelming and fulfilling to teach us things that – I think – would not be normally accepted.

For me, one of the lessons applied to my demand for control. I have a plan, a way I expect things to go, and I want everything to go according to that plan. When things start going awry, I get anxious and even unpleasant.

When Ollie joined us I learned quickly, I wasn’t in control anymore, it started during labor and continues!

I pictured being able to do A LOT of things I used to do with little to no change.  Things like getting coffee with my friends, reading, getting to places on time, NEVER working around my child’s nap time, preparing for meetings I have, studying and getting deeper into things I want to give my time to and etc.

To my surprise, that’s not how it went. I often feel like I’m just trying to navigate through a lot of chaos, don’t have any time to myself, and have no capacity to read, study or prep. Sometimes it is really hard just to listen to another person and sometimes even harder to simply shower.

But through this all, something amazing happened. The relationships that I had seemed to be deeper! How? Instead of being prepped and having a plan of how my meeting would go, I had to start being real – share my mess, hang out, be ok with the fact that we don’t always have a clean house, I don’t always take shower or put my make-up on and I ultimately learned to trust God in the midst of it all.

God showed me, that by me doing less – and He understands why – HE IS CAPABLE OF DOING MORE! By learning to give up control, I learned this amazing truth about our heavenly Father.

Want to help us reach out goal before we head back to Prague on February 12th?  CLICK HERE to help us!

#SurpriseUsIn6 – Why it is so GREAT being in the States to raise support?

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Written by Míša Harrodová

I’m going to be honest with you, raising support is hard. Sometimes, I don’t even want to think about it and pretend it’s not something we gotta do. I don’t want to start worrying when things don’t go the way we had pictured them.

BUT it is also really great. It helps us see the bigger picture and the perspective that we might had lost in the midst of everyday tasks and regular rhythms of ministry. It makes us stop, think, reevaluate and dream. It gives us more opportunities to pray than ever, as we traveling a lot ?. It shows us that we still have ways to go in trusting God completely when we start to worry and don’t know how things will go for us.

It ‘causes’ us meet with our friends – partners – potential supporters and have conversations. During these conversations we remember more and more why it is that we love Czechs and long for them to meet Jesus and to know his deep love. It helps us appreciate every single meeting and opportunity to share because God can stir people’s hearts in ways we don’t understand but can hope for.

We can go back to the people, city, country and continent God has called us to with fresh perspective and zeal that we wouldn’t regain through any other experience.

That’s why we are THANKFUL for support raising. It can get really difficult and sometimes very discouraging but through the support raising process we surprisingly grow to loving the process and the opportunity. ?

We trust God to provide for us and for the mission amongst Czechs that he’s called us to, but if you’d like to become an answer to our prayers for support and an encouragement to us in the midst of one of the most difficult support raising seasons we’ve had yet, please contact us or CLICK HERE. Let’s talk and then start partnering to see God draw Czechs back to Himself!

#SurpriseUsIn6 – Church in the City

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In our #SurpriseUsIn6 series, we haven’t shared too much yet about what we do in Prague. We have shared more about why we do it and what we are hoping and praying for as we do it. Today I thought it would be great to share some about the church we are part of in the center of the city and how our church loves the City of Prague.

Christians love the 29th chapter of the Jeremiah, but often we don’t read the whole chapter, leaving out key information – it was written to people in exile in a place that wasn’t their home. One of the key verses that has always shaped our thoughts and hopes for our church is 29:7:

“But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”

We seek and strive to be a community of people that long to see Prague thrive and be the most beautiful she as a city could possibly be. We pray for Prague and the people that live in Prague, because we believe that when Prague thrives, we thrive. We don’t look at our city scornfully and with judgement, but we seek to have the posture of Jesus, who “drew near and saw the city and he wept over it.” So we seek the welfare of Prague, we pray for her and her people, we long for her to live to her potential and we know that in that as Prague becomes a blessing, we will also be blessed, too. Which is a beautiful truth we see throughout the Bible, that we are blessed to be a blessing.

What would your city look like if you and your church had the posture of Jesus, if you sought the welfare of your city?

As we share our #SurpriseUsIn6 posts, of course we are sharing in hopes that many of you reading this will be part of God surprising us and helping us reach full support, BUT we also want to encourage people, so that Jesus might be made much of where you are, and that the beauty of the Gospel would transform OUR communities across the globe! So please stop and pray for your city. Then pray for Prague, our church, and for us that God would surprise us!

