Jonathan Herron

Beating Creativity Constipation

Leaders and comedians share the same struggle: Creativity Constipation.
You know that great idea is in your noggin' somewhere, but it just isn't coming out.

Dry seasons happen; the inspiration is quenched and decisions become tougher to make.

I remember talking with my improv teacher Mick Napier (pictured above) back in my Chicago comedy days about what to do when you don't know what to do.  

Mick gave me a piece of advice that rings true for comedians and leaders:
"Start with anything and let your brain catch up later."

When you're stuck in a rut, there is only one way out of the cul-de-sac of mediocrity:  Make a bold choice and move forward.  Don't worry about the details... You'll figure them out along the way.

The best comedy (and leadership decisions) started somewhere, so go make a move and explore.

MORE: Mick Napier in The Chicago Tribune

3 Church Planting Models

Based on chapter five of Planting Missional Churches,¹ three different leadership models are presented for church planters: The Apostolic Harvest Church Planter, The Founding Pastor, and Team Planting.  Each model offers different strengths and weaknesses, which will be briefly explored here.

The Apostolic Harvest Model occurs when a church planter starts a new church, raises up leaders from within (i.e. Paul and Timothy), and then moves on to begin a new church work.  To be sure, this model was championed by Paul in the Book of Acts, as the Apostle would travel along the Mediterranean Rim in his efforts of spreading the Gospel through establishing new churches.²  The recording of Paul's words to the new Ephesian Elders gleans insight into the leadership hand-off of the church planter to indigenous leadership.³  This model excels at multiplying many churches since the main church planter is made available every few years for new church planting efforts.  However, this model lends toward weakness if strong internal leadership is not properly trained or raised up in the church planter's absence.

The Founding Pastor Model involves a church planter starting a church initially, remaining as the entrepreneurial leader for the short-term before transitioning into a more long-term role as pastor of the new church.  Examples of this model include Priscilla and Aquila,⁴ C.H. Spurgeon, and Rick Warren, the latter of which have influenced the majority of current North American church planters with this model.  Strengths include stability for the newly-established congregation leading to long-term impact in their community.  A weakness of this model could be the mission field "loss" of a church planter who neglects possible skills and giftings for future Kingdom expansion.  

Finally, the Team-Planting Model is exemplified by a team of planters/pastors who relocate to a new area to begin a church plant.  This model is rare in North America due to the financial cost and group buy-in required.  Internationally, however, it is excelling: "Today, in cross-cultural mission, the team approach has become the norm for pioneer church planting. Often team members are all vocational missionaries, but this is not always the case; some may be bi-vocational."⁵  

An indirect example of the Team-Planting Model in Scripture involves the church at Ephesus which had a number of formative leaders (Priscilla, Aquila,⁶ Paul,⁷ Apollos⁸), underscored by Paul's letter to Timothy to now lead the church at Ephesus: "To Timothy my true son in the faith... As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies."⁹

Strengths of this model include robust spiritual gifts being deployed into one new congregation, sharing the tasks and burdens of starting a new church from scratch.  Weaknesses include, as mentioned before, the higher financial costs of employing multiple ministry workers at the onset of a new church plant.

While all models provide opportunities for advancing the Gospel, one finds himself most drawn toward the Founding Pastor Model, as it provides both creative flexibilities for the church planter while also allowing shepherding gifts to be utilized in caring for the new congregants and making a lasting impact for eternity.  Due to this model's prevalence currently in the North American context, training and coaching is readily available for the Founding Pastor, better supporting the ministry efforts of the new church start-up.
____________


¹ Stetzer, Ed and Daniel Im, Planting Missional Churches (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2016).
² Acts 16 (NIV)
³ Acts 20:22-35
⁴ Romans 16:3
⁵ Ott, Craig, and Gene Wilson. Global Church Planting: Biblical Principles and Best Practices for Multiplication (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2011).
⁶ Acts 18:18-19
⁷ Acts 18:24-25
⁸ Acts 19:1-21
⁹ 1 Timothy 1:2-4

Fighting Your Fears Through Laughter

The late Dr. Martin de Maat had a profound impact on my life (I wrote about that here).

He was not only my professor and mentor, he was a close friend (Martin was even one of my wedding groomsmen!).

