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Míša thanks Calvary

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#800in8BANNER

Recently I was blessed with the opportunity to share with the missions team of Calvary Community Church about what teamHARROD (Míša and I) will be doing upon my return and after our marriage.  Míša also recorded a short video, thanking Calvary for their efforts in the Czech Republic, which deeply impacted her!  We thought it would be perfect to share with all of you.  I’ve also realized, while watching this video I have out kicked my coverage in a big way and I’m marrying up, which I am deeply thankful to God for!

Through the short-term missions teams of Calvary Community Church in the Czech Republic, Míša rededicated her life to Christ at the age of 14.  She’s THANKFUL that God used their ministry of English Camps to show her how much He loves her and cares for her. After several years she became a part of this ministry as working with the Czechs that helped host the camp.  Through this she had the opportunity to serve Czech young people and share the Jesus’s love with them!  She considers this ministry a HUGE blessing in her life and she’s excited to see how God will continue to use this in her life, as we move to PRAGUE, the center of the country, from where her beloved, but lost nation might be reached, in many creative ways by Jesus Christ!

I’m personally so thankful for Calvary’s presence in Czech, for at least one very obvious reason – Míša!  However I’m even more excited, that this is exactly why churches do short-term trips – they reach a young Czech girl, who then serves in the camps and then God grabs her heart to reach out to her own nation!  How amazing is that!?!?  Help us get to full support, CLICK HERE to give right now!

Míša thanks Calvary from Zach Harrod on Vimeo.
 

 

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Introducing #800in8

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#800in8BANNERb

I can’t believe my last full week is almost here! Where has the last 6 months gone? It’s amazing how quick life goes by and in the midst of it you have no idea that it is actually moving that fast! (CHECK OUT THE VIDEO BELOW)

With that said, I am, rather we are, excited that I will get back to Prague and jump into life, ministry with the football team and the church but moreover we are excited about the our BIG DAY JUNE 28th! Even though we are so excited, we we are still trusting God to show up in some big ways. As I have wrote recently here on my blog, the process of raising support, or ministry partner development, has been tough. There have been so many cool things happen, so many people excited about what we are doing and excited about us BUT there have been the days where we have prayed and talked about this all and wondered “What God is doing,” and “Where and how are going to see what we need to raise come in.”

In our praying and pondering this idea came to us, that is an idea to share all over the internet about our ministry, about Prague, about Czech and more. So in my last 8 full days in America we are doing, and going for, #800in8. Our goal is to create awareness, energy and opportunities for people to join us and help us reach our minimal goal for monthly support.
So in this video I talk about what the next few days will look like and what we are hoping to share with you all. You can find us on social media here:

Zach’s Twitter Account
Míša’s Twitter Account
Zach’s Instagram Account
Míša’s Instagram Account

We will also use the hashtag #800in8 and #HarrodRallyTime (hashtags are used to find trending & specific information on most social media networks).

We will be sharing both specific and general information through the many portals of technology with as many people as possible, so that we might increase our chances of getting #800in8. Our hope is that people will respond by GIVING, INCREASING and SHARING all of, or any of the information we share. Then as people give and help us meet those needs we hope to share praises with you all as people respond!

We have a need and we are trying to be creative and faith-filled in seeing God help those needs get met.

So will you help us get #800in8? You can head over to our GIVING PAGE (click here) and/or send/forward/share this with as many friends as possible for us.

Thank you in advance. You’re all rockstars in our book! Ready. Set. GO. #800in8

#800in8 from Zach Harrod on Vimeo.
 

 

It’s RALLY CAP time!

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rally-caps

A RALLY CAP is a baseball cap worn inside-out and backwards or in some other unconventional manner by players and/or fans to will a team to a come-from-behind victory late in a game. (wiki)

ral·ly
1. To call together for a common purpose; assemble
2. To reassemble and restore to order
3. To rouse or revive from inactivity or decline

A little more than two weeks out from my return to Prague!  My 6 months of “home assignment” and my time associated with the wonderful treaty, that strikes fear in the hearts of men and women alike (known as “TOTALIZATION“) is all nearly behind me.  Yeah TOTALIZATION is kind of a big and scary word, to say that every 5 years I have to be out the country for 6 months because of tax and social security purposes.

All that being said, my time is nearly behind me and we’re, Míša and I, are still needed and trusting God to show up in some big ways in the next 2 plus weeks.  So we are in RALLY CAP MODE!

It takes me back to my little league days when I played for the Genoa City Mets, yea the Mets of all teams.  We weren’t very good and therefore we perfected the art of the “Rally Cap” and to be honest, I’m a Cubs fan, so that is a bit more common, because that is often times all us Cubs fans have!  I know it’s sad, pray for me.

