Hello friends,

First, thank you for visiting and subscribing to this blog.  It’s been rather quiet on here the past few months, but that’s only because I’ve been hard at work on a new venture that I’m excited to share with you.

It’s a new website geared towards guys called, GoodSirs.

You see, the modern man is in trouble. Today, there are millions of children without their dads, millions of grown men who haven’t matured,  and millions of heroes who might have been.  This is a story that must change.

I look all around me and see this massive problem among men. Guys ignoring their families or putting them on the backburner, many totally abandoning their families, women being abused, neglected, taken for granted, cheated on, and more. Children growing up without a strong male figure and the social ramifications of it all. I see bullies, chauvinists, jerks abounding. I see weak, pathetic, and passive men doing nothing.

But in the midst of it all, I see hope. I see guys manning up to be the heroes they are meant to be: fathers dating their daughters, dad’s creating memories with their sons, young dudes pursuing their wives,  old farts still pursuing their wives, and men taking responsibility for their lives. I see a revival of chivalry and taking back what it means to be a man.

This is why I launched GoodSirs. I want to encourage, challenge, and equip guys to be the heroes they are meant to be. Starting with myself.

As a result of this new endeavor, I’m transitioning my blog, JasonSalamun.com, into a landing page.  My primary focus and writing will now be on GoodSirs.

So, if you are a reader, I encourage you to subscribe to my new site.  And if you want to help get the word out, I’d greatly appreciate it.

Thanks for reading!

As I enter my final month as pastor of the church I founded, I can already see the stitching of my pastor patch unraveling.

It’s more difficult than I realized.

I didn’t get the patch because I was a professional Christian. Far from it. But over time, that patch became a part of me. It gave me purpose. It gave me access. It gave me a platform. It gave me permission. It gave me trust. And regrettably, it gave me an identity.

As I journey through the process of unstitching the pastor patch, I’m unearthing a piercing neglect in my soul. The very truth I preached my heart out for people to know is the very truth I had forgotten: God loves me, just as I am.

Somewhere along the way, I equated that patch with God’s affirmation and love. I was like a preschooler who worked hard to color a picture for my Father to hang on his fridge in pride. Only my artwork was my ministry. And over the last few months I’ve wondered, if I stop coloring, will my Father have anything to be proud of?

But God, my strong and loving Father, is reminding me what I already know. That my value and worth isn’t based on my performance, projects, or patch, it’s based on the striking and soul-stirring certainty that I am His. Period.

To believe otherwise is to believe a fairy tale.

As a leader, I’ve had my share of upbeats and beatdowns. Through them all, I’ve picked up some leadership nuggets I’ve learned the hard way.

Here are ten of them. If you’re a leader, I hope my mistakes and successes help you.

1. If you’re not willing to clean a toilet, you shouldn’t be a leader.

The notion that you’re too good for something (or someone) makes you a weak leader. A leader is someone who has the humility and drive to do whatever it takes to make sure the goal is achieved. When you set that kind of example, other leaders will too.  As the greatest leader of all-time revealed, “The greatest among you must be your servant.”

2. Making wise decisions is at the heart of leadership.

As a leader, you will need more wisdom than you can possibly imagine.  I once heard wisdom described as “knowledge with scars.”  That’s so true. When making a call to turn left or right, to say yes or no, to go for it or wait, seek counsel, hear all sides, and do the wise thing.

3. Trying to make everyone happy is a sure-fire way to make no one happy.

You will have to make tough decisions that won’t be popular. But if you make decisions based on what everyone wants, you will be in a world of hurt. Why? Because the masses aren’t always right. Remember what you’re Momma taught you, “Just because everyone else is doing it…”  The right thing to do is often not the popular thing to do.

4. If you aren’t fully invested, no one else will be either.

There’s nothing worse than following a half-hearted leader who is going through the motions. Eventually, other leaders will fill the void and pull your team in many different directions, creating conflict. Or it creates a “who gives a rip” mentality. In which case, it’s better to stay at home and watch reruns of Saved By the Bell before you do any more damage.

5. Not all leaders are power-hungry tyrants.

We live in a culture that is suspicious of all leaders. Bad ones do exist, but most leaders are well-meaning folks just trying to do the right thing, the right way, with the right people. Pointing a finger at them does no good. Connect with them. Learn from them. Encourage them. They need it. And if you’re worried they will turn into power-hungry tyrants, don’t. Those kind of leaders are rare and don’t last forever. Just ask Ghadaffi.

6.A title doesn’t make you a leader.