Do you want to be part of what we are doing, CLICK HERE to give.

#SurpriseUsIn6 – Momentum – The Snow Ball

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“How can we pray for you guys?” Has been the number one question we have received while being back, and while we are trusting God to provide a good chunk of monthly support, we don’t start with that. I respond with this, “Please pray for momentum and then sustained momentum because there are forces that know if the ‘snow ball’ gets too big, it won’t be able to be stopped. What we experience in church, missional communities, football, anti-human trafficking and life in general in Prague is that when a series of positive events start building and we start seeing momentum, something, someone comes along and squashes that snowball. It’s a heartbreaking gut-wrenching experience that often sends us back to the beginning. Going through this for 15 years of ministry and life is tough.”

Would you pray with us for this as well?

While we understand this is life and life in ministry, we’ve had friends who have been with us for years in this, and they have said things like, “What you’ve experienced in a few years, is what some missionaries experience in a lifetime on the field.” When we’ve heard that we don’t know how we should feel. We aren’t interested in comparing ourselves to others, we long to be faithful and see Jesus made much of through our lives. So that means when the snowball has been crushed in the past, or maybe even today still, we start packing another snowball and start the process again, trusting that if we trust in Him nothing we do is in vain.

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58

Faithfulness. Being steadfast. Being immovable. Trusting in Him through it all.

Please pray that we would continue on in that and that Lord-willing, God would in the midst of this bring momentum, that then we would by His grace sustain.

If you would like to partner with us, you can CLICK HERE.

“Wait, that’s my hat!”

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Every second Thursday our missional community (MC) and other friends go down to the main train station in Prague to serve our friends that are homeless.  It has been a blessing to get to know many of these people on personal levels over the last two years as we have served drinks, food, soup, and given them clothing.  To know the name and the story of a person that you might pass on the street changes everything.  They are no longer an object of scorn that you can just look down on.  They become a person.

BUT there are still moments that are challenging.  In November, we made our way down to the train station and as we drew closer to our friends, one of the guys that I have had deeper conversations with and met outside of the second Thursdays came up to me and took my hat, my favorite New Era Lions cap, off my head and said, “Thanks I really wanted one of these.”  

My first thought was, “Wait, that’s my hat!”  Then the wrestling match in my heart began with God.  I could hear the still, quiet whisper, “Zach, let it go.  Be generous, you can get another hat.”  But my heart wanted none of that and I retorted with, “But he just took it off my head and I, I…”. I had nothing.

There are times when my reaction is much different, times when I’ve given the shirt off my back to people.  I try to live a life of service to others, but then there are these default moments where I cling and hold on to “my” stuff.  I’m thankful for these moments where I’m operating out of the ugly default because it allows me to see that I still very much need Jesus.  It allows me to see that I need His Spirit to continue to change me.  This is why our MC serves and lives on mission together, because when we do this together, we can see where we need Jesus to speak into and change us.  

This situation got me thinking about GENEROSITY.  Generosity is a theme in front of us often during the holidays, and it has been Míša’s and my refrain since we touched down in the States on December 7th.  On that second Thursday of November, my heart was stubborn and the posture of generosity I fight to have and live was somewhere else.  God has a funny way of working though. I was reminded quickly of Jesus’ words in Matthew 10:8 “…Freely you have received; freely give.”  Our gifts, abilities, talents, families and, ultimately, salvation have been given to us, but all too often we, or at least I, don’t have the response that Jesus spoke of: that I have freely received, therefore I should freely give.  With this I let go of my precious hat and looked my friend square in the eye and said, “Great, I hope you enjoy the hat.”  

Our refrain has been and will continue to be, “Your generosity allows us to be generous. Generosity melts hearts, opens hearts and changes hearts…”  We have been told by our friends in Czech that the greatest apologetic they saw to influence them was our generosity, which also means the generosity of the people who sacrificially pray and give, so that we might live and do ministry in the Czech Republic.  In fact, we have heard it so much in the last few months, that our goal is to be more generous with our time, resources, money and whatever else we can be generous with, because we see how God indeed does change hearts as a result of generosity.  It creates curiosity in the minds and hearts of people. “I might not believe what they believe, but the way they love, and freely give inspires me and I want them around me and here in Prague.”  