Here’s the deal.  We are still $800 out from our minimal monthly goal, so that Míša and I can serve together with TEAM.  Would you help us meet that goal?

As I wrote in our 13% post, reaching our goal and even surpassing our goal is very, very, very doable, but we need help from you and we need God to show up in a big way!  I’m (Zach) still trying to fill my schedule and get in front of as many people as possible, because that gives us the best chances of meeting our goals.

With that said, would you consider turning your hat inside out and backwards and helping will us to a come-from-behind victory late in a game, before my plane takes off April 30th?  Here are a few ways you can help…

  • If you are a monthly partner, would you consider doing even a modest increase of $20/month? As I wrote in the 13% post, “Even if 20 of our monthly ministry partners increase $20/month, we would be even closer to that 100%!”
  • Are you one of the people that Míša and I were blessed to have the opportunity to meet and be with during the last few months?  You can join our team right now, by partnering with us to reach this monthly goal!  CLICK HERE
  • One of our biggest needs is actually getting in front of more people, through any means possible.  Would you consider forwarding, or passing on, this post and/or our website to people that might be interested in partnering with Míša and I to make a difference in Prague, Czech, Europe and beyond?  Or if there is a chance would you consider even trying to host coffee, dinner and/or dessert for interested people before I leave on the 30th?

WE CAN DO THIS!  THROW ON YOUR RALLY CAP AND JOIN MÍŠA AND I STARTING LIFE AND MINISTRY TOGETHER AT FULL SUPPORT!

I don’t want to be “that” guy.

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There have been many things that I’ve learned about myself, our culture of today, communication and God over the last 5 months of being in the States and doing this thing called “support raising” or “ministry partner development.”  It has been a bit of a journey, some of those days were up days and some of those days were down days.  Through it all, I can see that this has brought my lovely fiancée, Míša, and I closer together and moreover it has deepened our trust in God and confirmed our calling as a couple and our callings individually.  Which is HUGE!

I’ll be honest it’s been a challenge.  I don’t want to get into the depths of this and/or attempt to drown myself in my own “pool of self-pity,” so we’ll keep it at that – it’s been a challenge.

Recently I had a moment of clarity, as I pondered a few things — why it’s so much harder this time around, why so few people respond to the many forms of communication we have and so on.  As I pondered I had a real moment with God and it got me praying. In my moment of clarity I realized, that I have two options, if Míša and I are going to hit 100% for our monthly support: 1) PUSH and be pushy or 2) PERSISTENT YET SENSITIVE. I have tried TO get in front of more and more people which means increasing the opportunities.

I’ll be honest I don’t want to be “that” guy.  The guy that would be from option one.  We’ve all encountered that guy, or girl, they call several times, they don’t take “no” for an answer, there’s an air of arrogance and manipulation and so on.  Some days that guy is staring me in the face  in every mirror I pass.  When I encounter that guy in the mirror, I get a little frustrated and I’d like to punch him in the face because truthfully the line of boldness/confidence and pushiness/arrogance is razor thin.

So what is the alternative?

Well I’m choosing option two.  Choosing to be persistent, but also sensitive because after all when I am interacting with someone and giving them the opportunity to partner with Míša and I, I’m not just asking for money, but I’m giving them an opportunity to make a difference with us and, in reality, I’m serving them just as much as they are potentially serving us, by partnering with us.

Some days I’ll fail but I’m choosing to be sensitively persistent; trusting God and even choosing to trust people.  Because I don’t want to be “that” guy in the mirror trying to convince anyone by being pushy.  I choose to be persistent but sensitive. I choose to serve and not manipulate. I choose to trust knowing that God is good God that will provide and resting in the though that Jesus himself “came not to be served, but to serve.”

trust . hope . provision

THIRTEEN PERCENT & CHECKING IN.

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13%

That is what lies between Míša and I reaching the “recommended” amount of monthly support that TEAM has set for us. It has been an interesting few months back in the States, trusting God to show up in the midst of this season of life and also provide for us. I’ve learned a lot about myself, my own walk with God and God himself in this process. Which, at times, has been beautiful, then at other times it’s been a mess, but through all of it I’ve seen God show up.

