Jonathan Herron

5 Reasons Church Planting Will Ruin Your Life

Thinking of starting a new church from scratch?

Got the itch to "graduate" from leading the youth group to becoming the lead pastor of your own thing?

Sure, church planting looks hot and sexy on Instagram, but take it from me, there are 5 Reasons Church Planting Will Ruin Your Life:

5.  Get Used To Being Broke.

You will never have all the resources you used to have at your cushy, all-expenses-paid, endowed former established church.  Church planting is like Adulting for Church Leaders: you'll learn very quickly that receipts matter and you'll have to get used to raising cash for your salary and ministry needs.   

The good news?  You're reaching people far from God.  The bad news?  Baby Christians don't tithe. 

There's a reason the Apostle Paul wrote so many fundraising letters (I'm looking at you, 2 Corinthians).  Stop whining and get used to it.

 

4. Get Used to Being Misunderstood.

You're a dreamer, like Joseph.  You can pitch a crowd on what could be and what should be with both hands tied behind your back and blindfolded.  Vision is just your thing.

And because you're seeking to persuade people to join your cause, you will be misunderstood.  Some church people will assume you're in it for the money (*ahem* See #5 above). Others will think you want to become the next attention-starved Celebrity Pastor.

Here's the thing: They won't actually come to you with their "concerns."  Instead of a face-to-face conversation, misunderstandings happen through behind-the-scenes condemnation.  You'll be going through life, doing ministry, minding your own business when WHAM-O!  You're socked from the rear by a book-length Facebook post that tags everyone in your church.

Not cool, but it really does happen.  A lot.

Whatever the case, just remember that passive aggressiveness is not a fruit of the Spirit.  Put on that Ephesians 6 Armor and suck it up because being misunderstood sucks.

 

3.  Get Used to Having Zero Vacation Time.

When you're the only staff member on staff, who can you trust to fill in for you?  Further, if you really do believe that every Sunday is somebody's first Sunday, do you want their first Sunday to be a JV experience?

You see, it's not that you don't have dedicated, carved out vacation time on the calendar... It's that you are constantly in Vision / Survival Mode and it requires your direct attention.  This makes missing a Sunday nearly impossible.  Is this healthy?  No, and that is why you will need to really think through a strategy for getting dedicated time off to recharge your batteries.

 

2. Get Used to the High Turn-Over Rate.

Just like Shakira's hips, statistics don't lie.  Do you know what percentage of your church start-up will experience turnover two years in?  100%.  That's right, complete turn-over. 

Starting a church from scratch requires sacrificial amounts of energy, time, giving, and buy-in.  It will wear on your people over time.

Get ready for experiencing pain.  In fact, your pain threshold is also your leadership lid.  Love people and hold them loosely with open hands.  Bless them on the way out but don't be shocked when they're on their way out.

 

1.  Get Used to Collapsing at Jesus' Feet.

At the end of the day, Jesus is the Senior Pastor of your church; you're just an undershepherd (see 1 Peter 5).  This means that He is responsible for what happens in your church start-up, not you.  It's His church, not yours. 

And so you can cast your cares on Him because He really, really does care for you. 

Collapsing at Jesus' Feet gets you off your pedestal and into a position of submission.  Advancing the church on your knees is the best strategy for reaching people far from God.

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.

Leadership & Ministry Resources for Prevailing Churches

Revealing the secrets of popular comedians, my passion is to provide you with a fresh approach to life + leadership:

 

- Unleash contagious enthusiasm

- Equip leaders to leverage laughter and passion

- Create sustainable momentum in your life and leadership

 

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Instagram & Twitter - @HighFiveJon & JonathanHerron.com

 

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Sermon on the Dugout

SERMON ON THE DUGOUT: LIFE CHURCH HOLDING SERVICE AT DOW DIAMOND

Sunday morning's event is free and open to public
by Jon Becker, for the Midland Daily News  |  May 19, 2022

 

MIDLAND — Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and … church? Yes, you read that right. America’s pastime is not normally associated with passionate preaching, live bands and a worship service, but that’s exactly what’s going on Sunday, May 22 at Dow Diamond.

Life Church, a Great Lakes Loons 2022 partner, is holding its weekly church service at the Loons' home stadium beginning at 11 a.m. The event is free and open to the public.

The nondenominational church likes to get creative in its approach to inspiring people to become engaged in their faith.

 

“We believe that faith is a journey, not a guilt trip,” said Jonathan Herron, founding pastor of the nine-year-old church. “We take our faith seriously but don’t take ourselves too seriously.”

Since Life Church is sponsoring Faith & Family Nights throughout the Loons’ 2022 season, “We thought it would be fun to actually hold a church service along the first base line,” Herron said. “We’re always brainstorming for new ideas for engaging our community at Life Church. We love bringing families together.”

Minor League Baseball is noted for its family-friendly game experiences. The Loons, who hosted their second School Kids Day of the year on Tuesday, are all in for a Sunday sermon at the ballpark.