Dr. de Maat taught me so much not only about improvisational-comedy, but more importantly about the joy of doing life together:

"What happens... in being with each other in acceptance and Yes And-ing each other, is that you as an individual start to believe in yourself because you begin to see yourself in the others' eyes.

Your ensemble, your group, your team, your committee, is the one that's believing in you and you pull it together to do it for them.

You know, it's simply recognizing you're not alone. It's love and unconditional acceptance.

You put yourself in a place of support, unconditional acceptance and love for who you are, the way you are and your uniqueness, and what you do is grow. You surround yourself with people who are truly interested in you and listen to you, and you will grow.

And it doesn't take much to start advancing you, it doesn't take much of that support, it doesn't take much of that love and that care and you can do it. You can play act with people. You can be in a state of play together."



This is how comedians create new material.
Yes And leads to trust leads to contagious unity leads to childlike creativity.
It's how leaders might lead teams in the 21st Century.

Don't settle for the loneliness of leadership isolation.
Dream of and strive for a team of church leaders who are accepting of one another's uniquenesses.  After all, we each bring different strengths to the table.

I love what Martin would say about the group dynamics of creating comedy through Yes And:

"There's a lot of laughter that goes on. Since we're laughing together, we're true community. It's a very safe place to confront your fears. The minute somebody says, 'Perform!' your fear comes up..."


As we Yes And, may we as leaders embrace contagious unity and laughter.
By refusing to perform and instead choosing raw, authentic community, we may just lead at a higher, deeper, more spiritually-sensitive level than before...

Leading Through Change - When Staff Members and Church Members Leave

WHEN STAFF MEMBERS AND CHURCH MEMBERS LEAVE

1. STAFFING IS A KEY DECISION

• 1 Timothy 5: “Do not lay hands on a man suddenly.” Any staff hire is a very important, sobering decision. Be slow to hire.
• You want to hire someone who is focused on the TOWEL, not the TITLE. You are here to SERVE.

2. HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE FOR EVALUATING STAFF AND KEY VOLUNTEERS

You are giving people significant responsibilities; have a system for evaluating:

• Character — Not just about morality. Look at their work ethic, faithfulness, integrity.
• Competency — Are they all hat, no cattle?
• Culture — Do they fit well within your existing culture?
• Chemistry — Likeability Factor. Do you enjoy being around this guy?
• Calling — Look for the fingerprint of God on the hire of that person.
• Capacity for Leadership — Can they grow with the role and the growth of the church? Can they reproduce themself and become a multiplier, not a maintainer?

3. UNDERSTAND + ACCEPT THAT SOME STAFF + CHURCH MEMBERS WILL HAVE TO TRANSITION

• Understanding this will save you a lot of heartache.
• Think of your church like a bus with stops along the way. What happens at a bus stop? Some people get on and some people get off.
• There will be significant transition points as your church grows.
• When this happens, remind yourself that this is just all part of the process of church planting.
• Don’t lose perspective. Your “loss” may actually be a huge win!
• Some folks need to get off the bus.
• Why do people leave your church?
• Sometimes staff will leave you because the responsibilities have grown beyond their capacity to grow with the role.
• They may outgrow the responsibilities. Your job is to always make sure your staff are being challenged.
• They may lack the character / competence / chemistry required to stick with it.
• They may not want to do the spiritual and emotional work in order to grow.
• Unexpected circumstances arise in life. Think seasons. Life happens in seasons.

4. REMEMBER THAT ALL STAFF AND MEMBERS NEED TO BE HELD LOOSELY.
Anything you hold tightly you suffocate.

5. PROMOTIONS TO KEY LEADERSHIP ROLES SHOULD BE CAREFULLY CONSIDERED THROUGH PRAYER.

• Faithful in the little before being faithful with much.
• Make sure they have been tested.
• This doesn’t always work: people fool you. Potential staff will lie to you to get a job.
• Be very careful in giving out titles… You can’t take it back.
• It doesn’t feed your ego, it fits your function.

6. CELEBRATE THE STAYS AND POSITIVELY RELEASE THE GO'S.

• For some churches the only time the Staff has a party is when someone leaves. When is the last time you had a party with the people who STAY?
• Sometimes God calls you to go but often God calls you to STAY!
• Sometimes someone goes and it’s a good thing. Sometimes someone goes and it’s painful. Sometimes people go when they shouldn’t and you can see the truck that’s about to hit them, but they won’t listen to you.

