2020 has been the most complex year I've ever experienced as a lead pastor.
Last night, I was talking with my wife about our emotional health as we approach the end of the year.
"I just feel so broken," she shared with honesty and transparency.
Turns out, we all feel like we're running on empty.
You are not alone.
A 2013 study from the Schaeffer Institute reports that 1,700 pastors leave the ministry each month, citing depression, burnout, or being overworked as the primary reasons.
According to the study, 90% of pastors report working 55 to 70 hours a week, and 50% of them feel unable to meet the demands of the job.
He admonishes congregation members for not supporting their faithful leaders.
He claims that complaining, often inconsiderate members increase the stress and expect too much of their pastors.
Reasons for Pastoral Burnout Some of the common causes for pastor burnout are:
Being on call 24/7;
Criticism and poor conflict resolution skills;
Trying to please or solve everyone’s problems;
Not delegating tasks;
Poor social networks;
Not equipped for all aspects of ministry;
Limited social life outside the church.
Scott Sauls said that oftentimes, pastors feel “lonely” within their own communities.”
“Case in point, 2020,” he said. “You've got this dynamic where reality is 70% of pastors right now around America are looking for another job.”
Because of the pandemic, many pastors feel “ghosted” by their congregations, the pastor said.
“Our people feel like they're still with us because they see us and hear us from their living rooms, and yet, we just have this complete void of relationship,” he explained. “Oftentimes, people treat the church as a consumer good, [but pastors] see the church as our family ... so the dynamic of loneliness and isolation is amplified in a time like this.”
The current “negativity of environment” is often “taken out” on caregivers like pastors and therapists, Sauls contended.
“It really is the perfect emotional storm right now for pastors,” he said. “Fighting against isolation is utterly essential.”
Need A Lift?
I don't claim to have all the answers, but I do know based on these stats and my own experience in 2020, we need each other.
It's been a heavy day with the weight of reality in the news.
One day we will read Death's obituary:
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and eliminate death entirely. No one will mourn or weep any longer. The pain of wounds will no longer exist, for the old order has ceased.”
There are moments in life where you can't overthink your reaction. All you can do is pivot and make it happen.
Take for instance the adoption of our youngest: Alysia Hope.
Adoption wasn't even on our minds.
We thought our family was complete with four kiddo's and a wiener dog to boot.
Isn't it funny how life interrupts our perfectly-laid plans?
That's when we got the phone call out of the blue: The birthmother of our one-year-old son, Levi, had just given birth to a baby girl -- Would we be willing to adopt her?
"Yes" escaped our mouths before our brains had a chance to catch up with what our ears were hearing.
We committed to a major life-change and significant price tag in a matter of 15 seconds.
Suddenly we were responsible for coming up with over $20,000 in 7 days plus preparing our home for a newborn.
We had to make it happen.
I didn't panic, I ran to the internets and did what any good daddy would do: I started a telethon to raise 20 grand!
Every hour on the hour we went live with stupid human tricks, lip-sync battles, and improv games. The goal was to pay for our unexpected adoption in cash and bring Baby Girl home.
We had to make it happen.
Here's the thing:
When you boldly declare what you want, multiply that with grit + hustle, and then seek help with compassion, empathy prevails and magic happens.
Together with friends and strangers on the internet, we made it happen.
What giant obstacle are you facing today?
What if you leaned in toward the challenge and fearlessly declared what you wanted to do?
How might people around you rally around your cause?
When you have 5 children who all love to wake up at the crack of dawn, you go to bed early like I do.
I was sound asleep last night, sawing logs, when my wife's cell phone buzzed.
It was around midnight, I was groggily awakened, and my Dad (who lives in Cleveland) wanted to talk:
"Jon, I have some bad news," he began.
"I know you were at The White House last week. Turns out you may have been exposed to that Coronavirus that's all over the news by someone at your Washington briefing.
You should go and get tested. You might have a lethal disease.
Maybe you need to self-isolate for 14 days. This virus is killing people.
Okay, well, that's all. Have a good night!"
Turns out I was not exposed to the Coronavirus.
But I can't blame my Dad for being anxious.
Everywhere you turn, people are talking about the coronavirus.
The evening news is trumpeting The End Of Civilization As We Know It.
There’s a lot of panic.
In some ways, I think the viral fear about it may be worse than the virus itself.
Don't get me wrong: If you are above age 60 or have underlying health conditions, there is reason to be alert to this virus.
But let's not lose our dang minds: God is bigger than the coronavirus. Don’t be afraid.
You have permission to not freak out about coronavirus.
Yes, we all should step up our hand washing game and listen to health professionals.
But God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7).
Some of you need to sit back and take in the big picture.
Don’t over-react. Don’t under-react. Just experience God’s peace and walk in wisdom.
