Embracing Change: A New Chapter for Saddleback Church

I was taking 13 units of summer school at seminary working toward my master's degree because I wanted to graduate early in December and go start a church somewhere. Kay was pregnant with our first child, Amy, and my Damascus Road experience actually happened in the basement of the nearby Texas Christian University library. [00:02:53]

I told the Lord many many times, "Lord I'm willing to go anywhere in the world anywhere in the world uh on this planet if you'll just give me the privilege of investing my entire lifetime into a single church instead of moving around from place to place like most pastors do." [00:03:46]

The common denominator of the strongest healthiest churches the biggest churches were that the pastor had invested literally decades of time. He stays put. That we value stability now pouring over you know this is the fourth generation five generations have gone through Saddleback as I've been pastor here. [00:04:47]

As long as the earth remains, there will be springtime and harvest, there will be cold and heat, there will be a winter and summer and there will be day and night. In other words, life is composed of opposites and everything changes not just by the year not just by the month not by the day but also by the hour. [00:10:21]

All living things change. It's the mark of life. What doesn't change? Rocks, okay, not inanimate objects. All living things change. There's no life without growth and there's no growth without change. Now there's no change without loss because it's like on a trapeze to grab on to the new you have to let go of the old bars you're swinging across. [00:11:56]

I started thinking about the issue of succession almost 20 years ago when the purpose driven life became a bestseller. I went and I met with one of my mentors, the great Peter Drucker, and I told him, "Peter, as a student of history I know that no lasting success happens without a successor." [00:17:51]

I believe our best days will always always be in the future if we have the right leadership. So Peter gave you some invaluable advice this is 20 years ago that I tucked into the back of my mind to remember. One of the things Peter told me was this he said, "Rick, top leaders must be hired based on performance not potential." [00:18:34]

Andy and Stacy Wood grew a church out of nothing in the San Jose Silicon Valley area. Now you may not know this but that area is one of the most difficult places in America to start a church. It took a lot of guts, a lot of faith, a lot of courage to plant a church where they went to plant. [00:21:30]

Kay and I intend to support Andy and Stacy with our fullest love, our full endorsement, our complete prayers and our encouragement just as members of Saddleback Church. I've got a new assignment that God has given to me in the days ahead I'll tell you about more of that in in other times. [00:22:14]

I believe that coming out of COVID we are poised for the greatest period of expansion growth development and history-making impact that this church has ever had. You know, Moses led the people out of Egypt but it was the second guy that led him into the promised land. His name was Joshua. [01:00:29]

Rick 2.0 that God has called me to do and it's the biggest thing ever. It's an enormous global plan. It's going to take the next 10 years mobilizing the entire church that's 2.6 billion Christians around the globe. There are a billion Catholic Christians, there are 500 million Pentecostal Christians, there are 500 million evangelical and Protestant Christians. [00:54:40]

I want to say to you right now three things. Number one, Kay and I really do love you deeply. We have loved you every day that you've been a part of this family. We are so grateful for you. We appreciate you. You're the church, not us, you're the church. The same Holy Spirit that is okay in me is in you. [00:58:59]