Last weekend I was blessed to take part in a mens retreat (which was life-changing and world-shifting! If you are a man, you need to do it, check it out, CLICK HERE!), and one of the things we talked about was “checking in” with our feelings, communicating how we feel and connecting with others around us. Fifty some men opened up using simple words – Sad, Angry, Scared, Tender, Happy, Excited and/or Tender to describe how we felt. Unlike, most men, I don’t have a problem always vocalizing this (even to a fault, that is why the minute time limit was great for me), but it was powerful opening up and hearing men open up. With that said, I thought it would be cool to “Check In” as I think about the next 40 days and everything that is ahead of me.
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Join us for a Sunday gathering at TaCesta

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Of course, you are always invited to join us in Prague at one of our gatherings of our church plant, TaCesta, but I thought it would be fun to give you a feel of our gatherings via video. I just didn’t want to just share what our gatherings look like but I thought it would be fun for you to here from Saša, our lead pastor, as he shared a bit about my work and my role within our church. I hope you enjoy it. If you would like to help Míša, my fiancee and soon-to-be wife, continue to make a difference in Prague, Czech and Europe through our work with TaCesta, CLICK HERE, and join us today! Enjoy the video!

TaCesta Video for Zach Harrod from Zach Harrod on Vimeo.

COACHES TRIP 2014

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So another year is here and that means another COACHES TRIP. Coaches Trip 2014 has begun and we are in New Jersey until next Wednesday. Please pray the details of the trip will be worked out and that God would show up in this trip to allow Jakub, Ondra and Red to have an amazing experience, but moreover that their lives would be forever changed after this trip. You can follow along with us on Twitter, Instagram and/or Facebook by using this hashtag #CzechInvasion.

Here’s the tentative schedule for the coaches trip:
January 30. – Fly to Newark, NJ
January 31. – AIA Super Bowl Breakfast
February 1. – Super Bowl Experience
February 2. – Sharing at Jacob’s Well, Super Bowl Party
February 3. – Rob Smith (Offensive Coach from Clemson, Rutgers and others)
February 4 – Rutgers, AIA RUTGERS MEETING
February 5. – TRAVEL – Piscataway, NJ – Toledo, OH
February 6. – Michigan
February 7. – Michigan State
February 8. – Hope College
February 9. – Travel Day
February 10 – Visit Chicago
February 11. – morning – Wheaton College/afternoon – Elmhurst College
February 12. – University of Wisconsin – Madison
February 13. – University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh
February 14. – Time in Lake Geneva, WI
February 15. – Leave Chicago for Prague.

Television “star”…?

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In the last couple years, I’ve been blown away by different opportunities I’ve had on the field and off the field. In the last 6 years, I’ve been blessed to be interviewed 6 times, or so, on Czech television. The two most recent interviews have been my favorite and the most recent of them was live! I realize most of you watching this might not speak Czech, but what’s cool is to think that on national television in one of the most atheistic nations this was aired! Television “star”…? Probably not. Take a look. Enjoy…!

ZACH HARROD INTERVIEW TOUCHDOWN 2012 from Zach Harrod on Vimeo.

ZACH HARROD INTERVIEW PROFIL 2013 from Zach Harrod on Vimeo.

The Journey…

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This year, 2013, has been a full, full year! It was a year, that some big things happened in this crazy life of mine! I still can’t wrap my mind around it all! I did, however, want to share a little of that change with you, by sharing an article with you. If you have been paying attention I’ve switched organizations, TEAM), and that means God has finally after all these years (read about my heart for church planting from years past here) allowed me to be part of church planting with a amazing group of people, whom make our community TaCesta (which means “The Journey” or “The Way”). As I said, I wanted you to read more about TaCesta and this church planting opportunity, recently TEAM did a great article about our efforts, here a short excerpt, click the link below to read the whole article!

“Unrivaled in its day as the capital of the Holy Roman Empire, Prague was called the “Mother of Cities.” The city flourished during the Roman, Gothic, and Renaissance periods, and is the birthplace of priest and philosopher Jan Hus, a forerunner of Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation.

Yet somehow, the people of Prague and the Czech Republic are some of the most atheistic in the world. Polls peg as many as 89 percent of Prague’s 1.3 million people as non-religious.

“Czech has a rich spiritual heritage, but unfortunately that is pretty much gone,” says Zach Harrod, a TEAM missionary serving in Prague. Centuries of religious and political battles, followed by decades of Soviet domination, have left the Czech people suspicious of organized religion and outside influences. They tend to be private about any religious and political beliefs – if they believe anything at all.”

Please read on, click here…

Change is Coming…

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What type of person are you? Do you like change or do you avoid it? I’ve always thought I’ve loved change, but as I’ve aged a bit I realize I’m not one or the other. I long for change. Change can be exhilarating, but there are somethings that at least appear as though they should remain as is. Change is inevitable, though, and we have the decision of whether we want to make the most of it or fight against it. I choose the first option – embrace it and make the most of it!

