Hello Calvary Church Family,

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2 Hello Calvary Church Family, We are sitting here on the front porch of our home in Boulder, Colorado watching the final rays of sun disappear behind the immensity of the Rocky Mountains. Over the past 12 years we have enjoyed finishing our days encompassed by the artistry of God s creation; having conversations, reflecting, praying, listening and dreaming about what God is up to in our lives. There have been stunningly joyful moments, times when God s grace was so tangible that we could see His work all around us. There were also exceedingly difficult moments, times when our faith was stretched as we desperately tried to make sense of what God was doing around us. Yet over the past 12 years of our life in Boulder, one thing has remained constant: God has been faithful to us. He has led us through joy and trial, covering our family in His unfailing love for the Glory of His Name. In January of this year we sensed God lifting our eyes to the horizon, compelling us to look forward and trust Him for a new season of life and ministry. We have sincerely loved our life in Boulder, and have had the extraordinary privilege of being a part of what God is doing to build His church in this beautiful and progressive area of the country. Yet, despite our rootedness here, the sense that God was calling us forward into a new season was inescapable. We began to pray, listen and wait for God s leading. As the months went by we had a number of good opportunities with a diversity of Churches come our way, but we did not sense God s calling in any of them. And then, in May, through a simple phone call from my Dad, we learned about Calvary Church of Pacific Palisades. My family has connections with Pacific Palisades as my parents are residents of the area and my younger brother and his wife have lived in the Palisades for nearly a decade. Natalie and I have spent significant time in your city and have always had a deep love for West Los Angeles and its people. A number of times over the past 5 years we have asked God if someday He might give us the privilege of serving His church in this incredible part of LA. As we learned more about the opportunity to serve with you at Calvary our excitement grew and we could not believe how many of our hopes for the future matched with what God was doing through Calvary Church! It was as though God was giving us the subtle reminder that He is always painting our stories on a canvas that is far bigger than any of us can see or imagine. Natalie and I feel called to serve with you at Calvary for two primary of reasons. First, we love the dynamic, influential, and innovative nature of Pacific Palisades. We love the authentic sense of community that people long to discover and the real quest to discover meaning and purpose that drive people to excellence in so many spheres of life and culture. Over the years we have come to believe that God uses all of our experiences to prepare us for future roles in His unfolding story. As we prayed about the opportunity to serve in Pacific Palisades/West L.A. we could see how God had been preparing us through our experiences leading His Church in the progressive culture and

3 influential environment of Boulder County. By God s grace we have had the opportunity to serve Olympic athletes, professors and students connected to the University of Colorado, entrepreneurs and innovators who work in Boulder s burgeoning tech industry, families who are doing everything they can (and more!) to help their kids excel in life and people connected with the deep threads of eastern thought and religion that are the dominant worldview here in Boulder. We have seen how Jesus can transform any life through His Gospel, and how together, as the Church, we can rise up and be the light of the world, offering hope and life to a people searching for meaning, love and acceptance. Second, we believe wholeheartedly in the vision of Calvary Church and feel that God has given us a quick and deep love for you. Over the past 4 months we have had the incredible privilege of growing in relationship with the Calvary Search Committee and Elders. As the Lead Pastor Recommendation outlines, we have enjoyed spending a significant amount of time with your teams talking, praying and exploring God s will for Calvary Church. At the end of every interview and gathering, Natalie and I have sensed God reinforcing His call and expanding our hearts with love for you and His work through Calvary Church. As the process has continued we have heard many of the amazing stories of how God has loved, provided for, protected and faithfully guided Calvary Church through the years. We see a Church with a strong and genuine love for Christ. We see a Church with an authentic passion to grow in their faith and be transformed by the Spirit of God into the image of Christ. We see a Church who loves one another deeply and who has walked together as a family through all of the seasons of life. We see a Church with an incredible School that loves families, honors Christ and is equipping the next generation for leadership and service. We see a Church who believes that the Kingdom of God is not built on the gifts and talents of a few, but through the service and sacrifice of many. We see a Church who loves their city and who longs to see the Gospel proclaimed so that the message of Jesus becomes the hope of the world. We see a Church that we believe God is calling us to serve as your Lead Pastor, so that together we can honor the legacy of our past and lean courageously into the future God is writing for us. We are humbled that God has led us all this far, He truly does work in ways that are immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine! Our prayer for all of us in these days is for clarity, as we seek God s will, and for unity as we walk through these months of transition. Our hearts are full of joy and expectation about how God is weaving our lives into the story of Calvary Church. We love you already and cannot wait to be with you in October. May God be Glorified through His Church, Ramin and Natalie Razavi

