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CREATE A CULTURE BY DESIGN, NOT DEFAULT

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"Create a culture by design, not default"

(Walt Disney)

Since our very first Informational Meeting eleven years ago today (!), Life Church has chosen to be known by what we are for, not what we are against.

Our culture is the secret sauce.  We're all about Jesus: dangerously, obsessively, undeniably Jesus.

Culture determines behavior.  In order to be the church we dream of, we must fight for our culture -- our unique flavor that propels us forward to reach the lost at any cost.

This is why I am committed to raising up a generation of fearless leaders in the Church. 

The Church is worth fighting for.  We must always rally around our shared heartbeat if we are to extend that passion into the world.

Being a Culture-Keeper requires thick skin and calcium in the spine. 

Agendas must always be eclipsed by the Culture Code of your organization.

"For it is Christ’s love that fuels our passion and motivates us, because we are absolutely convinced that He has given His life for all of us.

This means all died with Him, so that those who live should no longer live self-absorbed lives but lives that are poured out for Him—the One who died for us and now lives again."

(2 Corinthians 5:14-15, The Passion Translation)

Heading into 2023, I have been working on codifying our original Culture Code.  The words are nearly exactly the same, the passion is as present in my bones as on Day One, and now it's been distilled into 4 easy-to-remember big ideas.

For what it's worth, here is Life Church's 2023 Code:

  1. HONOR: We are a generation of honor and integrity. We do not gossip. No insider politics. We are not competing with any churches. Full of honor and integrity, we will do the right thing even when it hurts. Our heart is to out-love, out-serve, and out-give those who misunderstand us.

  2. HUMBLE:  We will be known for what we are for.  We will speak vision and life over our people. We choose to leverage humor over hammer. We will lift up the life-giving power of Jesus Christ rather than using our platform to condemn.

    Movements move. We are not Atari, we are Apple, joining God's audacious movement of changed lives.  We will always maintain a posture of learning new methods.  We will always narrow the focus in all we do.  We think steps, not programs.


  3. HUNGRY: We are united under one vision -- to reach the lost at any cost.  To reach the people no one else is reaching, we will do the things no one else is doing.  We will do anything short of sin to reach people far from God.  We will aggressively defend our unity and vision.

    The church is a rescue organization, not a social club.  We will not cater to personal preferences in our mission to reach this region.  This is not a Yacht Club.  We are more concerned with the people we are trying to reach than the people we are trying to keep. We are only as "deep" as the last person we served!


  4. HUSTLE: Don't just stick your toe into the water -- Cannonball!  We do it right and do it big! Greatness is never on sale.  We believe undistracting excellence honors God and inspires people.  We place a disproportionate value on creating a worship experience that boldly celebrates Jesus and attracts people far from God.

    We are all about the numbers.  Every numbers represents a person.  Every person represents a story of life-change through Christ.  Tracking metrics measures effectiveness.  We will unapologetically celebrate life-change!

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Whether somebody bounces back or not has to do with one question...

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I've often been asked the question: What is the difference between people who thrive and people who decline over a long period of time? It’s not that they don’t get knocked down; it’s that they bounce back up.

Every successful person I can think of has had to come back from discouraging circumstances. That’s true of people I know personally and those I read about in the Bible.

As a matter of fact, every single person in the Bible is a comeback story from something.

Check out this list and see if you can find yourself:

  • Joseph endured mistreatment from a dysfunctional family. I bet there isn’t anyone who doesn’t have some relative the others try not to sit next to at Christmas dinner.

  • David bounced back from several devastating failures: moral, leadership, career, and even worse. Have any past failures? A great comeback is possible!

  • Elijah suffered personal criticism. I speak to hundreds of people every weekend. Usually, people each week write in or come up to say something encouraging. I remember very little of that. But I can tell you every critical comment. Why do we remember the things we ought to forget, and forget the things we ought to remember?

  • Nehemiah was discouraged with harsh political, legal, and social circumstances at the highest levels. He had wall-to-wall problems—literally.

  • John Mark was rejected by a high-ranking Christian leader. I know people for whom one negative comment from an authority figure—be it a teacher, a pastor, or a coach—has marked them for life.

  • Peter was disappointed with his inability to withstand pressure and also disappointed with himself. Sound familiar? My number one source of discouragement is, unfortunately, myself.

  • Jesus was let down by people of all types—friends, relatives, religious leaders. At His hour of greatest need, He takes three guys and says, “I need your support.” When He comes back, they are fast asleep.

In almost every case, whether somebody bounces back or not has to do with one question: “Does that person have hope?” Hope looks at what can be instead of what is. Hope looks at the future rather than just the past. Hope believes in future possibility rather than resigning to current reality. People bounce back when they have hope.