By now you are probably wondering, “What are you talking about Zach? What is changing?” I’m glad you asked. After a challenging fall that was full of evaluation, prayers, discussions and much more, I have made the decision that it is time to move on from Athletes in Action and be in a place (rather organization) that suits my heart, passions, dreams and where I see God taking me here in the future more. Most of you have heard my presentations in the past, read my blog or heard me share my heart. You know that the “local church” has had, for years, a special place in my heart. Right now I’m in the midst of the application process with an organization named The Evangelical Alliance Mission, or TEAM. TEAM’s purpose “is to help churches send missionaries to establish reproducing churches among the nations to the glory of God. We seek to do this wherever the most people have the greatest need in collaboration with churches anywhere.”

This gets me fired up because it will allow me to partner with the local church here in Prague and, Lord-willing, be part of lots of new church-plants throughout Prague, Czech, and Europe, which has been a desire for years. I’m thankful to God for Athletes in Action and the Crossan family (AIA Czech Director), for all that they have done and been used to do here in me and through me. I’m thankful for them all for so many reasons. Some of those reasons are how I look at ministry, missions, culture, the Church and more. Over the years, I’ve had a deeper conviction that how we do ministry and life here as insiders sent on a mission into this culture, is more than a strategic way to reach, what can be termed as, “post-Christian” societies, but a way of life and foundational to making a deep impact. What is ironic is that, while this conviction has deepened, it is also a main reason for the shift to a new organization. This fall I was challenged to consider the way we, or rather I, do things here and if that fit within the vision and mission of AIA globally and here in Czech. After much prayer, thought, and conversation, I felt as if God was calling me to continue to do what I do as an “insider” with football, specifically, but I’ve also felt called to be part of church-planting and connecting my guys and many “not yet Christian” Czech friends to a local church.

With that said, please know this switch, change, and slightly new direction isn’t because of sin, unresolved conflict, or bad feelings between AIA and Billy, my director here with AIA, and myself. Rather it is about ministry philosophy and how we feel we can reach Czechs with the greatest effectiveness. We, much like Paul and Barnabas, have decided to go our separate ways, but yet we will still look for ways to partner and be in relationship, as we have become family.

I thought it would be good, and word/space saving to do a quick FAQ on this, so here we go:

So what does this mean right now?
Right now it means that I will finish out this school year with AIA, in the same capacity as I have had for the last couple of years. It means that I need your prayers to finish strong and be ALL where I am now. It also means that I need your prayers, that I get the final acceptance from TEAM ASAP and that they approve the church plant, TaCesta (The Way or The Journey), I’m a part of as an official Czech TEAM “initiative.”

How will this “change” what you do?
TEAM’s local leadership here is supportive of my “insider role” with football here, so that will remain unchanged, but in place of what I have done with AIA at the Sports University and other roles with them, will be replaced by church-planting, Lord-willing, with TaCesta, as I mentioned above. The lead pastor’s name is Alexandr (Sasha) Flek, who was the chief translator on the newest Czech translation of the Bible that was released about 3 years ago. We are in the process of praying and processing through what this will look like, but I’m excited. Our church is connected with Tim Keller’s Redeemer Presbyterian’s international church-planting effort, City to City.

Do I have to switch my support immediately?
In my next Anastatoo letter, I hope to have all the details on how you can switch your financial support. At this point, I have an account with TEAM, but I’m waiting on a few things to be in place before we switch over. So please continue on with support to AIA/CRU as usual, until I share all the details with you in a coming prayer letter. I will still need money on my AIA/CRU account through the summer and CRU has a great system in place to assure that everything with support and finances are handled well. I will make sure you are up to speed.

When will this transition happen?
My official last day with AIA/CRU will be August 31st. Then the plan is to begin to serve here with TEAM through the end of the junior season, late October/early November, and return to the States for my 6 month stay, as I communicated in an earlier prayer letter. This 6 month stay is required because of a treaty between America and Czech, that requires Americans to spend 6 months every 5 years in the States. I’m still working on what these 6 months will look like. They will include connecting with ministry partners and family, developing my support base, recruiting and more.

Thank you for all you do to reach Prague, Czech and Europe through our partnership! It has been amazing to see what God has done here through YOU and I! I hope that this change will lead to greater effectiveness and more fruit. I also pray that you will be ALL IN with me into the future, as you have been over my last 9 years with AIA and CRU. Please feel free to email me, facebook me or call me (for number please email me first) if you have ANY questions, comments or concerns. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING YOU, PLEASE KNOW THAT WE HAVE MADE A HUGE IMPACT HERE!!

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