7. BE PREPARED FOR + POSITIVELY PROCESS THE EMOTIONS THAT WILL ACCOMPANY THE EXIT OF PEOPLE.

• Loss leads to Grief, which can confuse people. Be prepared for the grief. You love the person, you’ve invested in them for years.
• When you feel grief, don’t beat yourself up about it. Allow yourself to experience and feel.

8. GIVE CLEAR GUIDELINES TO DEPARTING STAFF ON YOUR EXPECTATIONS REGARDING COMMUNICATION.

• Information Void can crank up a church gossip grapevine: “What’s happening behind the scenes?”
• This happens when there is too much of time that passes between their decision and the communication.
• It is foolish to allow departing staff to announce their departure.
• Provide information to fill any potential void. SOMEBODY is going to tell ‘the story.’ You need to protect the health of your church as it continues moving forward.

9. EXPECT EMOTIONAL RESPONSES TO ANY STAFF MEMBER’S DEPARTURE.

• Help them process, give them assurance.

10. LEARN LESSONS FROM DEPARTURES THAT CAN MAKE YOU AND YOUR ORGANIZATION BETTER.

• How can we improve for next time?
• What can I learn from this?
• How can this make me better?

11. AVOID PROLONGED DEPARTURES.

• When someone says they want to leave, let them.
• Don’t drag it out or they will drag people down with them.
• When they say they want to leave, their heart has already left.
• Be generous in their transition.

12. BE APPROPRIATELY GENEROUS TOWARD DEPARTING PEOPLE WHO LEAVE WELL.

• Err on the side of grace, not pettiness.
• Oftentimes people who leave will talk badly about you behind your back. Be gracious.

13. EXPECT A HONEYMOON PERIOD ON SOCIAL MEDIA AT THE DEPARTING PERSON’S NEW PLACE.

• “This new place is amazing!” Which means your place wasn’t.
• At some point real life will kick in and they’ll stop.
• Weather their honeymoon. You don’t need it in your spirit.
• If it’s getting to you, delete the app.
• Social media can feed a failure mentality.

14. DON’T GET DISCOURAGED.

• Don’t Think You’re the Only Person This Happens To.
• This is the secret: don’t get discouraged. Fight it.
• People WILL leave your church.
• Staff members WILL betray you.
• Don’t give air to fear.
• Pruning leads to better fruit and a better future.
• Get up and keep going by faith.
• Sometimes you have to wait 11 years to see someone who left in a bad way come back in repentance.

 

WISDOM FOR DEPARTING STAFF

• If you’re leaving a church, get planted somewhere. Don’t wander.
• When you get planted somewhere, be a son or daughter of that House.
• Be an honorable, loyal, ethical, trusting Christian. Integrity matters. Honor your former pastor. Don’t go bush-league.
• If you’re leaving a church, do not play the “God told me” game.
• Don’t run from your issues! Your next church won’t change things. Geography doesn’t fix your problems.
• Remember whose spiritual platform you have been using and you have been benefiting from. You were LOANED a platform. Never take the power and trust.
• Never steal sheep.
• Never steal staff. That is unethical behavior.
• Fulfill your commitments. Don’t cut and run. That only hurts God’s people.
• Leave your assigned area of responsibility stronger, not weaker.
• Encourage commitment and faithfulness to the House that you’re leaving.
• Watch your words, non-verbals and your actions on the way out… …because God is.

10 Years Ago Today We Held Our First Informational Meeting for Life Church

I am so THANKFUL for the LOYALTY of our friends who have a WHATEVER IT TAKES mindset for this labor-of-love that we call Life Church.

9 years ago this wknd, Amber and I stepped out in CRAZY faith to hold our first Informational Meeting.

We were not launching a campus of a mega-church, nor were we giving into the dishonorable temptation of becoming church splitters or sheep stealers.

No, we were pioneering church planters (Romans 15:20).

We started with no money, no building, no people and no clue!

It's been an exciting ride so far with hundreds and hundreds of lives changed for eternity.

And the journey continues with the New Year!

Jesus' words in Luke 15 are our guide and we will continue to DREAM BIGGER into 2021.

