Jonathan Herron

Life Church Michigan in the news: Church Security Plans

Mid-Michigan’s NBC & FOX News affiliates recently covered our church’s pro-active security plan roll-out.

I am thankful for the positive news coverage — below is their reporting.

SAGINAW COUNTY, Mich. — Local churches have taken big steps to keep their members safe, following the recent mass shooting at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs.

One church in particular, Life Church, is working with local law enforcement to increase security during its services.

“You think you’re going to a safe place like church, but terrible things can happen anywhere,” one church member said.

The lead pastor, Jonathan Herron, said his congregation expressed concern following the tragedy in Texas, so he took action.

“I started getting messages on my Facebook from people here at Life Church saying, ‘Does the church have a plan?'” Herron said.

 

He said he then reached out to the Saginaw County Sheriff’s Department and developed a more in-depth plan.

“We’re working with a lot of churches with training, but recently we did have one church in Saginaw County that asked to hire us… hire a deputy on duty, full uniform, with a car to be at their church services,” Saginaw County Sheriff William Federspiel said.

Herron said just having their presence makes him feel better as both a parent and a pastor.

“It makes me feel good when I bring my children to church on Sunday that they see a smiling sheriff’s deputy there to welcome them,” he said.

He said this change has encouraged more people to walk through their doors.

 

“Church is a light in the darkness and partnering with the Saginaw County Sheriff’s Department is just another way that we’re able to shine that light brighter, so people feel welcomed into a place full of hope and without fear,” Herron added.

Sheriff Federspiel said the department is working on holding active shooter situation training for churches in the area later in December.

The sheriff said his deputies are also making a point to make their presence known in church parking lots on Sundays.

(link to Amanda Chodnicki’s reporting)

A Pastor’s Response to the Sutherland Springs Church Shooting

I’ve been in full-time ministry since 2000. 

I’m a pastor.  

I love my church. 

My wife and I have poured everything into starting our church from scratch. 

What we witnessed playing out on cable news coverage Sunday afternoon left us horrified. 

The Sutherland Springs church shooting shook Amber and I so deeply for two reasons: 

One, it could have been any of us. 
Two, it was us. 

In Christ, we are one.

Our deepest prayers and compassion are extended to South Texas.

We cannot imagine the shock and grief they are going through today.

The tragedy that occurred is my greatest nightmare. 

Words fail me when I think of the victims, ranging in age from 5 to 72.

 

Evil is real.

If there is one thing that current events and the Scriptures agree on, it is that this world is broken.

Whether you are religious or not, we all inherently know that this is evil because God has placed eternity in the hearts of men (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

As a pastor, my solution is Jesus.  He is the One who will make all things new.

I’m just a Nobody trying to tell Everybody about Somebody.

 

The Bible is also concerned with justice for the weak.  For example, I am not for abortion, I am for life.

Don’t worry, I’m not a religious wing-nut who screams at abortion clinics and holds vile signs over my head.  Angry preachers who scream eventually lose their voice.

My approach is encouraging adoption and caring for orphans and single mothers.  My wife and I have served multiple times in African orphanages and we have adopted four children.  We are pro-life.

 

But it would be hypocritical for me to say I’m for life at conception and to remain silent about life being extinguished.

I’m not just pro-life, I am whole-life. 

I am for all people at all times (except in Just Wars) to live whole lives.

 

I come from a proud family of immigrants.  I love my country.  I love my church.

As a pastor, I am always careful to remain apolitical.

I never use my platform to push any political party or political agenda.

 

The conversation that will begin after this church shooting is not a political conversation.

It is a conversation about the right to life.  Everyone’s right to life.

Just as I am for babies in the womb having the right to life, I am for worshipers in the pew having the right to life.

 

One shoe bomber tried to blow up a plane and now we take off our shoes.
1,520 mass shootings since Sandy Hook and Congress has done nothing.

 

It is not the evil of the shooter that confounds me.  The Bible explains evil clearly.

It is the non-action of our government leaders that perplexes me.  I respect my government leaders as the Bible instructs me to, but I do not understand them at this moment.

This is not a political issue; this is a justice issue.

And I will pray for justice for all lives to prevail.

Special Announcement: Creating a Safe Place for Everyone at Life Church Michigan

This week we made a special announcement to our Life Church Michigan friends and family. 

