Jonathan Herron

5 Keys to Growing Your Church in 2023

5 Keys to Growing Your Church in 2023

Why are the things that USED to work not working now?

Why are most churches NOT growing right now?

 

1. The Great Reset happened - and it impacted almost every church. Culture shifts - pandemic, politically, racial strife, migration out of cities.  People are rethinking everything.
   
   
2. America is becoming more post-Christian.  Rise of the Nones.
   
   
3. You’ve shut down or throttled back your digital presence.  This gets rid of your discoverability.  Or it’s all about Sunday only.
   
   
4. What you offer digitally is the same as what you offer in-person.
   
   
5. The message isn’t the draw it used to be.  Scarcity creates value and the message isn’t scarce since it’s online.
   
   
6. Hype isn’t cutting it anymore.
   
   
7. You’re focused on the wrong audience.

So how do you grow your church in this environment?

 

Key #1: Renew yourself and your team.  A lot of pastors are exhausted.  Lots of grief.  Lack of momentum is it’s own form of discouragement.  Healthy leaders grow healthy churches.  Unhealthy leaders don’t.   What do you need to do to become a healthy leader?  Grieve your losses and process everything you’ve been through.   Healthy at the top, healthy at the bottom.  Aligned at the top, aligned at the bottom.  Healthy people aren’t attracted to unhealthy leaders or organizations.  

 

Key #2: Renew your mission.  Work on your mission until it burns white hot.  Identify a big problem you are trying to solve.  Renew or define the founder/problem fit.

 

Key #3: Make digital and in-person each more distinctive.  Make in-person more personal.  Make in-person a non-downloadable, transcendent experience.  “You kinda had to be there.”  

 

Key #4: Elevate community.  We’re drowning in a world of content.  Nobody should be able to out-community the local church.   Relationships are sticky; they make you stick around!  

 

Key #5: Identify and scale your biggest growth barrier.  Barriers emerge at 200, 400, and 800 attenders:

• 200 Barrier: Pastoral care – scale your pastoral care. The key to pastoral care is having someone who cares.  It doesn’t have to be the pastor.
• 400 Barrier: Staffing – Hire leaders, not doers.  
• 800 Barrier: Governance and push-down decision making.  Staff-led, elder-protected, people gifted.

 

• Identify your biggest growth barrier and how you intend to scale it.

Listen to God & Do What He Says

Listen to God & Do What He Says

They Were On Fire

I’ve always been fascinated by the lives of the earliest Christians who lived two thousand years ago. 

Under the crush of Roman occupation, a new movement was birthed: men and women who worshiped the risen Messiah. 

This wave of radical acceptance and grace-filled lives swept the world and changed human history.

In 1947, J.B. Phillips wrote this description of the Christian movement: 

“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 ʻliving inʼ 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."

 

The earliest followers experienced the powerful aftermath of Jesus’ empty tomb: thousands of people turning to Jesus as their Master and Forgiver, radical life-change, and rumblings throughout society about this God-man who now lives. 

In addition to keeping the Jewish Sabbath, these first followers of Christ added the observance of the first day of the week - the day that Jesus rose from death to life.  This is why most Christians worship on Sunday mornings. 

According to premiere Christian historian Justo Gonzalez, the earliest communion services did not center on Christ’s passion - they were not quiet, introspective, reflective services.  

Instead, Christians worshiped weekly in loud celebration, understanding that the tomb was empty, death could not hold Jesus, and He was ushering in a new age of victory.  Yes, every Sunday was a party for One! 

It was much later - centuries later - before the focus of Christian worship shifted towards the death of Jesus.  In the earliest Christian community, the breaking of bread took place “with glad and generous hearts” (Acts 2:46).

May we embrace this same infectious enthusiasm first demonstrated by the earliest Christ followers. 

May we worship Jesus Christ with great passion, may we love others with scandalous grace, and may we be outward-focused in our church communities. 

An empty tomb provokes nothing less.

