How We Are Becoming One Church in Three Locations

I have a confession to make:

I’ve never led a church that started from scratch and grew this fast.

I wish I could say that I have all the answers.

I don’t.

My approach to leading the church I love is to:

• stay close to Christ

• listen to my wife

• be a student of the Word

• seek wisdom from movement leaders who love me and love my church.

REACHING MORE PEOPLE VIA MULTIPLICATION

By God’s grace, our 6-year-old church start-up has grown like weeds in fertilizer.

We want to Reach the Lost at Any Cost!

This Easter, we’re doing something so CRAZY, so AUDACIOUS, that is is DESTINED TO FAIL unless God intervenes.

At the ripe old age of 6 (we’re barely in Kindergarten!) we’re becoming ONE church in THREE locations across the Great Lakes Region of Michigan!

Would you pray for us this Easter season?

Pray that we would be wise in creating sustainable systems, training volunteers, getting the word out, and making Jesus famous, one life at a time!

How Churches Get Stuck (and How To Regain Momentum)

GET UNSTUCK NOW

I recently taught our Staff Team and Interns at Life Church Michigan about How Churches (Denominations / Programs / Movements) Get Stuck.

IF THIS HELPS YOU, PLEASE SHARE:

• When a LEADER gets better, the CHURCH gets better

• When a CHURCH gets better, HEAVEN gets more crowded!

  PS - More insanely-practical resources are at FearlessLeadershipNetwork.com

Happy 6th Birthday, Life Church Michigan

Six years ago TODAY my family risked EVERYTHING to launch a dream.

It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. (Romans 15:20)

It hasn’t always been easy. But it’s always been worth it.

6 years later we are in awe of our great God.

One church. 1,200 people. Three locations.

He is faithful.

3 Secrets of Comedy-Writers for Fearless Church Leaders

During a recent Fearless Leadership Coaching Livestream, I shared with church planters and movement leaders 3 secrets of Comedy-Writers that will apply to your next team meeting or message!

I believe in you.

You have what it takes to fearlessly lead your church toward growth.

To help you, here’s the archived livestream from my new YouTube channel plus my notes below — enjoy!

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1) Stop Negative Self-Talk

• Every comedian fights inner demons.
  

• Leadership is lonely.  Look up!
  
  The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look (up!) at it and live.” (Numbers 21:8)
  
  "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up." (John 3:14)
  

• Look up with Eyes of Faith -- God never curses His children.
  

2) Hustle

Comedians can't afford to sit back and wait to become discovered.

Get out there, shake trees, make phone calls... Make It Happen!

• 80% of sales requires 5 follow-ups

• Follow up with web leads (Facebook, email) in 5 minutes or less! Otherwise they are 9 x’s more likely to lose interest. 

• 63% of clients requesting info won’t buy in for 3 months. 

• 20% of people take 12 months before their first purchase.  

3) Process for Winning Over the People:

• LIKE You

• KNOW You

• TRUST You


Remember: You serve your clients:

• Jesus: Constantly getting interrupted

• Create margin in your schedule for divine appointments!

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WANT MORE
INSANELY-PRACTICAL LEADERSHIP TIPS?

EXCLUSIVE 35% OFF COUPON on all resources in celebration of the recent Exponential Church Planting Conference!

Just go to FearlessLeadershipNetwork.com
and type in coupon code EXPONENTIAL at check-out
for 35% OFF EVERYTHING!

Daily Encouragement & Tips on Social Media: @HighFiveJon

The Church Growth Gap

Healthy Things Grow

It is so easy to take for granted what the Lord is doing at the church I love.

When people visit a Life Church location, they assume this is the norm across America.

Sadly, it is not.

Startling Stats

Last week a fresh new study was released at the Exponential Conference via LifeWay Research:

• 6 in 10 Protestant churches are plateaued or declining in attendance

• 57% have less than 100 in worship attendance

• 21% average around 50 people in weekly attendance

• More than 50% saw fewer than 10 people become new Christians in the past 12 months

• Only the top 10% of churches nationwide average 250+ in weekly attendance

• In 2018, only 32% of churches helped start a new church or campus

The Church Growth Gap

This blows my mind.

The norm in America — the status quo of churches — is never scraping past 100 people.

The by-product of American seminaries is having 90% of churches never breaking 250 in attendance.

That’s NOT what I see in the Scriptures:

Peter preached to them and warned them with these words: “Be rescued from the wayward and perverse culture of this world!”

Those who believed the word that day numbered three thousand. They were all baptized and added to the church.

Every believer was faithfully devoted to following the teachings of the apostles. Their hearts were mutually linked to one another, sharing communion and coming together regularly for prayer.

A deep sense of holy awe swept over everyone, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.

All the believers were in fellowship as one body, and they shared with one another whatever they had.

Out of generosity they even sold their assets to distribute the proceeds to those who were in need among them.

Daily they met together in the temple courts and in one another’s homes to celebrate communion. They shared meals together with joyful hearts and tender humility.

They were continually filled with praises to God, enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord kept adding to their number daily those who were coming to life.
(Acts 2:40-47, TPT)

Making a Holy Shift

We are supposed to be a movement of changed lives, unleashed by the Carpenter-King.

The greatest message in the world brimming with hope, forgiveness, destiny and life is being smothered out.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Jesus promised He would build His church.

The potential of the gospel is always on the horizon.

I do not believe God has called church leaders to hold the fort but to storm the heights!

Jesus did not die on the cross so that we could become comfortable, engage in silly debates with other Christians, and hold our ground. We are called to fearlessly DOUBLE DOWN and TAKE SOME GROUND!

Are You Willing to Be Made Willing?

Jesus was not crucified on the cross so that I could go online and crucify others.

My platform exists to speak life, truth, and hope over people’s lives!

My words, my actions, my influence… all of it is HIS and I want to leverage all of it to help make Heaven crowded!

The good news is that it is NEVER TOO LATE TO BECOME who you MIGHT HAVE been!

While our Lifers continue to dream bigger dreams and attempt larger jumps of faith, I want to encourage and equip other church leaders and church planters.

You have what it takes.

I believe in you.

Join me for our next Fearless Leadership Coaching Livestream this Wednesday at 8:30am EST.

No ego’s.

No Comparison Games.

No Sales Gimmicks.

Just raw enthusiasm and insanely-practical leadership coaching for leaders and church planters.

Normally our coaching costs $179.

But I’m so fired up about these new sinking stats that we’re offering you FREE ACCESS this Wednesday.

That’s right, it’s on the house.

Sign up now and we’ll send you the private link:

Become a Fearless Leadership Insider

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This Wednesday, 8:30am EST

Join other church leaders and planters from across the country this Wednesday at 8:30am EST.

Become fearless and receive proven training from the best.

Together, let’s see what God can do through you!

How to Quickly Reach People Far From God

In just 5 years my church has grown from 0 people to 1,200 people and is now launching our third church campus.

How did we do it?

We PRAY like it depends on GOD and we WORK like it depends on US.

Here's 60 seconds of fast church planting tips:

I believe you can fearlessly lead your church to growth too.

Never apologize for wanting to quickly reach people far from God.

Discover more at the all-new FearlessLeadershipNetwork.com

Do's & Don'ts for Hiring Staff

You can either have a Rockstar Team or a Suicide Squad.

The choice is yours.

Here are Leadership Hacks when it comes to bringing new teammates into your organization.

Monday Motivation

William Borden once asked a student reluctantly considering missions:

"Are you willing to be made willing?”