Generosity melts hearts, opens hearts and changes hearts.  As we’ve pondered this, it lines up well with one of our main prayer requests for us as we serve in Prague: we have been asking that people would pray for sustained momentum for us, as we live through a constant cycle of momentum beginning and then a heart-breaking, gut-wrenching event takes place and sets us back further.  So we ache for and long for sustained momentum, so that we might see more hearts changed and more lives impacted.  So what does this have to do with generosity?  The answer is found in Proverbs 11:25, “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” 

The motivation behind our generosity isn’t to prosper or be refreshed.  Our motivation to give and be generous is because Jesus was more generous with us than we can ever imagine. This verse has encouraged us that in the face of difficulties or, as I wrote, heart-breaking, gut-wrenching events, we shouldn’t shrink back.  Rather, we need to be more generous and allow God to use the generosity to lead to sustained momentum or how Proverbs 11:25 puts prosperity and refreshment.  

With that being said, would you help us, the Harrodovi, as 2018 closes out and we set our sights on 2019?  Would you consider being generous, so that we could be generous in Prague?  We so badly need prayer that God would move and continue to provide for us, but we also need to meet some financial goals so that we can continue to live and do ministry and Prague and moreover so that we can be GENEROUS!  If you want to give, click  HERE.

Thank you in advance, as your generosity will allow us to be generous! 

Help the Harrodovi before 2018 rolls in!

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Št’astný nový rok!  Happy New Year!  It’s a little early but that is okay.  First and foremost, we would love to thank you for being part of our lives and what God has called us to do this past year.  We are very, very thankful!  Thank you.

Recently, I pondered all that happened over the last year and I was moved.  It seems to be a tradition now that people, including me, post their ‘#bestnine’ collage of photos from their most liked Instagram photos.  My #bestnine2017 seems to tell our story of 2017 – family, new life, Oliver, football, smile and a lot of joy.  It was a beautiful reminder of what God has done this year.

In many ways, this year was a year that brought stability and health to our lives as well.  Which is juxtaposed to 2016 that was the opposite, so we are thankful that God brought these things to pass in 2017.  At the moment we are at a conference center, operated by Christians, where we now have the tradition of evaluating the previous year, praying and playing for the year to come and also celebrating the New Year.  Would you pray that God meets us here and guides in this process?

As we look ahead, we have loads of hopes, dreams and prayers for 2018 and beyond.  We feel like we are on the edge of something big that could happen, but it’s just outside of our grasps,  we are hopeful that God will bridge that gap in 2018.  A reality is that to do good things, we need prayers and funding to make those things possible.  Would you first and foremost pray for us, that God would move through people to meet all our needs and beyond?  Secondly, would you consider helping us see those needs met?  Here’s what we are trusting God to help us with as 2017 closes and 2018 rolls in:

  • MONTHLY SUPPORT – we saw our monthly giving take a dip in 2017 and we need to re-raise close to $2000/month.  There are several reasons why this happened, mostly because peoples’ situations have changed.
  • ONE-TIME for our personal ministry – the monthly support is what keeps us going throughout the year, but there are always extra projects and other things happening.  For instance, we are hoping that Zach will travel to the States in February with three of our coaches (Miloš, Jakub, and Lukáš).  We are also in need of upsizing our car, as our car is too small to carry the load of our family needs and ministry needs.  These are two examples of the one-time support we need to raise.  Our hope is to see $10,000 to help towards special projects and needs.
  • ONE-TIME for our junior jerseys – we have been working hard for quite some time to raise funds to help our LIONS junior team have new jerseys.  Thus far a few generous individuals have donated $6,000 towards this, which leaves us needing to raise the last $3000.  If you are willing to help with this, you can give via our non-profit, INTERCEPTION FOUNDATION, that a few of us started a few years back to help us with resources and funding.  (Please shoot me an email if you are interested in helping with this!)

Would you consider helping us see these needs met?  IF SO PLEASE CLICK HERE!

In helping us meet these needs you are freeing us up to do what God has called us to do, so that, Lord-willing, we will see life change in a country that is longing for God’s tough of renewal, forgiveness, mercy, and grace.

Once again, thank you for being part of this ministry and our lives.  Know you are appreciated.  Know you are prayed for.  Know that God is using you here in Czech, even in the small steps our friends are taking towards God each day!  We hope and pray that you and yours have an amazing 2018, that is marked by God’s crazy, radical love and grace!

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