Doctoral Class Sequence

Entering the final stretch of my doctoral candidacy at Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity, I’ve really enjoyed connecting with fellow and potential students via my YouTube Channel. For those just joining us, I’ve been posting video blogs of my doctoral journey:

One viewer emailed me asking about my course sequence. For what it’s worth, here is the sequence of courses I took for my cognate of Church Planting & Evangelism:

August 2021

DMIN810: Foundations for the Doctor of Ministry

Fall 2021

DSMIN815: Personal Spiritual Formation

EVCP810: Biblical Foundations for Evangelistic Church Planting

EVCP820: Missional Considerations for Evangelistic Church Planting

Spring 2022

EVCP820: Missional Considerations for Evangelistic Church Planting (Retake)

Summer 2022

DMIN851: Micro-Project I: Biblical Precedence

DMIN852: Micro-Project II: Current & Historical Practices

Fall 2022

DMIN853: Micro-Project III: Personal Engagement

DMIN854: Micro-Project IV: Recommended Engagement

January 2023

DMIN855: Portfolio Presentation

As you can see, although I was considered a full-time doctoral student, there was only one semester where I took three classes simultaneously, which in hindsight I do not recommend.

I am looking forward to my final few weeks this January - March and will keep you updated on my Defense.

25 Years Ago, I Partied with Chris Farley, Two Nights Before He Died

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is an excerpt from the opening of Jonathan Herron’s book, Holy Shift. Jonathan leads one of America’s fastest growing churches, LifeChurchMichigan.com. Part of his training was his time spent at Second City in Chicago. Holy Shift is about unleashing contagious enthusiasm on church leadership teams; equipping leaders to leverage laughter and passion; and creating sustainable momentum in reaching younger crowds for Christ.

My dad was a pastor, which means our family went to church every single Sunday. This was great for introducing me to the gospel and receiving Christ into my life at a young age but was horrible for my chosen vocation of comedy. You see, we were Presbyterians, a group of Christians not really known for producing high-quality, razor-wit comedians. Our pastors know how to dress up in dark robes like Obi-Wan Kenobi, but we tend to shy away from open-mic comedy nights. Presbyterians must think it’s funny to say that we are God’s “frozen chosen.” I don’t get it. I always found it curious that if you rearrange the letters in Presbyterians, it spells out Britney Spears. That I do get.

Anyhow, I loved our little country church in the fields of Iowa. Looking back now, I realize we didn’t have much to do in Iowa. When you’re surrounded by cows, chickens, and pigs, your options tend to be limited. In my spare time, I excelled at corn-on-the-cob speed eating. What can I say? We are Iowans. We like simple. We thought that the capital of Wisconsin was W.

The day after I graduated from high school, I begged and pleaded with my parents to drive me to Chicago to see a show at Second City. The birthplace of improvisational comedy, The Second City in Chicago has produced most of the major comedy stars over the past half century: Alan Arkin, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, Mike Myers, Stephen Colbert, Steve Carrell, and the voice of Homer Simpson, Dan Castellaneta. Without Second City, there would have been no Saturday Night Live, no Ghostbusters, no Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and no Simpsons. If I wanted to move toward writing and performing comedy, Second City was my first stop.

As we parked the car a block away from the comedy theater, we looked over our shoulders and noticed another historic landmark: the Moody Church. Constructed in 1924, Moody Church was the result of the aggressive evangelism of Dwight L. Moody in the late 1800’s. Literally and figuratively, I believe that the intersection of church and comedy can be felt at the corner of North and Wells. Many Second City performers and students (including myself years later) would attend worship at Moody Church on Sundays at 5pm and then head over two blocks to the theater to create comedy. There’s a symbiotic relationship there; comedy and leadership are not as far apart as you would suspect.

Fresh out of high school, I found the comedy show that evening to be hypnotic and mesmerizing. I was hooked: Second City was where I wanted to go and learn the principles of comedy. As soon as I could afford a full tank of gas later that summer, my aim was to wave goodbye to Iowa and hello to Chicago.

Turns out I needed to arrive in the Windy City a few days ahead of Columbia College’s freshmen move-in so that I could interview at Second City for a hosting job. When I got the call a few days later that I was hired, I hit the roof! I was in! I didn’t care if there was grunt work involved and all my weekend hours would be spent cooking and cleaning; the idea of rubbing shoulders with established comedians was intoxicating.

One particularly busy night in the fall of 1997, I was handed the tickets for a couple who were eager for the evening’s performance. I quickly sized them up and was astonished at the sight. The young woman was HAWT (yes, H – A – W – T)! She was beautiful, blonde, in a gorgeous evening dress, and had sparkling blue eyes. Hawt.

