Jason Jaggard - Spark: Transform Your World, One Small Risk at a Time

I expected to come away from reading Spark impressed with Jason Jaggards thoughts and encouraged by his stories. But I was also inspired to start taking my own risks to make a difference in small ways and big. This book is a valuable tool for anyone looking to move from contemplating life to fully living it.

M IKE G OGIS , Willow Creek Association chief financial officer

Jasons flair for writing makes Spark as enjoyable to read as it is insightful. His drumbeat is that small risks often lead to dramatic transformations. Jason offers encouragement to everyone who seeks to make their lives and the world around them better, one risk at a time.

A NDREW K. B ENTON , president of Pepperdine University

Game changer! Its a term that is used to describe the monumental changes that occur in an array of spheresfrom politics to the music industry to sports and everything in between. Spark is a game changer for life and those who desire to live life loud.

D R . M ARCUS G OODIE G OODLOE , catalyst at Mosaic,
a Los Angeles faith community

Spark will ignite you. Jason Jaggard invites everyone into movement by creating beautiful spaces (Spark Groups) where each person embraces the genesis of change. Spark reveals an author with a contagious passion for others and the willingness to walk by your side as you take meaningful risks. Anyone will benefit from reading this book, and bold readers will be charged, challenged, and changed.

B RIAN K AMMERZELT , assistant professor and chair
of communications at Moody Bible Institute;
founder and director of The Just Life

S PARK
P UBLISHED BY W ATER B ROOK P RESS
12265 Oracle Boulevard, Suite 200
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80921

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. Scripture quotations marked ( ESV ) are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked ( NLT ) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Italics in Scripture quotations reflect the authors added emphasis.

Details and names in some anecdotes and stories have been changed to protect the identities of the persons involved.

eISBN: 978-0-307-73062-6

Copyright 2012 by Jason Jaggard
Illustrations 2012 by Jason Jaggard; illustrations designed by Ruthi Auda; Spark logo design by Drew Melton

Cover design by Kristopher Orr

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Published in the United States by WaterBrook Multnomah, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House Inc., New York.

W ATER B ROOK and its deer colophon are registered trademarks of Random House Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Jaggard, Jason.
Spark : transform your world, one small risk at a time / Jason Jaggard.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. ).
1. Self-actualization (Psychology)Religious aspectsChristianity. 2. Change (Psychology)Religious aspectsChristianity. I. Title.
BV4598.2.J35 2012
248.4dc23
2012016131

v3.1

This book is dedicated to S. J.
May your life always be full of joy. I believe in you.
The best is yet to come.

Contents

Getting started

Acknowledgments

To my parents, Craig and Sandy. For always believing in me.

To Mandy, Anthony, Xander, and Elijah. Who knew when we moved to Los Angeles?

To Dave, Tam, Ru, Beks, and Debs you know what you mean to me.

To my partners in crime at Spark Good: Ryan Daugherty, Scot Burbank, Brian Roth, Jess Thomas, Mark Wittig, Tory Nelson, Alex Froehlich, Christa Scholtz, Lauren Grubaugh, Ruthi Auda, and Chuck Chessher. I absolutely love what weve created together, and it couldnt have happened without you. Heres to more heists of generosity.

To Michael Abramson, Chris McLaughlin, Johan Khalilian, and Adrian Koehler. You are forces of nature and friends for the journey.

To Jess Koehler, David and Brittany Haley, Scott Mocha, Thomas Bush, Michael Muniz, Jon Kroening, Michael Valania, and Dan Leffelaar. Thank you for spending time reading and arguing over the manuscript with me and with one another. You made this book better than it should be. You make my life better too.