We thought you might be interested in how we are creating a safe place for everyone to worship:

I am a pastor diagnosed with Depression and ADHD… and it’s a gift to me

I’ve always dealt with mood swings throughout my life.  Some days my brain would be running a million miles a minute, flooded with thoughts and ideas.  Other days I felt like hiding under a thick blanket and binge-watching Netflix, unable to face the world.  I thought what I was experiencing was normal.  It wasn’t.

About a year and a half ago God tenderly and wisely allowed some crushing moments into my life.

When you start a church from scratch and it grows really fast, the reward for ‘being a success’ is leadership conflict.  In my case, a best friend blindsided me and a small group of people I loved tried to (unsuccessfully) hijack the church.  We navigated through that season by trusting God, walking in transparency and integrity, and keeping our focus on the vision of reaching people far from God.

I believe in the complete rule and sovereignty of God: there is no random chance in this universe that is carefully governed by a Grand Designer.  In the midst of the crushing, I knew there was a purpose.

When I noticed my mood swings becoming more intense, I made an appointment to see a Christian counselor.  Listen, there is no shame in seeing a counselor.  I believe everyone needs counseling!  I’m married to a licensed counselor and I have seen the benefits personally.  And now I’ve experienced the benefits too.

My counselor is awesome.  He helped me identify trauma and create healthy boundaries.  I love my counselor so much that I recommend him all the time to folks at Life Church Michigan.

Counseling alone didn’t solve the feelings I was grappling with.  I had dealt with mood swings all my life, but as our church has continued growing larger at a very fast rate — and thus more people creating more complexity on my plate — I talked to my wife to see if she was noticing changes in my attitude and emotions.  She encouraged me to talk to my general physician.

Long story short, I was diagnosed with mild depression, a hereditary chemical imbalance in the brain.  My doctor prescribed a low dose of medicine that I take daily and in the many weeks since being on this prescription, I’ve experienced a fantastic change in my outlook on life.  It’s like I can see and think more clearly now.

Further, I saw a psychiatrist who diagnosed me with something everyone who knows me has long-suspected: I have ADHD.  And I am so thankful to finally have clarity on why my brain takes off like a rocket some days!

I understand the stigma of mental illness, especially in Christian circles.

Today I enter my eighteenth year of full-time ministry and I have never, ever heard a sermon or message given that addresses the reality of mental illness.

Some well-meaning Christians might advise, “You just need more faith or you need to pray it away.”  Listen, I’m not insane but THAT advice is insane!  I would never tell someone stricken with cancer that it was their faultand that they just need to pray it away… I would encourage them to get chemotherapy and seek health from a medical doctor!

You see, God heals both through the natural and the supernatural.  Modern medicine is a miracle that we should thank the Lord for.  A thousand years ago, people prayed to not get the plague.  Today we just pray for a bigger television screen!

My diagnosis is a gift to me: God blessed me with a burden so that I could better understand my need for a Savior.  I cannot rescue myself.  Dealing with depression and ADHD allows me to lean on others.  Life is a gift and love is the point.

This past Sunday I shared my story during a message on parenting as an encouragement to our people that:

1. It’s ok to not be ok… it’s just not ok to STAY that way!
2. If you are a mom or dad who struggles with their mental or emotional health, our church will stand with you, pray for you, and cheer you on as you seek counseling or psychiatric care!

For what it’s worth, you can watch more of my story from Sunday’s message below (beginning at 18:04).  I hope this encourages you on your journey of discovering life and wholeness in Christ.

Always Choose the High Road (There’s Less Traffic)

I was reading a blog by Gordon Hayward, the Boston Celtic who suffered a horrific ankle injury in the opening minutes of his NBA Opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

As he shared his thoughts and feelings in the days after the injury and surgery, this quote leaped out at me:

And then there was the Utah Jazz. I had such a tough decision to leave this summer and yet everyone from ownership, to front office, coaches and all my teammates were immediately there for me. They continue to show that they are first class in every way, and I am so fortunate to have been a part of that organization.

Hayward’s former team was, in his words, first class.

 

It would have been easy for one of his former teammates to tweet something snarky or post something passive-aggressive on Facebook and then ask everyone to share it.

Piling on is the norm for social media.

