7 Factors That Caused Life Church Michigan to Explode

The news is sad: over 85% of churches are plateaued or declining.

I get asked all the time why Life Church Michigan is exploding:
Since launching 5 years ago, my church has grown from 0 people to 1,200 people and is now launching our third church campus.

Of course, God is making it grow (1 Corinthians 3).

For what it’s worth, here are 7 Factors I recently shared during a Fearless Leadership Online Coaching Event that I believe led to our rapid growth:

1. Early on, we identified WHO we were trying to reach and HOW to shepherd the four types of groups in every church.
   
   I go into detail on the four types of groups in every church during this recent Fearless Leadership Coaching Event.
   
   

2. It starts in the HEART of the LEADER who ignites a PASSION in the PEOPLE.
   As goes the LEADER, so go the PEOPLE!
   Combining my speaking gifts with my passion for the Lost, my goal every Sunday is to have people leave the church talking about stories from the message.
   

3. We decided to be a church that PLANS for 20% GROWTH ANNUALLY.
   10% growth = our power.
   20% growth = God’s power!
   All of our internal systems are designed for a church TWICE our size so that when we grow to that size, we are ALREADY READY for the INCREASE.

5. Facilities are NOT a BARRIER.

The earliest Christ followers in Acts had NO facilities — what they LACKED in RESOURCES they GAINED in being RESOURCEFUL! I unpacked this in greater detail during the Fearless Leadership Online Coaching Event.

6. We decided from Day One to be WILLING to do WHATEVER.

We unapologetically focus on the WEEKENDS: If you don’t draw a crowd, people will not say Yes to Christ (empty rooms kill your credibility)!

7. We created a STRONG INVITING CULTURE. A consistent product on Sundays = No Surprises for our people when they stick their necks out to invite friends to church!

BONUS TIP FOR LEADERS: BACKBONE. Get one.

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Never Say No for Other People

I'm a little fired up right now.

Someone just told me they didn't make an ask because they didn't think the person would go for it.

In other words, they said "no" for them.

They "passed" on behalf of the person without even giving them the chance to say "yes."

Let me tell you something...

When it comes to making things happen, everyone has a job.

Your job is to dream audaciously, act courageously and make big asks.

Their job is to say yes or no. And this is their job alone.

Never say no for other people.
Do you know why most church leaders don't lead growing churches?

It's not because they're not capable.

It's not because they don't want to try.
It's because they don't think anyone will buy in to their audacious vision for the future.
They say "no" for the church!

When I planted our church from scratch, I had to get people to buy into the vision and volunteer for an organization that existed only in my head. I had to pull off a miracle with very little money.

So I contacted all the local news stations asking if they would do an interview with me on live television.

Nearly every news producer didn't return my call.  Why would anyone give free, expensive airtime to an unknown, unproven local pastor with no people?

One did.

In what would have cost $35,000 to buy, I received free television airtime to talk about my new church start-up.

Are you kidding me?? That's impossible, right!?

Never Say No for Other People.

Last week, my wife and I found ourselves with a sudden, unexpected adoption bill well North of $15,000.

We were at the end of our rope.

We had no way to come up with that amount of money in 48 hours.

So I started a spur-of-the-moment telethon online.

Did I know if anyone would tune in?  No.

Would an online audience donate money for our cause?  I had no idea.

Was I assured that all my hard work and sweat and financial asks would result in reaching our goal?  Nope.

But I understood this principle of leadership: provision always follows vision.

Leaders have to jump off the cliff first if they expect others to follow.

For 35 hours live online, I shared my heart, we refused to give up, and we prayed that God would bless our efforts.

The end result?

We raised more than $15,000 in 48 hours from strangers online.

Never Say No for Other People.

You have a decision to make this week.

Big asks are part of leadership.

Will everyone support your crazy, audacious vision or goal?

Probably not.

But we will only ever be spectators of other people's achievements and triumphs if we take on the job of saying "no" for other people!

We're Having a Baby

My life just got turned upside-down.

Can you relate?

To catch up to our crazy, life-changing story, first watch this Facebook Livestream.

Still with me?

Sunday afternoon we got a phone call from one of our adopted children’s birthmoms.

She had a baby girl on Saturday and asked if we would adopt her baby.