“Faith and Fellowship Nights has been a staple at the ballpark for well over 10 years,” said Tyler Kring, the Loons’ assistant general manager of business development. “Faith is part of the journey for many of our players. We’re excited to be partnering with Life Church this season.”

The church’s house band, Kingdom Sound, will lead modern worship songs outdoors, followed by Pastor Herron sharing scripture from atop the first base dugout. The pastor also plans to interview some current Loons players about their faith journeys.

 

“Through this event, we hope to engage more Midland and Sanford area households as we gather a core group to launch our Midland campus this September,” Herron explained. “The plan is to become one church in two locations. We’ll have worship Sundays at 9:30 a.m. via Northwood University’s Griswold Theater, followed by worship at our Saginaw campus at 11:15 a.m.”

Michaela Yenior, of Midland, attended her first Life Church service about a year and a half ago and was quickly captivated.

“They’re on to something here,” Yenior remembers thinking. She added of Sunday's plans, “This event is really exciting and works within the scope of Life Church’s mission: reach the lost at any cost. The church is willing to think outside of the box.”

“We’re kind of known for doing things big,” said Herron, noting the church’s annual Easter Egg Helicopter Drop as proof positive that Life Church will pull out any and all stops to advance its mission.

 

“Pastor Herron is an incredible guy,” said Life Church parishioner Arnel Hipolito. “He’s selfless. The church has been through some ups and downs, but he’s kept going forward. He’s done a lot of outreach in the community. It’ll be interesting to hear him preach gospel from the dugout. He’s a passionate, fired-up guy, but it’s his leadership acumen that really stands out.”

Hipolito, also of Midland, plays drums and guitar in Kingdom Sounds. He played at Dow Diamond a couple of times last year and really enjoyed the experience.

“It was hot and a lot of work, but fun,” he said. “You’re outside and you’re watching baseball. Who doesn’t enjoy watching baseball?”

On another occasion, the Greater Midland Tennis Center (where Hipolito works) treated a group of its employees to a Loons game.

 

“It’s great family entertainment,” Hipolito said.

Sunday will mark Life Church’s first foray into serving the Lord at Dow Diamond, so Herron is unsure how many people will show. However, “According to our Facebook Page, over 300 people have indicated that they are planning on coming.”

“Hopefully, we’ll get enough people to reopen our Midland location,” Yenior said.

Life Church in Midland closed during the pandemic. This Sunday’s morning event is part of the plan to relaunch Life Church’s Midland campus this fall, Herron said.

 

Herron encourages people to invite neighbors and friends for church at the ballpark and to then to stick around and purchase tickets for the ballgame that follows. At 1:05 p.m. Sunday, the Loons will conclude a six-game home series against the Lansing Lugnuts.

What It Takes to Be a Great Church Campus Leader

What it takes to be a GREAT Campus Leader

BIG IDEA: Campus Leaders have Hustle + Intensity about the Total Guest Experience

1. Hustle = Self-Led 

• CHASES Jesus on their own with passion
  
  
• INITIATIVE - Does not need constant motivation
  Jon would rather REIGN IN a STALLION
  than MOTIVATE a MULE!
  
  
• Secure as a Son of the House (Old Testament Idea)
  
  - Son of the House > Hired Hand
  - As the House spreads out, the Sons have to protect the UNITY of the House
  
  - Heart of an Heir; Understands their role in the House
  - What we can do TOGETHER is GREATER than what we can do APART!
  
  - A Son is not focused on their title or accolades.
  - A Son understands their inheritance is in the future.
  
  - A Son works HARDER because they are a Son, not a Hired Hand
  - Hired Hands wants a paycheck; Sons sacrifice for what’s best for the House.
  - Sons have the right HEART Attitude
  
  
• Campus Leaders are not trying to build their OWN thing because they are HEIRS to the WHOLE thing!

2. Hustle + Intensity = Able to Gather More People to the Cause

• Sons draw MORE people into the House; Employees draw people to themselves.
  
  
• Charisma -- You gotta be likeable + Plant yourself where the Guests are!
  
  
• Become Intensely Hyper about what Guests FEEL when they arrive.
  
• We want every Guest to feel like a million bucks!
  
  
• You must be the SPARK that inspires your teams to love + serve Guests!
  
  
• Law of the Lid = YOU are the Lid of your campus.  If you are only a 7, expect your volunteers to rise to 5’s or 6’s.  
  
  
• Humor Over Hammer -- Leverage a fun personality to connect with Guests and in High Touch during the weekdays.  People are attracted to fun-loving people!
  
  
• Make The Ask -- Many people are just waiting for YOU to DIRECTLY and CLEARLY ask them to join in!

3.  Hustle to Empower People

• You can have Control or Growth, but you can’t have BOTH.
  
  
• Give away ministry -- Ephesians 4:12: “Equip the Lifers for ministry!”
  
  
• It takes security to let go -- Success is having MORE volunteers on the team!
  
