Introducing Anthony Bowman

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It is an honor and privilege to welcome Anthony Bowman and his amazing family to our Life Church staff team!

With nearly twelve years of worship leading experience in local churches plus studies at Cincinnati Christian University, Anthony is a down-to-earth guy with an irresistible passion for Christ.

Anthony will lead our Band, oversee all aspects of Worship Production at our Midland and Saginaw campuses as well as our Central Operations volunteers during weekday office hours.

He can play just about any instrument you put in front of him: guitar, bass, piano, drums, ukelele, mandolin, and even a little bit of banjo (although that fifth string trips him up)!

Anthony and his wife Grace are celebrating 10 years of marriage this September as they raise three amazing kiddo's: Iraela, Ember and Cyrus.

Please help us welcome Anthony on his first official morning with us on Sunday, March 28th!

Anthony Bowman on Facebook
Anthony Bowman on Instagram - Updated Once Every Five Years
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Everyone
wants to belong.

You belong here.

At Life Church, we’re not here to judge or tear anyone down.

Our church exists to build people up with the hope and love of God.

You should know:
No matter who you are or where you’ve been, you’re welcome here!

As God has blessed our church family with tremendous growth in such a short amount of time, we’ve learned that with an increase of people calling Life Church ‘home’ comes an increase in the complexity with improving our internal ministry systems to serve more people.

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Making It Better

Over the past couple of months, Life Church has made strong internal improvements and changes to ensure greater ministry health going forward.

One example is Life Church’s new Financial Systems overseen by Sommerville & Associates, P.C. and pending accreditation with the ECFA.

We believe in transparency.

Our robust new financial systems serve to provide donors with an increased sense of comfort and trust as we continue loving and serving our region in Jesus’ Name.

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Honor & Integrity

Another example is in the area of ministry staffing.

We have revamped all our internal policies and procedures to create a positive, gospel-centered work environment with clear, written expectations and accountability for all ministry staff including:

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COVID SAFETY PROTOCOLS

In cooperation with Midland Center for the Arts, our 9:30am Midland Campus worship gatherings on Sundays will include the following safety protocols:

  • 100% Face Masks for everyone at all times inside the building

  • Social-distanced seating in the theater (with 400 seats to choose from, this is easy to do!)

  • All Church Volunteers and Guests will CHECK-IN via Digital Kiosks as they arrive & enter the Front Lobby.

    In the event of COVID contact, Digital Check-Ins will allow our team to conduct Contact Tracing.

Thank you all for understanding, cooperating, and loving thy neighbor.

We're excited for this coming Sunday at 9:30am and we believe that the best is yet to come!

#YouBelongHere #SafetyFirst

Saginaw Campus Safety Protocols
Take Your Next Steps with God
LifeChurchMidlandMichigan

Bob Goff on Making a Holy Shift

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Welcome to Episode #50

This week's guest: Bob Goff, bestselling author of Love Does, Dream Big, and his latest release, Everybody Always for Kids!

What is this podcast about?

Revealing the secrets of popular comedians, Jonathan Herron provides a fresh approach to life and leadership in this weekly podcast:

- Unleash contagious enthusiasm

- Equip leaders to leverage laughter and passion

- Create sustainable momentum in your life and leadership

Let’s Connect

Connect with Jonathan at @HighFiveJon and JonathanHerron.com

- SUBSCRIBE NOW -

Spotify: http://bit.ly/HolyShiftPodcast

Apple: http://bit.ly/HolyShiftNow

Stitcher: https://stitcher.com/show/fearless-leaders

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You Cannot Follow Me

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Before Jesus' arrest, Peter asks where He is going, and Jesus replied,

"Where I am going you cannot follow Me, but you will follow Me afterward" (John 13:36).

Post-resurrection, Jesus says simply to Peter,

"Follow Me" (John 21:19).

To live for Christ means to die to self.

Following Christ WILL cost you everything.

And yet, as Jim Elliott once said, he is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep in order to gain what he cannot lose!


Rebuilding Your Life

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Who would have guessed 12 months ago that our lives would look so different today?

As we all begin rebuilding our lives and organizations post-pandemic, it might encourage you to allow two simple words to help guide creating your new normal: ​Fail Harder.

As Facebook exploded, founder Mark Zuckerberg realized he had to release more and more of the work to web programmers and developers. He couldn't do it all by himself.

Sometimes details fell through the cracks. Mistakes happened. And that's okay.

Zuckerberg knew that effective leaders cannot micro-manage people. You must give them freedom and margin to hit the wall and learn.

Fail Harder. T​hat's his mantra at Facebook. ​Move fast and break things.​ The same is true for you: your effectiveness at rebuilding your organization post-pandemic will INCREASE as the load on your plate DECREASES. For leaders, this means enabling more and more people.

The start-from-scratch labor of love that my wife and I began a few years ago, Life Church, has grown to be one of the fastest-growing churches in Michigan. As the founding pastor, my temptation is to try doing everything in the church. This would only lead to a bottleneck and stunt our organization’s growth.

What I have been learning as we bust through growth barriers is that as the leader ​I can have either control or growth, but I can’t have both.​ When I let go of control, our church experiences more growth!

I believe that this post-pandemic season will lead us all into a stronger future. ​We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.

