Guest Blog: Brian Rush

I am taking a blogging break for one week. This week you are going to receive insight from the staff member who knows me the best. Brian Rush started People's Church with me 5 years ago. Brian doesn't just lead our worship team on the weekends, but he oversees everything that goes on in the auditorium (lights, sounds, decor, video, etc.). Brian also serves as one of our two executive pastors. You will really enjoy hearing his perspectives this week!

Hey everyone, this week I will be talking a bit about leading from the second chair. I can definitely say that it has been a learning experience over the past 5 years, and I am better because of it! We will try to cover a couple topics each day.

Don’t be a backseat driver.
I’ve never had a problem having an opinion on just about everything. I can tell you the best restaurants, how to open a ketchup packet correctly, and even how to maximize your cheesecake experience at the “factory” (yes, I am probably a bit obsessive compulsive). I can remember, even as a child, hearing my dad say from the driver’s seat of the car… “Brian, I don’t need a backseat driver.” As an executive, I feel like the most important thing I can do for my pastor is take things off his shoulders and not add to them. It’s cool to give suggestions and opinions when they are asked for, but no one likes a nit picker (or a backseat driver).

Follow through.
There’s nothing worse than going through your favorite fast-food joint only to get home and find that they only gave you two cheeseburgers instead of three or put onions on instead of pickles or worse yet left the cheese off your cheeseburger making it a simple HAMburger. I ask myself…What happened? Where did the breakdown occur? How could this be? Simply stated, someone didn’t follow through on a set of given details. What we do as leaders in the church is so many times more important than food. The church is the greatest organization on the planet, and the only one sending out a message that has the power to transform lives eternally. Our questions might look like: What ever happened to that new believer that gave his or her heart to the Lord? Why was this event so poorly attended? What was the impression we just left on that first-time guest? And so on…..One of the greatest ways you can earn trust and respect from your senior leader is to follow through on things given to you; small and large (and with the correct details). Do whatever it takes to make sure you have all the correct info, and that it gets carried out the way it needs to. Sometimes, I feel like I have the memory of a 90 yr. old (my wife, Alicia, can confirm this), so I have to write stuff down everywhere and give myself different reminders through calendars, emails, and task lists to make sure I don’t miss stuff. Do this, and do it well. Follow through young Skywalker, you’re our only hope. (Starwars fits with everything)

Have a great week!