Jonathan Herron

2 QUESTIONS TO ASK IF YOUR CHURCH FEELS STUCK

Churches get stuck all the time.

Too often we can find ourselves doing ministry out of memory.

 

For what it's worth, here are 2 Important Questions for Fearless Leaders to ask...

 

1) HAVE WE LOST OUR LOVE FOR LOST PEOPLE?

400 years ago Protestants fled England and came to the New World to set up churches... for themselves. If your church is insider-focused, it's because of our Pilgrim heritage!

 

Ignite your passion for what ignites God's heart -- Remind your church that EVERY person matters!

 

If your church is reaching the lost, you WILL be a target from RELIGIOUS people!

 

Religious people were ALWAYS walking away and rejecting Jesus throughout His ministry. If you are not receiving the same rejection as Jesus, then you may not be preaching the same gospel that Jesus preached!

 

Ask yourself: Am I a fisher of men or a keeper of an aquarium?

 

2) AM I LEADING WITH A RISING LEVEL OF HOPE?

Nothing great ever happens THROUGH YOU until it happens TO YOU!

 

Look at every great hero in the Scriptures:

• Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness before ascending into leadership
• David was living in a cave down by the river for a decade
• Peter beat himself up after rejecting Jesus three times

 

God LOVES using BROKEN people to minister to BROKEN people!

 

The key is to not wallow in your brokenness. Minister from the OVERFLOW of what the Lord is doing in your life and in your heart! You cannot lead people to a place that you are not already at.

 

The most important thing I do as a leader: Making sure that I stay encouraged!

 

Ask yourself: 'What things CHARGE MY BATTERIES?'

If your internal batteries aren't charged up, you will fall into weariness.

 

DISCOURAGEMENT precedes DESTRUCTION:

The Enemy RUINS your FUTURE by first RUINING your DAY so that you will run toward destructive habits and choices!

 

 

 

Want more?

 

Check out the new Church Growth Network!

I Believe in You

Friend,

Rise up!

You are NOT held back by your past mistakes or present hurts.

Not pressed down by the expectations of others or those you place on yourself.

Make CONFIDENCE your stance -- take COURAGE!

Chase your dreams + give your best to stay authentic, fearless, risky and real.

Fiercely pursue the passions He has placed on your heart.

Choose to live in FAITH, not fear.

Go do it!

Embrace your calling.

You are God-commissioned -- specifically selected for His work.

He CHOSE and created you for such a time as this.

You're empowered to BE who you were created to be!

Cheering you on,

Jonathan

///

PS - Let's connect together!

BE BRAVE ENOUGH TO SUCK AT SOMETHING NEW

‘Wisdom comes to the heart that is hungry for God.’ (A.W. Tozer)

Whenever I feel discouraged and want to quit something, I remember the words of my then 3-year-old after she puked carrots all over the living room floor: “I’m gonna need more carrots.”

‘As a leader, you will have to make decisions that those whom you lead and even spectators won’t understand for years.’ (Dr. Eric Mason)

Leaders are targets for the Enemy. If you’re leading out front, then of course you’re going to be on the receiving end of fiery darts. Expect it.

Misunderstandings and miscommunications will happen.

You cannot control other people’s perceptions. You can only control your own actions and reactions.

Be careful with what you hear about someone. You might be hearing it from the problem.

As soon as we step into condemnation instead of conversation, we can no longer see that person clearly.

 

/ / /

 

‘A perverse man sows strife and a whisperer separates the best of friends.’ (Proverbs 16:28)

People don’t own you when they hurt you. They own you when your entire life is defined by that hurt.

If you’ve been burned, heal. If someone has an issue with you and they’re telling everyone except you, they don’t have a real issue with you. They just enjoy the attention they get from talking about you.

 

/ / /

 

‘Love God and He will enable you to love others even when they disappoint you.’ (Francine Rivers)

The only way to handle ‘prodigals’ is to let them go, give them to God, and pray for their return with tears. And when you see them on the horizon with their head hung low, wrap your arms around them and welcome them home.

We are all rough drafts of the person we are becoming.

Don’t be afraid to start over. It’s a chance to build something better this time!

Sure, the winds feel strong and your team is small. Stand firm. If you set your anchor, you won’t drift.

WE SAW PEOPLE LEAVE OUR CHURCH

 

"This past year affected our church in a really significant way.

We saw people leave because they were frustrated that we weren’t meeting soon enough.