As you release things in your organization that you’ve held onto tightly, you also unleash mistakes. And that's okay. Comedians get better and better every time they bomb on stage. There is no better teacher than making a mistake.

Wisdom is simply knowledge plus scars.​ We cannot microwave leaders. You have to give your team time to make mistakes. Crock-pots cook s-l-o-w-l-y.

Thomas Edison famously said, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." Failure is the incubator of leadership. Failure says that we get to try another direction in solving this problem. Leadership is formed when we choose to fail harder.

Whatever happened before is now in the past. Following Christ is like an improv scene: you always get to start fresh. Dream big. ​Stand back up and stretch your faith further.​ That’s the beauty of following Christ.

Your vision is never too big for God. He forgives, He authors second acts, and He releases you from your past (see Romans 8:1).

Now be careful; ​don’t waste this fresh page.

Don’t be obligated to ordinary. No one will ever follow you down the street if you’re carrying a banner that says, ​“Onward toward mediocrity.”

Instead, take risks. Paint a big picture of what could be and should be. And then do it.

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About the Author

Jonathan Herron is a former comedian-turned-author and the founding pastor of Life Church, the fastest-growing church in Michigan and 11th fastest-growing church in America according to LifeWay Research and Outreach Magazine.

His unique ministry approach has been featured online in Time Magazine, USA Today, The Detroit News, MLive and The Washington Times.

Married twenty-two years to his high school sweetheart, Herron has five adopted children plus a wiener dog with a nervous bladder.

Connect with him at JonathanHerron.com & on social media @HighFiveJon.


Connect on Twitter

The most ENCOURAGING message I've EVER received from a Guest at our church!

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THIS is the most ENCOURAGING unsolicited message I've EVER received from a Guest!

It came in after yesterday's POWERFUL worship experiences:

Hey Pastor Jon,

I Wanted to let u know that the church's mission to reach people far from god is working well...
I seen that for myself today,...

I came in few mins late, like normal & found a seat for ---- and I.

Next thing I kno
I get tapped on the shoulder, look around & it's someone I know...

Someone I never ever thought I would see at church.

I have known this person for many many year's..(dk if I should be telling a pastor this)

But Literally have
committed crimes with this guy, ran from police wit this guy, tossed bodies with this guy and he's in church learning the gospel... And now he's in church with his wife and kids.....I personally thought that was pretty an amazing......

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Also I know you guys are needing volunteers for such.

I wanted to let you know that I would be happy to volunteer with wte the church needs a hand with..

I don't know how to a run sound board ect ect... don't know how to do very much there, but I'm an able body....

I jus wanted you to kno
the church is reaching people,..& the fact that I sat rate in front of him I thought was pretty crazy....(he was asking me about the church)..........

Thanks again for the sermon today........


///

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GOD IS MOVING at LIFE CHURCH

Join the movement and see what God can do through YOU!

Next Steps Online Class
Join a Ministry Team. Gain a Family.
Apply for an Internship
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An Amazing 14-Year-Old Kid

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Take a look at this amazing 14-year-old.

Over the past 8 months, he's watched grown men he looked up to disqualify themselves from ministry and literally quit on him... and then turn around to cause harm to and division in the only church he's ever known.

(BTW - This is why so many pastor's kids get angry and rebel later in life... They grow up watching church people choosing gossip over the Gospel and throwing stones at their dad. Is it any wonder why so many p.k's leave the faith?)


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Over the past 8 months, 14-year-old Josiah has shown up every single Sunday morning and asked where he can help fill in the gap to serve others, even when he's learning how on the fly.

  • Video Production? Check.

  • Stage Lighting? Check.

  • Livestream Camera Operator? Check.

  • Bass Guitarist? Check.

  • Acoustic Guitarist? Check.

  • Merch Counter? Check.

Tomorrow will be the very first Sunday since July 5th that he will have 'off.'

I am so stinkin' proud of him.

This 14-yr-old shy kid has shown more integrity and servant-leadership than grown men who get paid money to do ministry.

If this is the type of young men Life Church is discipling and producing, then put me in, Coach.

Every story matters?
His story matters.

Integrity matters.

Truth matters.

Christ matters.

"And don’t be intimidated by those who are older than you; simply be the example they need to see by being faithful and true in all that you do. Speak the truth and live a life of purity and authentic love as you remain strong in your faith."

(1 Timothy 4:12)


#ProudDad #2Samuel17 #GloryToGod

You Are Not a Failure

I get it.

Life hurts sometimes.

That’s why I did this recent YouTube Live.

If you don’t see the details of YOUR story intersecting with God’s Story, life can feel very disappointing and frustrating.

That’s why I love Genesis 37 - 50.

Joseph is the Rejected Brother who becomes the Rescuer.

Dig into some Raw Encouragement today.

If you like what you see, Subscribe to my new YouTube Channel.

And if you want more free online resources from the life of Joseph, just go here.

You are not a failure.


ABOUT JONATHAN HERRON

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I am the founding pastor of Life Church, the fastest-growing church in Michigan and 11th fastest-growing church in America

I am focused on strategic leadership and engaging teaching, all fueled by a gnawing passion for reaching people far from God

My unique ministry approach has been featured online in Time Magazine, USA Today, The Detroit News, MLive and The Washington Times. 

Married twenty-two years to my high school sweetheart, I have five children plus a wiener dog with a nervous bladder.

Got a Question for Jonathan?