Our dark side’s seem to revel in kicking people when their down.

The worst offenders at this, in my experience?  Christians.

We love to eat our own.

 

Jesus said his disciples would be known by their radical love and honor shown to each other (John 15:12).

All I ever see and hear are stories and examples of Christians taking shots at each other in gossipy conversations and publicly online.

 

If your faith propels you to take shots at other people, you’re doing it wrong.

When church people spend time falsely accusing one another, it frees up Satan to do other work.

 

Christian leaders should be the models of integrity and honor.

We should be praying for, cheering for, and encouraging one another.  We don’t have time for pettiness and “discernment blogs.”

If you get a kick out of accusing other Christians, remind yourself of direct translation of the name ‘Accuser’ in the Bible: Satan.

And if you’re a leader who is on the receiving end of rocks being thrown, understand this truth: If you want God’s power and blessing on your ministry, you must be willing to absorb the pain of others without resentment.

Choose to be First Class.  Don’t let a basketball team out-honor Jesus’ team.

Always take the high road: there’s less traffic and the Master is most honored.

CUT THE CHEESE: 3 STEPS TOWARD CREATING A NON-CHEESY RADIO SPOT FOR YOUR CHURCH

I’m a big believer in leveraging all media by all means to reach all people for the gospel. There’s just one thing that drives me crazy… Cheesy Christian Media.

Let’s be honest: if Christians excel in one area of media, it’s the cheese. We try to clumsily lump theological doctrine into 30 second church ads thinking that the goal is information-transfer.

Nope, sorry.

Effective advertising is more about connecting emotionally and relationally.
If you can touch the heart (or funny bone), you earn permission to invite people into your story.

 

First, here’s our latest spot:

Three steps we’ve learned in cutting the cheese:

1) KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE! This radio spot is not designed for deeply theological, life-long Christians.  In fact, I’ve already taken heat from over-saved Christians on the internet.  And I don’t care, because I’m not called to make men happy but instead to obey the Lord.

The message in this radio spot is aimed toward people who wouldn’t normally darken a church door.  When you know exactly who you are communicating to, it won’t bother you when the rocks come flying from outsiders.

2) CONSISTENCY BREEDS TRUST! When I lived in north-east Ohio, I was impressed by the media strategy of Knute Larson, a now-retired pastor of The Chapel. Over the course of many years, by consistently lending his own voice and personality to church radio and tv ads, people throughout the region began to trust Knute. Even people who never attended church began to naturally think of Knute as “their pastor.”

If they ever encountered a crisis in their lives, they knew Knute Larson and The Chapel were a safe place to go to for help. That’s my heart for Life Church in the Great Lakes Bay Region.  Consistency breeds trust.

Proverbs 22 says, “A good name is more desirable than great riches.”  Life Church has a strong reputation and name recognition among unchurched Millennials and Gen Xers in our region of Michigan as a safe, non-judgemental place to ask real questions about faith.  That is important to me as our church continues moving forward.

3) EXAGGERATE THE TABOO!  We were told by the radio station that we couldn’t say the full title of the movie in our radio ad for legal reasons.

What could have been a hurdle was instead turned into an opportunity.  

In my improv-comedy training, I learned about the power of exaggerating the taboo. I talk more about this in my first book, Comedy-Driven Leadership: there are no mistakes, only opportunities.

In this case, we thought it would be hilarious for our 60 second radio ad for a church to have words that are being beeped out.  It would actually make the radio spot more interesting, like playing a little game with the audience!

The result is a fresh and fun radio spot that is gaining traction in the Great Lakes Bay Region.  More people will feel welcomed at Life Church and the story of God’s love will echo into more hearts this holiday season.

How to Quickly Reach People Far From God

Making a Holy Shift in Church Leadership

I’m not concerned about being criticized for taking risks to reach people far from God.  I’m concerned about not being criticized.

Recently I was invited to teach a breakout session at a conference in Chicago based on my book, Holy Shift.  The topic was so popular among church leaders that we ran out of seats!

I had fun sharing my journey in comedy and ministry, the unique story God is writing at Life Church Michigan, and equipping church leaders in my jam-packed breakout with comedy tools that will help them reach more people far from God.

Because I love church leaders and I want to see you go further, faster, here is the full video as a free resource to your team!