Here's what the Scriptures tell us about the season we're in:
You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. (Psalm 91:5-7)
No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. (Psalm 91:10-11)
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? (Jesus in Luke 12:25-26)
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (Jesus in John 14:27)
I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (Jesus in John 16:33)
I am the founding pastor of Life Church, the fastest-growing church in Michigan and 11th fastest-growing in America. I am focused on strategic leadership and engaging teaching, all fueled by a gnawing passion for engaging people far from God. My unique ministry approach has been featured online in Time Magazine, USA Today, and The Washington Times. Married twenty-one years to my high school sweetheart, I have five children plus a wiener dog with a nervous bladder. Bring me to your next event!
Every church leader longs for their people to not just buy into the unique vision God has for their church, but to actually own the vision personally.
When volunteers choose to make the ministry their ministry, when ordinary people attempt extraordinary steps of faith for the Lord, and when the hearts of people in your church beat faster dreaming about what could be and whatshould be, the Kingdom of God moves forward faster!
At Life Church, the vision is to Reach the Lost at Any Cost.
We are all about Jesus - dangerously, obsessively, undeniably Jesus.
Our tribe is willing to do the things nobody else is doing in order to reach the people nobody else is reaching!
Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable.
(Matthew 13:34)
Jesus always taught using stories that people could understand.
The Son of God connected spiritual truths with sticky stories that anyone could remember and connect with.
Since God created us with minds that are hungry for stories, I say why not reach people far from God by leveraging the Star Wars stories with the Christmas story?!
For example, our current outreach series is Star Wars Christmas - We're sharing the story from a long time ago in a Bethlehem far, far away!
When we first attempted this ambitious approach to sharing the message of Christ back in 2015, God gave us favor with the Associated Press and our reach was extended as far away as Time Magazine's Money, USA Today, and The Washington Times!
When D.L. Moody was attempting to reach street orphans in Chicago with the Gospel back in the 1800's, he did something extraordinary: He rented a Saloon for Sunday School on Sunday nights! To get children in the door, he offered free candy, pony rides, and pennies. And his outreach methods worked!
The only pushback Moody received was from religious people. Moody's response is my motto:
"I prefer the way I do evangelism to the way you don't."
What excites me most is seeing our Lifers own the outreach and running with it!
Nothing brings a bigger smile to my face than hearing stories of Lifers texting friends and talking about Star Wars at work as a bridge toward a Sunday invite.
Every invitation is an opportunity.
Every opportunity is one step closer toward the Gospel.
I had a BLAST sharing about what God is doing at the church I love, partying with Chris Farley, PLUS how EXCITED I was to open for LEE STROBEL at the Outreach Summit!
Jonathan says the two main ingredients to church leadership in the 21st century are laughter and love.
Laughter because comedy clubs are packed and our pews are empty; using the principles of improv-comedy can help church leaders unleash authenticity and the love of Christ.
We're losing ground in North America because we're doing ministry out of memory, trying to fit in and please men.
Instead, we need more mavericks to simply listen to God and do what he says.
First-time guests are looking for a reason not to return to church.
People must feel environmentally-secure before they become theologically-aware.
Laughter is universal: It breaks the ice, and it's a wink to your audience that everyone in the room is on the same page.
If you want to reach Gen Z, stop trying to enforce the rules and instead become an outpost of grace.
As our church has grown, our staff team has literally shrunk by 50% due to bad hires and sending out church planters.
Goodbyes always hurt, so laughter and levity heals.
Jesus did promise that leading a growing church will always get harder, not easier.
Do not believe the lie that you've arrived or are entitled. That's the beginning of the downward spiral.
Leaders are learners.
You have got to keep your edge by remaining hungry, humble, and willing to hustle.
Seminary does not prepare you for reaching people far from God; it only shows you how to exegete ancient languages (which is important) and how to maintain a small group (which is antithetical to the Great Commission).
Jonathan Herron, founding pastor of Life Church Michigan with campuses in Bay City, Midland, and Saginaw, Michigan
That was preached and modeled by Jesus nearly two thousand years ago.
No matter what someone's upbringing, skin color, or background, every person is an image-bearer of God and is of great worth and immense value.
Jesus lived this out in a poignant moment after He rose from the dead.
The Scriptures tell us that after the Resurrection, Jesus stuck around for 40 days before returning Home.
Let me ask you a question:
If you are the Son of God and you have only 40 days left to show people worldwide that you're alive, who would you pursue?
Kings? Presidents? YouTube Stars?
I know that I certainly would not pursue a former close friend who had betrayed and backstabbed me.
That would be a waste of my time, right?
Not according to Jesus.
Every Person Matters.
Even the person who hurt you most deeply.
Enroute to the Cross, Jesus' right-hand man Peter had denied Christ three times.
Three times!
After the Resurrection, Jesus pursued Peter.
This is mind-blowing because Peter was a 7 day journey away up in Galilee, fishing and sulking with his buddies.
So get this: the resurrected Christ spent 7 of His 40 days walking north to Galilee, all for one person: Peter.
Every Person Matters.
In John chapter 21, Jesus comes upon Peter.
Jesus does not lecture, or point fingers, or give Peter the silent treatment... Jesus cooks Peter breakfast!