Here’s how we broke the news to our kids:

Baby Girl is Adorable

Yesterday my wife and I were in Detroit and met our new Baby Girl!

If you SUBSCRIBE to my new YouTube Channel, you can see all the brief video updates we shared!

And yes, we are proud to publicly announce our Baby Girl’s name in this video:

Help Us Bring Our Baby Girl Home to Team Herron

As you can imagine, infant adoption is expensive… and this fell into our laps suddenly, so we’re racing to raise funds!

Thankfully, our friends at Adoption Associates have cut the adoption fees by 50% because of the rare circumstances involved!

We have to raise just over $10,000 in two weeks.

Our friend Monica Lynch designed exclusive new Raising Arrows gear based on Psalm 127 (tee’s, hoodies, Under Armour hats) that benefit our adoption HERE.

We’re also thankful for everyone who has pitched on our new GoFundMe.com/TeamHerron page — you all rock!

THANK YOU for your prayers, encouragement, and support during this crazy journey God has called our family into.

We love you!

Billy Graham on the Earliest Christ Followers

Speaking about the first Christians, Billy Graham said:

 "They had no Bibles, no cemeteries, no Bible schools.

No radios or telephones.

No printing presses.

No churches.

Nothing!

However, they turned the world upside down in one generation. What did they have? They had an experience with the living Christ. They had the filling of the Holy Spirit."

Improvise / Adapt / Overcome

Marines get stuff done.

They face impossible missions yet always prevail.

2 Timothy 2:1-6 tells leaders to think like a marine.

During a recent Fearless Leadership Coaching Session, I shared 8 Leadership Lessons from the Marine Corp: Common Sense Principles for Success.

I hope these 8 Leadership Lessons encourage you and your team to fearlessly lead your church to grow!

Suck It Up

Yes, leadership is hard and tough.

If you want everyone to like you, sell ice cream cones!

Leadership is hard, but it’s worth it.

Paul told Timothy to suck it up and press on (2 Timothy 2:3).

And when I feel stressed or scared or overwhelmed, I remember the fearlessness of Christian leaders who have come before me.

One of my favorite historical leaders was John Chrysostom.

When John Chrysostom (ca. 347-407) was brought before the empress Eudoxia, she threatened him with banishment if he insisted on his Christian independence as a preacher.

“You cannot banish me, for this world is my Father’s house.”

“But I will kill you,” said the empress.

“No, you cannot, for my life is hid with Christ in God,” said John.

“I will take away your treasures.”

“No, you cannot, for my treasure is in heaven and my heart is there.”

“But I will drive you away from your friends and you will have no one left.”

“No, you cannot, for I have a Friend in heaven from whom you cannot separate me. I defy you, for there is nothing you can do to harm me.”

Today, you have permission to be fearless.

You Gotta Start Somewhere

You gotta start somewhere.

For me, it was hiring a local videographer, buying (expensive!) television airtime, and taking a big huge, scary leap of faith!

God loves creating beauty out of ashes and healthy fruit out of tiny seeds:

"Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin..." (Zechariah 4:10)

6 years ago today we started airing this tv ad, trying to create momentum for monthly preview services -- the beginnings of Life Church Michigan.

It worked.

Today we are a healthy, thriving, fast-growing movement of changed lives and about to launch our 3rd campus in the Great Lakes Bay Region (still blows me away!).

My advice?

Never give up.

Never, never, never, NEVER give up on your dream.

Ignore the haters
(the loudest boos always come from the cheapest seats!).

If God has called you to it, He will see you through it!

#PressOn

NEW Fearless Leadership Podcast

I love pouring into church leaders and church planters.  

When a leader gets better, everyone gets better and Heaven becomes more crowded as a result!

I'm passionate about doing whatever it takes to reach more people far from God and I want to help as many leaders as I can in that mission.

So, we're going to launch a new venture into the podcasting landscape...

My new Fearless Leadership podcast launches this Tuesday!

Fearless Leadership will focus on how to shatter your growth barriers by sharing practical church leadership tips from the worlds of improv-comedy and church planting. 

My first guest is an alum of Saturday Night Live sharing great insights from the world of comedy for leaders!

Thanks everyone for your support -- the best is yet to come!