3 Principles I Learned While At The White House

In 2020, I was invited to The White House for a Special Briefing for Leaders of Faith.

Here are 3 principles I learned while at The White House…

1. LIFE CHURCH IS APOLITICAL

We’re a big tent -- we welcome everybody here!  That means we fight for our unity: no gossip, no griping, we just don’t have time for that:

 

"But the one who slanders you behind your back

proves that he’s a fool, never to be trusted. If you keep talking, it won’t be long

before you’re saying something really wrong.” (Proverbs 10:18-19)

 

"Words that bring delight pour from the lips of the godly,

but the words of the wicked are duplicitous.” (Proverbs 10:32)

 

"When you act with presumption,

convinced that you’re right,

don’t be surprised if you fall flat on your face!

But walking in humility helps you to make wise decisions.” (Proverbs 11:2)

 

I love our church because we’re in this together -- We follow God, we trust our spiritual leaders, and we roll up our sleeves to make a difference for time and eternity. 

We want to unite as many people as possible as quickly as possible under the Jesus Flag through our Midland and Saginaw Campuses.

A life lived loving God bears lasting fruit,

for the one who is truly wise wins souls.” (Proverbs 11:30)

 

Security at The White House was TIGHT -- Secret Service was everywhere!

I discovered that it is very hard to get access to the Most Powerful Person on Earth.

Not so with God -- We have 24/7 access with no K-9’s and no Secret Service!

2. WE HAVE INSTANT ACCESS TO THE MOST POWERFUL PERSON IN EXISTENCE

 

"The one who walks in integrity

will experience a fearless confidence in life.” (Proverbs 10:9)

 

Wow, aren’t those words great? 

Don’t we all just want a fearless confidence in our everyday life? 

Spending time with God fuels up our faith and trust in Him!

 

"Lovers of truth follow the right path

because of their wonderment and worship of God.” (Proverbs 14:2-4)

 

“The words of the wise

will become a shield of protection around them.

The only clean stable is an empty stable.

So if you want the work of an ox and to enjoy an abundant harvest,

you’ll have a mess or two to clean up!” (Proverbs 14)

 

God loves when we gather together -- We gather on Sundays because that’s the day Jesus rose. 

Sometimes we’re going to make messes together -- and that’s okay! 

Proverbs says that the only CLEAN stable is an EMPTY stable --- look around you, this place is not empty!

As we all fumble forward in our faith, let’s give each other a break… let’s show each other grace as we are all learning together what it looks like to follow Christ day by day.

 

"To worship God in wonder and awe

opens a fountain of life within you,

empowering you to escape death’s domain.” (Proverbs 14:27)

 

I went to a White House Briefing -- It was all “Off the Record” -- Y’know, sometimes it is Hard to get clear info from Politicians!

Book of Proverbs = God is crystal clear with wisdom that applies to everyone, everywhere!

3. GOD GIVES US WISE ADVICE WHENEVER WE LOOK FOR IT!

 

"Wisdom soothes the heart of the one with living-understanding,

but the heart of the fool just stockpiles stupidity.” (Proverbs 14:33)

 

The Bible has a term for the person who refuses wise counsel: “fool." (Prov 12:15)    

When we refuse to listen, when we dodge the truth, when we insist on having our own way, we are fools.

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." (Prov. 9:10) 

 

Wisdom begins with the recognition of who God is.
Wisdom begins when we recognize that God is God and then respond accordingly.

"Lovers of God hunger after truth,

but those without understanding

feast on foolishness and don’t even realize it.” (Proverbs 15:14)

"Go ahead and make all the plans you want,

but it’s the Lord who will ultimately direct your steps.

We are all in love with our own opinions,

convinced they’re correct.

But the Lord is in the midst of us,

testing and probing our every motive.

Before you do anything,

put your trust totally in God and not in yourself.

Then every plan you make will succeed.

The Lord works everything together to accomplish his purpose.” (Proverbs 16:1-5)