Because Peter had dropped the ball three times, we discover that Jesus forgives and restores Peter three times.
It's that third moment of restoration that gets me:
Then Jesus asked him again, “Peter, son of John, do you have great affection for me?”
Peter was saddened by being asked the third time and said, “My Lord, you know everything. You know that I burn with love for you!”
Jesus replied, “Then feed my lambs!"
(John 21:17, The Passion Translation)
Peter was a fisherman.
In his line of work, he had to pay a tax to Rome for every single fish he caught and kept.
This meant that fishermen would look at a caught fish and if it seemed weak or not good enough, they would throw the sickly fish away.
After all, who wants to pay a tax on a fish that doesn't matter anyway?
Jesus looks into Peter's eyes and basically says,
"You are no longer a fisherman who casually throws fish out of the boat. You are now a shepherd. In a shepherd's eyes, every single lamb matters because every single lamb is pure potential. They just need extra love, extra attention, and someone willing to take care of them and show them the way forward. A shepherd is willing to do whatever it takes to find and feed the sheep."
The Great Lakes Bay Region is a diverse region full of pure potential.
What ignites that potential?
Jesus.
And so we are all about making Jesus famous, one life at a time.
We are Kamikaze Disciples.
We want to make it HARD for people in our region to go to hell and EASY for people in our region to go to a Life Church location!
Trust me, it makes NO SENSE to essentially launch three church start-ups in six years.
The hours are long, the work is tough, critics are loud and the pay often averages less than a school teacher.
Yet that is what God has called us to do: Reach the Lost at Any Cost.
We are United Under One Vision.
Stewarding this vision has been my job since Amber and I began putting the pieces together for a new church start-up back in 2011.
Raising up leaders has been our concentration since launching Life Church on March 17, 2013.
Championing the reach of Life Church has been our ambition as God has graciously grown us into one church in three locations: Bay City, Midland, and Saginaw.
Even though I am free from obligations to others, I joyfully make myself a servant to all in order to win as many converts as possible."
(Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23)
I am proud that Life Church was the first church in Mid-Michigan to experiment with multiple locations.
If Every Person Matters, Let's Bet the Ocean.
I'm not here to play tiddly-winks.
I have zero interest in the status quo of a Yacht Club when God has called us to be a Rescue Boat.
We exist for the benefit of our non-members.
Playing it safe is too risky.
And our movement chooses to pray audacious prayers while moving forward at the speed of faith.
Life Church is less Atari and more Apple.
We will bet the ocean and not play in puddles.
I will not bring God my leftovers when He deserves my first and best.
Movements Move
If every person matters, then every Sunday matters.
That's the secret sauce of Life Church's incredible growth in such a short time: We will not surrender a single Sunday!
Every weekend worship experience is an opportunity to point people to the hope we all share.
Humor Over Hammer
My job isn't to lecture people or beat them up over their life choices.
I just want to paint a picture of what their lives could be and should be.
Following Jesus will make your life better and make you better at life!
We've discovered that humor travels further than hammer.
Make 'Em Laugh
Humor is our default in sharing God's timeless message in timely ways.
And now, it appears more people are catching on to what we're up to.
Our mischief as Kamikaze Disciples apparently caught the attention of Outreach Magazine, a national publication for church leaders.
Every year, Outreach compiles their popular Fall edition listing the 100 Fastest-Growing Churches in America.
Today they let the cat out of the bag with this article online: Life Church is on their list!
Dang it, We Just Missed the Top 10
Of course, it blows my mind that anyone would take notice of our feeble efforts here in the High Five State.
It's even crazier that we cracked the Top 20 in Growth for 2019.
I believe it's all because we serve an extraordinary God and we are a church family full of extraordinary Lifers.
The people of Life Church pray like it depends on God and work like it depends on them.
Our Lifers are incredibly special to me.
But dang it, we just missed the Top 10!
(kidding)
Dream Bigger
If I've learned anything in my faith journey, it's that I cannot out-dream God.
His ways are not my ways and His thoughts are not my thoughts.
I don't think God is impressed by our ranking on the Outreach Magazine list.
If we were the 11th fastest-growing church in America for 2019 with only a small percentage of Lifers ALL IN (both serving and tithing), how much faster would we be growing with 100% of Lifers ALL IN?
Healthy Things Grow and the choice is ours.
We can choose to be brave, trust God, and take our next steps forward in serving and generosity. That's healthy.
Healthy things grow.
Unhealthy things miss out.
God cannot and will not bless disobedience.
Hearts that are open-handed with their time and their treasures are what God multiplies and blesses.
So Here's My Challenge to our Lifers
1) I love you. I am proud of you. What God is doing here is special.
2) We can do better. Jesus deserves our very best efforts in changing the world, not our leftovers.
3) I am challenging you to go ALL IN on serving twice a month.
We've simplified everything so that serving is fun, easy, and exciting!
4) And yes, I am challenging you to take baby steps forward in generosity.