4 Here is a quick window into our lives: Natalie and I have been married for 14 years and have one ten-year-old son, Isaiah. By the Grace of God, we helped plant two churches and I served as a Pastor in both contexts. First, we helped establish Common Ground Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana where I served as an Associate Pastor (Preaching and College emphasis). We then sensed God s call to plant a church in downtown Boulder, Colorado. God worked in incredible ways and we were able to reach hundreds of people with the life-giving message of the Gospel through planting Origins Church. I served for 9 years as the Lead Pastor of Origins before God led us to a transition in Currently, I serve as the Teaching Pastor (preaching 50% of the time at the 4 main campus services while overseeing a number of ministry areas) at LifeBridge Christian Church. LifeBridge is a multi-site, multi-generational church that reaches and inspires people through 6 weekly worship gatherings, community service initiatives, and a growing neighborhood community movement. LBCC is one of the largest churches in Northern Colorado with 3500 people engaged in the life of the church. I also oversee the two campuses we have planted in neighboring communities. I have served in this role for three years and have loved seeing God at work through LifeBridge. Apart from my work, I am a long time endurance athlete who loves running, cycling and anything that gets me outdoors. I was a very competitive runner in my 20 s but now am grateful to just get out and enjoy the experience. I currently go road cycling or running most days and have enjoyed the community that God has allowed me to build around my athletic pursuits. Natalie is originally from Indianapolis, Indiana. We met our senior year at Miami University in Ohio and fell in love quickly. After a summer of dating and a year of enduring a long distance relationship (Natalie was a missionary in Eastern Europe) we were married in Currently Natalie is working as an assistant teacher at a Montessori school while also leading women in discipleship and community groups with our church. Natalie has also served with the IF: Gathering as an IF: Local Coach, and has helped women launch ministries in their cities/neighborhoods across the western United States. For the past year she has also served on their national coaching team. Natalie loves God, people, and the local church with a contagious enthusiasm that has pushed me further than I would have ever gone on my own. Our hearts are united in the call to pastoral ministry and we enjoy working together to see people loved and connected to Jesus. She loves hosting people and cultivating deep and lasting relationships. Natalie pioneered a number of ministries while we planted Origins Church and continues to do so in our role with LifeBridge. Natalie is a gracious, positive and deeply faithful woman. She is a committed friend to many and has a genuine love for people that quickly makes them feel at home. She is passionate about helping women grow in their relationship with Jesus and walks alongside women as a mentor and friend. She is a gifted leader, community builder, pastor and worship leader.

5 Isaiah (10) is an adventurous, creative, deep souled and passionate little man. He sees the world as a treasure to be explored and comes alive in his creative pursuits. He loves space exploration and this week finished a project designing the next" International Space Station. He is passionate about marine life and has often done extensive projects on sea creatures whose names I cannot spell! He loves to read fiction and then write his own creative stories based on what he is inspired by from his reading. He loves to ride his mountain bike on the trails around our home and has become quite a good rock climber (way better than me). He has worked this year on training his pet Gecko, Blaise, and also has a British Shorthair cat he loves named Rapha. He is currently collecting football cards, Star Wars Lego sets, NFL Jerseys and Pokemon cards. He devotes a lot of his energy towards sports and plays with the competitive Rocky Mountain Basketball Academy. He also plays on a great flag football team and has played on a traveling soccer team in the past. He is a very musical guy and has enjoyed learning to play the guitar this year. Last year, after considerable prayer and thought, Isaiah made the decision to follow Jesus and was baptized. It has been a joy for Natalie and I to see God work in Isaiah s life and we love our little guy with all of our hearts. Message Video Links: Finding the God who is Looking for You Waiting with God Freedom to Belong Ordinary People, Extraordinary Influence Wisdom Hello Holy Spirit