Her date, on the other hand, was NAWT! He was overweight and sweaty, sported slicked-back-yet-frazzled hair, tie askew . . . definitely NAWT! Do you remember the old musical segment on Sesame Street: “One of these things is not like the other?” That was this guy! He did NOT go with HER! As I began leading them to their table, I silently wondered, What is this, a joke? Did she lose a bet somewhere? Is this guy her cousin?

Their tickets were for the best seats in the house—remarkable because only Second City alumni or relatives and close friends can secure the best seats. I glanced back at the couple to see if I recognized either of them. Nope. Must be friends of a cast member, I guessed.

As I politely pulled back their chairs to help seat them, I looked down at the tickets one last time to quickly use the last name listed and wish them a good evening. They were sitting down as I realized what I was saying mid-sentence: “Thank you for being our guests tonight at Second City, Mr. Faaaaaaaarrrrrrrrley.” My mouth went dry as cotton balls and my palms became clammy. This was Chris Farley!

As I stumbled back toward my manager to assist the next guests waiting in line, she grabbed my ear. “You see Mr. Farley over there with his date? We want to make sure he has a very good time tonight. At intermission, I don’t want anyone bugging him for photos or autographs. It’s going to be YOUR job to usher Farley out of the room and act as his bodyguard.”

Bodyguard? Me? Hadn’t my manager seen my body frame? If I were a superhero, my name would be Captain Toothpick. At intermission, I dutifully whisked Chris Farley out of the main theater and into a holding room. He was very kind, down-to-earth, and, well, sweaty. But I didn’t mind; I had a front-row seat to a rich and famous comedian! We exchanged some small talk, and at the end of the night I thought that was that. Turns out Mr. Farley would be making multiple visits to the theater over the coming weeks . . . and I was the Tommy Boy star’s designated body man for each visit. Over time I was able to closely observe the side effects of stardom.

I remember one night Farley came barreling into the theater with a group of friends. Once we had them seated at a large table near the front, Farley pulled out a wad of hundred dollar bills and began liberally handing them out to his party. They pocketed their cash and scattered. I thought it was odd.

Another time Chris came to a show under the influence of something. He looked like more of a mess than usual and smelled like he hadn’t showered in days. When he began loudly heckling the comedians on stage, I had the awkward duty of discreetly trying to remove Chris Farley from the audience.

Even though I was a front-row witness to some blaring warning signs, I had zero sway over Farley’s downward spiral. My role was being the young, impressionable college kid from Iowa who thought it was cool to hang out with one of my comedy idols. As I bragged about my adventures to friends back home, folks thought I was making this stuff up.

So I became determined to snap a picture with Farley.

My opportunity came that December at Second City’s annual Christmas party for employees and alumni. Closed to the public, this was a night of celebration and revelry . . . and Chris Farley was there! I found him in the back swapping cocaine with some of the kitchen staff. He looked like he had been partying for a few days straight at that point. I jumped in with friends for a group shot, and there in the back of our photo, posing alongside us college kids, was a drunk Chris Farley.

This was the late 1990s, a bygone era before Instagram and Facebook. We didn’t have digital cameras with instantly-uploadable photos. Nope. I had to head across the street to a 24-hour Walgreens to drop off my film for three-day development (three days—oh the horror!). I was excited because on that cold, wintry Monday night in Chicago’s Old Town district, I had partied with Chris Farley.

Thursday morning I was sitting down for a college class when a buddy came in the door. “Hey, Herron! Did you hear about Chris Farley?” he announced. “You bet,” I replied. “I just partied with him two nights ago, and I’ll pick up the pictures after class!

“No,” my friend pressed on, his voice lowering a bit. “I mean, did you hear the news about Farley? They just discovered his body in the John Hancock Building.”

Turns out that two nights after my photo was taken, Farley was continuing a four-day partying binge. After smoking crack and snorting heroin with a call girl, he took her back to his apartment in the John Hancock Building on Michigan Avenue. There was an argument about money that caused her to get up in a huff. Chris tried to follow but instead collapsed on the floor, struggling to breathe. His final words were, “Don’t leave me.” Instead of calling 9-1-1, the escort stole his watch and wrote a note saying she’d had a lot of fun, then left.

Chris Farley died alone.

 

You can discover the rest of Jonathan Herron’s story in Holy Shift.

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Advice for the Weary Leader

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‘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.”

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‘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.

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‘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.

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‘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.

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New Podcast Debuting This Week

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A couple months ago I took down all my past podcast episodes in order to rethink and revamp my approach.


I want to be more effective in helping you reach people far from God!


As part of my doctoral work, I'm excited to share that I will now be launching a new version of my podcast, renamed 'LeaderShift.'


Trailer is up now, Episode 1 will be dropping later this week.


Some of the early episodes will feature content you've enjoyed in the past, but don't worry; plenty of fresh new content will be coming your way shortly!


Don't miss a single episode: SUBSCRIBE to LeaderShift on your fav podcasting platform now!

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