5. Not everyone will stick with you
One of the hardest things for me to accept was that not everyone who said they would make this journey with me actually would.  So many people have come and gone.  For the people not buying into the vision, thinking church is all about them, I'm glad they left.  It was the ones who I thought had bought into our vision, gave their life to Christ and got baptized. Then a year later they are gone for a variety of reasons.  Every time someone left it took another piece of my heart with them.  I took it so personal. 

Thank God I no longer look at it that way.  To be honest I'm actually relieved when some people leave.  They were doing nothing but causing problems anyway.  In the early days I was so worried we wouldn't have enough people to do the things we needed to get done.  When actually, these people were pulling us down, slowing down our growth.

Truth is, not everyone will stick with us.  We'll do something they don't like, I'll say something they don't like (happens a lot now) or we'll paint a room a color they didn't pick out.  What I've found out is that when people want to leave, its gonna happen regardless.

6. I'm not as important as I thought I was
In the beginning days I truly thought I had to be at everything.  I was the only one who could speak and see God move.  If PASTOR DEAN wasn't here then God couldn't be here.  I'm exaggerating to prove a point, but I did think I had to be at everything and speak every Sunday.  For the first two years I spoke 49 Sundays.  I have since realized that 5 Point is not about me.  In fact, a lot of things run much smoother without me, just ask the staff.  I know there are times Ann wants to say, "Dean, go to your office."  My role has changed since our first year.
I now deal with three things:
1. Vision of the church
2. Teaching on Sundays
3. Leadership

And the funny thing, since I took my hands off so many others, we have doubled.  Show you just how important I am.