We saw people leave because they thought we were trying to meet again too soon.

We saw people leave as we taught the Bible in a way that didn’t align exactly with their political party of choice.

We saw people leave because they thought we didn’t take a strong enough stance on social issues.

We saw people leave because they thought we took too strong of a stance on social issues.

We saw people leave because they thought that the Enneagram was satanic.

We saw people leave because they thought we weren’t doing enough.

We saw people leave because they were relocating for a new job, they wanted to move to a more affordable area, or they were moving to be closer to family and countless other reasons.

But the bottom line is this: We saw a lot of people leave."

///

This video was heartbreaking when Amber and I came across it last week.

We could relate.

We've experienced all these things + more in the past 12 months too.

This pandemic took a tremendous toll on our family and ministry.

Nearly every day I felt like a pinata full of bees.

But you know what?

I've discovered there is something beautiful that emerges in the pain.

We can choose to run to the church instead of away from the church.

We are all rough drafts of the person we are becoming.

///

If you found yourself in a place far from your church home, may I gently encourage you to go back to your church home and try again?

Perhaps confession and forgiveness is your next step.

Be the bigger person. Apologize. Reach out.

See what God can do through you.

If you found yourself nodding throughout the video as a fellow church leader, may I encourage you?

Don't give up.

Not now.

You have too much potential and too many lives to change.

Every loss is a lesson.

Get better and get moving.

///

Don't Give Up!

In Christ, your best days are NOT behind you.

There is another chapter God wants to write through you.

In Christ, the BEST is YET to come!

Three Big Ideas I Learned from Bob Goff at Dream Big

If you haven't heard of the Dream Big Framework yet, here's the scoop:

Imagine a two day Master Class dedicated to the Art of Strategic Whimsy plus Making Your Dreams Happen.  Then imagine that the core instructor is Chief Balloon Inflator and New York Times Bestselling Author, Bob Goff!

Dream Big happened at just the right time in my life. 

I'm walking through a season of refining my character and redefining my dreams for the future. 

Bob has been gracious to step in as a personal coach during this season and he is challenging my socks off in grace-filled ways.

Bob unpacks the Dream Big Framework in 7 parts:

• Set Absurd Expectations
• Explore Opportunities
• Clear the Path
• Take Action
• Expect Setbacks
• Sustain Belief
• Land the Plane

Everyone walks away from Dream Big ready to take on the world in positive ways. 

For me, there were three big ideas that Bob challenged me with that I thought I'd share here...

 

1) What Do I Want to Be Known For?

When I spend time with Bob on the phone for coaching calls, he keeps asking me the same powerful question: "Who is in my chair?"

What he's asking is, what do I want to be known for? 

My titles range from 'Daddy' to 'Comedian' to 'Pastor' to 'Author.'  That's a lot of titles to carry!  But a title is not who I am; they are roles I have the privilege of stepping into.

What I'm wrestling through now is how do I take the richness of my past experiences/wisdom and make them more accessible to help more people going forward?  

Jesus was always going around changing people's names and their destiny's for the better.  He's making some changes in my life right now as well.  I'm working on making a quarter-twist that will bring greater clarity to my life's mission of helping others.  Nailing down what that exactly looks like is the challenge.

I would rather fail as myself rather than succeed pretending to be someone I’m not.

2) Unlearn the Rules I've Told Myself

Bob pulled out a 16 inch softball invented during the Depression called a 'Clincher Ball.' 

The big idea was that the ball was soft enough that you wouldn't need to buy an expensive mitt to catch it and it was large enough that nobody could possibly hit a homerun.  

One of the rules I've unconsciously made in my life is that I always have to hit homeruns.  If it's not going to ship perfectly, I won't ship it at all.

Bob told me I need to give myself a Clincher Ball: It's not always about hitting homeruns! 

Somewhere along the way, I invented this Homerun Rule in my head because something unfair happened to me.  Bob told me not to go for FAIR... Go for BEING PRESENT!

Unlearning the rules I've told myself requires just a little bit of time and a little bit of courage.

3) Be Brave Enough to Suck at Something New

Playing it safe is too risky.  

Somehow along the way, I've slipped into playing it safe.

Bob is challenging me to set absurd expectations in my life again: "Don't let applause or affirmation dictate your choices. Applause is for the circus!"