  
• Make sure your new team members FEEL equipped -- double-check/over-communicate training resources and that YOU are cheering for them!
  
  
• Empowered people have OWNERSHIP and are ALL IN!
  
  
• Empowered people meet new friends and develop relationships.  Every first-time guest wants to feel known, first by YOU and then by OTHERS.
  
  
• Guests need 7 new friends in 6 months in order to STAY at your campus.

4.  Reproduce Yourself

• You are a Paul, recruit a Timothy (Ready Now) and a Titus (Ready in 6 Months).

AMAZON JUST SHARED ITS SECRET TO SUCCESS (AND YOU CAN USE IT TOO!)

There is an energy and an optimism in the eyes of a startup team that's nearly impossible to replicate. Despite working ridiculously long hours, sacrificing time, family, money, and pretty much all of the things that most of us hold holy in life, a startup team produces a euphoria that only they can fully understand. If you've been there, you know what I'm talking about.

When it comes to starting something from scratch, the feeling that results is unmatchable. The attitude, the hunger, the passion, the ability to move and adapt instantly, the willingness to take risks, and the sheer energy and enthusiasm you have in a startup is as good as it gets. When you lose that, you lose the ability to grow, and that will be the greatest challenge to success and threat to innovation.

I've often struggled to put a name to the unique chemistry of a startup. Amazon’s Jeff Bezos has, and it captures beautifully all of the trials, tribulations, and magic of the entrepreneurial spirit. He calls it being a day one company. He is so passionate about the importance of staying a day one company, the building he works in is called day one!

According to Bezos, a day one company's obsessive goal should be to avoid becoming a day two company. In his own words, "Day two is stasis. Followed by irrelevance. Followed by excruciating, painful decline. Followed by death. And that is why [for Amazon] it is always day one."

According to Bezos, "Day One" means that Amazon will always act like a startup. To act like a startup, Bezos requires Amazon employees to do these four things:

• Be obsessed with the customer

• Focus on results over process

• Make high quality decisions quickly

• Embrace external trends quickly

I read this to mean always be innovating, because the alternative is to go out of business. To Bezos you either act like a startup or die.

(via Inc.)

Have You Considered a Church Merger?

We Are Better Together

Church mergers have become one of the most effective strategies for struggling churches to thrive again, for growing churches to amplify their reach, and for church facilities to be better utilized to advance the Gospel in a region.

What is a Church Merger?

When two or more churches become one through the combining, integrating, and unifying of people, structures, systems, and resources in order to better reach their community with the message of Jesus.

Three Types of Church Mergers

1. Rebirth
   Typically when a struggling church gets a second life by being restarted under a stronger, vibrant, usually larger church.
   
   
2. Adoption
   This occurs when a stable or stuck church is integrated under the leadership of a stronger, vibrant, usually larger church.
   
   
3. Marriage
   Typically when two growing churches realign with each other under a unified vision and new leadership configuration.

Questions to Consider

1. Could we accomplish more together than we could separately?  Would we find more ministry synergy, created by the two churches joining with common vision and purpose?
   
   2. Would my congregation benefit from this merger?  Would my individual congregation be better, healthier or stronger by joining with this church?
   
   3. Would our community be better served by us working together?  By joining forces, can we make a bigger impact in our surrounding community?
   
   4. Could the Kingdom of God be further extended by us joining together? Would uniting help us make more and better disciples of Jesus?

 

INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE?  Let Us Know!

Top 5 Podcasts Inspiring Me Right Now

Leaders are learners: When you stop learning, you stop leading.

Thanks to podcasts, learning is as close as a click!

For what it's worth, here are the Top 5 Podcasts Inspiring Me Right Now:

 

1. Building a Story Brand with Donald Miller
   
   
2. The Pastors Collective
   
   
3. EntreLeadership
   
   
4. The Fearless Podcast
   
   
5. Church Fuel

 

What other podcasts should I add to my list?

8 Powerful Questions Church Leaders Need to Ask Themselves Ahead of This Weekend

 

Tips & Questions to Ask Ourselves Before Serving This Weekend:

 

• Are we the CENTER or are we a SERVANT?
  
  
• How do we want new Guests to feel when they drive onto our Campus?
  
  
• How do we want CHILDREN to feel during the hour they are in our care?
  
  
• How do we want people to FEEL during worship?
  
  
• What do we want people to EXPERIENCE?
  
  
• Who am I discipling/investing in at my church? The minute we stop investing in others is the inute they stop investing in us.
  
  
• Am I chasing a PLATFORM or am I chasing after PEOPLE far from God?
  
  
• This Sunday, what worship journey do we want Guests to go on?

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Inside Peek at Our Sunday Sync-Up for Life Church Staff & Interns

Something new we're experimenting with on Sundays at Life Church is a 7:30am Facebook Private Sync-Up for all Staff and Interns.

For what it's worth, here is what I live-streamed to my teammates this morning to focus everyone on making Sunday happen!

LifeChurchMichigan.com /// FearlessLeaders.net