In Christ, the BEST is YET to come!

#CantStopWontStop #OnlyGod

#SeeWhatGodCanDoThroughYou

Being In Christ

"The great difference between present-day Christianity and that of which we read in these letters is that to us it is primarily a performance, to them it was a real experience.  

We are apt to reduce the Christian religion to a code, or at best a rule of heart and life.  To these men it is quite plainly the invasion of their lives by a new quality of life altogether.  They do not hesitate to describe this as Christ ‘living in’ them.

These early Christians were on fire with the conviction that they had become, through Christ, literally sons of God; they were pioneers of a new humanity, founders of a new Kingdom.  They still speak to us across the centuries.  

Perhaps if we believed what they believed, we might achieve what they achieved.”

(J.B. Phillips, 1947)

 

Kicking off the first Sunday of 2022, we looked at the new discipleship model mentioned during the message based on my current doctoral studies.  

These are the 5 rhythms or spiritual disciplines that marked the earliest Christ Followers in the Book of Acts.  

This is what the Scriptures teach historically and theologically about what it looks like to "be" the church!

 

"Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance" (Jude 2).

 

MOSES & MOSOGI

There will be challenges in 2023. Life is hard. Can we thrive and build resilience in the midst of a broken world? We are becoming hard-wired to live “comfortable” lives. We want our homes a comfortable 70 degrees in the winter and 68 degrees in the summer. We want our groceries door dashed, and our Starbucks waiting at the drive thru. But, when we enroll in seminary, take our first pastorate, or simply engage broken people, we find that life is challenging.

 

Oftentimes God will have us undertake a misogi that moves us into the uncomfortable to help us thrive in life. A misogi is an activity that challenges a person, and is hard, but reveals that God can see you through it. Moses’ story is a misogi that may teach us about life.

1) START. BUT REALIZE THERE WILL BE CHALLENGES

In the midst of difficulties, Moses was called to lead God’s people out of slavery (Exodus 3). Moses worked through his insecurities, and stepped into the uncomfortable. For many of us, adrenaline will propel us in a new endeavor. Like Moses, we have our challenges. Those challenges can come from external power (Pharaoh) or internal ones (the Israelites).

2) EMBRACE THE PRESENCE OF GOD IN THE CHALLENGE

In ministry, change is hard. Moving people to a healthy place is hard. And, people will gravitate to the comfortable before they embrace the unknown (Exodus 14:5-12). Moses experienced God guiding him through the challenges of leading people from slavery to freedom. In this, Moses learned that “God will help in his challenges” (Exodus 14:13-31).

3) LEAN INTO OTHERS TO SUCCEED IN THE CHALLENGE

Ministry drains a person. Even in success, there are challenges. Moses reveals challenges are best encountered when we surround ourselves with people who are honest and supportive. Moses needed Aaron and Ur to help him for Joshua to defeat the Amalekites (Ex 17:8-16). Moses also listened to those who offered wise counsel (Ex 18:1-16).

4) SETBACKS ARE A PATH FORWARD IN THE CHALLENGE

Moses was with God (Ex 32:1). But, the people were struggling with life, and seeking a path that was culturally easy (Ex 32:2-10). Moses implemented correctives mid-course, and shows setbacks can impede forward movement, but they also can reshape a better direction.

5) FLUIDITY IN THE CHALLENGE

Past success isn’t necessarily the key to future success. In the midst of dehydration (Ex 17:1-7), God instructs Moses to strike the rock for water. It worked. Then, in a similar situation (Numbers 17), Moses was instructed to “speak to the rock” for water. Instead of being fluid in God’s directions, Moses privileged the past for his present. This profoundly modified his future (Numbers 20:20).

6) ACCEPTANCE THAT THE END MAY NOT BE IDEALIZED

Due to a few mishaps in the challenge, Moses’ finish line experience is not the idealized finish. Moses did not make it into the land. But, in God’s grace, Moses was taken to the top of Mount Nebo and shown the land (Deuteronomy 34). Moses’ journey was over. He encountered many challenges in life. And was given the privilege of finishing his misogi.

 

Ministry is hard. Life will have challenges in 2023. We can let the challenges paralyze us, and make us quit. Or, we can train for challenges, and learn from Moses.