He boiled it down to three key ideas that are kicking my butt:

• Figure out WHO you want to be.
• Have it inform WHAT you do.
• Do LOTS of THAT!

So there you have it: I'm choosing to Dream Big again, to burn the ships and explore new territories.

I've only got one life to live and so much to offer.

What's holding you back in life? 

What dreams would you pursue full throttle if you knew everyone was cheering you on?

Photo Credit: Tyler Wohlford

Monday Motivation: Be Direct + Be a Coach

Your job is not to make people feel good about themselves.

A fearless leader will step up and be direct, challenging their people to achieve more than they could ever dream of!

 

 

Fresh Leadership Resources to Motivate You

1) 3 New Ministry Tool I Can't Live Without --
https://jonathanherron.typepad.com/…/new-ministry-tools-pro…

2) Fearless Leadership Podcast #23: First Steps toward a Fast-Growing Church Start-Up -- YouTube.com/FearlessLeadership

3) NEW 2020 Staff Playbook + Worship Arts Playbook -- FearlessLeaders.net/membership

• * * BONUS: Live + Personal Online Coaching this Wednesday, 9am EST

Email highfivejon@gmail.com for a complimentary link!

Three New Ministry Tools I Can't Live Without

I am a busy leader.  

Kicking Monday in the face requires having the right tools in my tool belt.

Here are three new ministry tools that I LOVE and I cannot live without:

1. Evo - I have tried every organizational tool on the planet to no avail: Google Cal / Planners / Writing on My Hand... Nothing worked.  Then I discovered Evo - this is a gamechanger! 
   
   
   What makes Evo different is you first take a free Brain Type assessment that helps you understand your brains natural rhythms (I tested out as an Explorer -- spot on!). 
   
   Then you download the free Evo App and get your Brain Type's Evo Planner. 
   
   It.  Is.  Amazing. 
   
   My Evo Planner tells me exactly WHAT to write WHERE plus my App scans each day's writings to better assist me in being the best me possible!   
   
   The only negative is Evo's clunky website -- It looks like something from the Dharma Initiative on LOST.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Breeze - Our church was recently named the 11th Fastest Growing Church in America.  We have a LOT of guests who come through our doors across 4 worship experiences.  Tracking and connecting with guests is a huge hurdle.  We've tried software like Fellowship One (confusing and clunky), Planning Center (better, but still hard for volunteers to navigate), etc.
   
   Enter Breeze.  I have a hunch that Breeze was developed as a start-up from a Planning Center ex-employee -- it is very similar, yet WAAAAAY more easier for volunteers to navigate, more intuitive, and 75% cheaper than Planning Center.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Aplos - Clumsy name (sounds like a disease) with outstanding service.  Aplos is Life Church's new accounting service with industry-leading online finance management tools plus a personal off-site Bookkeeper that creates robust integrity for our donors. 
   
   
   Our bookkeeper is Miguel -- super cool guy who has patiently walked us step-by-step through a process for creating stronger accountability and systems inside our Finance Department. 
   
   Aplos easily links with Gusto for payroll services and I can't speak highly enough of these ministry tools.

Monday Motivation: The 4 Heartbeats of a Fearless Leader

Free Downloads & Resources for 2020

I love encouraging and equipping Church Leaders like you with insanely-practical resources.

Leadership is hard but the load gets a bit lighter when you have friends cheering you on!

That's why I started FearlessLeaders.net.

It is an honor and a joy to be a small part of God's larger Kingdom advancement!

Here are some we gave away in 2019 that you can have to use right now in 2020:

• Download my new e-book: How to Increase Giving by 15% This Year in 4 Easy Steps
  
  
•  Download 2020 Strategic Staff Growth Plan (via our friends at Lead On Monday)
  
  
• Breaking 200 Master Class Video Series
  
  
• Fearless Leadership Weekly Podcast on Apple, Spotify, or our personal fav: YouTube
  
  
• EMAIL ME  (jon@lifechurchmichigan.com) for Free Access to our next Fearless Leaders Online Coaching Livestream on Wednesday, January 8th at 8:15am EST

How Our Church Grew From Zero to 1,200 in Just 5 Years

I get emails all the time from church leaders asking about our church.

Recently I had the opportunity to encourage and equip church leaders at a Detroit-area Conference.

Here's my session on How Our Church Start-Up Rapidly Grew from Zero to 1,200 in Just 5 Years.

(ps - If you find this video to be helpful, then you're going to LOVE these videos too!)