Leaders aren’t designated, they emerge. If you need a title to make you a leader, you will have insecurity issues and fail to win the heart of a team. Don’t let that be you. Lead where you are and when you’re finally in a position of influence, you will be ready for it.  As Seth Godin says, “Managers want authority. Leaders take responsibility.”

7. All leaders need heroes, friends, and grasshoppers.

No leader should lead alone!

You need mentors. You need to learn from pioneers who have paved the way and have the scars to prove it.

You also need running mates who are beside you, encourage you, and vice versa.

And you need to pass on what you’re learning to someone else (a grasshopper). You should invest yourself in the development of future leaders, perhaps even your replacement. That’s a mark of a great leader.

8. Vision really does matter.

Vision is a picture of where you’re going. Without it, everybody guesses. Without it, all decisions end with a question mark. Without it, you’re just wasting gas on a road trip to nowhere.

9. You suck at something.

If you’re a confident leader, you will not only have a strong sense of where you’re gifted at, but also a realistic knowledge of where you’re not. If you’re a confident leader, you will learn to pass those responsibilities on to someone who is. Sadly, insecure leaders think the sun rises and falls on them, and their mission and team suffers because of they are pigheaded. Make your life and leadership better by giving those areas of weakness away.

10. Your inputs should outweigh your outputs.

Most leaders push the pedal to the metal never paying attention to the fuel gage. They go and go and go until the gas runs out. Suddenly, they’re stranded and find themselves walking miles to the nearest gas station to get a refill. What a waste of time!

Wise leaders rarely let their levels get near empty. They know to fill-up frequently in order to avoid being stranded. Even if they feel like they don’t need it. As a result, they go further and enjoy the journey much more than the frustrated leaders they drive-by on the road to their destination.

It’s important to rest, create margin, and avoid over-stuffing your life. There’s a better, much healthier way.

Sadly, I had to learn it the hard way.

One of my all-time favorite quotes:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

{Theodore Roosevelt}

Excerpt from the speech “Citizenship In A Republic“,
delivered at the Sorbonne, in Paris, France on 23 April, 1910

Following my announcement earlier this week that I’m resigning as pastor of Project Church at the end of 2011, the most frequently asked question is this: What’s next?

This was a decision I couldn’t make for my community, Project Church. It’s one the other leaders (my dear friends) needed to pray and search their hearts to answer because they would be the ones to carry the ball. They’ve met, prayed, met, and prayed some more. And I’m happy to announce the Project Church story will continue. Not only that, but something beautiful is blooming in the midst of the whirlwind my news has created.

From the beginning, we wanted a community where strangers could become friends and friends could become family. And that’s what happened. This family recognizes this church is much bigger than one person. As it should be. It’s about Jesus and his mission in the world.

As I observe folks rallying together, stepping up to fill voids, and loving one another, I see this original hope becoming an active reality. While I may have been the leader God used to start this, the thought never occurred to me that I might be in the way of what God wants to do. Yet, what I’m witnessing has me excited about what’s next. Even though I will no longer serve as a pastor at year’s end, I will always consider Project Church my family.

Personally, this decision has been extremely difficult. It’s a terrible feeling knowing you’ve disappointed a lot of people.  However, as the week has gone on, the amount of support and understanding has helped. It’s comforting to know my church loves me and I love them. I’m so thankful for that.

I pray God’s not done with me yet and am open to wherever He leads. In fact, I’m getting more used to the idea of new frontiers and more quality time with my wife and kids.  The next thing on my list is to begin planning for a real family vacation that lasts more than a weekend. It will be a first for us…and it’s about time.

Thanks for your prayers, encouragement, and support.

The best is yet to come.

To our friends near and far,

Every story is a journey. We begin one place and end up another. And while we strive for a destination, it turns out it was the journey to get there that shaped and transformed us. Along the way, you meet amazing characters, encounter unexpected struggles, gain greater knowledge, experience remarkable moments, and discover things about yourself you didn’t know existed. And, you change.

For the past four years, we’ve lived such a story as we started a church from scratch. It was a dream that began with the drive for people to know Jesus, experience grace, live free, and become difference makers. We called this dream Project Church. And it’s been an off-road adventure to say the least…and we’ve loved it.

However, it’s with heavy hearts that we announce that our part in the Project Church story will conclude at the end of this year. Starting next year, I will no longer serve as pastor.

There’s no scandal, controversy, politics, or bitterness. It’s simply time.

We’ve traveled as far as we could on this church planting journey. For months, we’ve agonized and prayed over this terribly difficult decision. And frankly, it sucks.

Why now?

The bottom line is this: it’s a miracle we made it this far. From the beginning, our church has operated on a thrift store budget in a world of department store expectations. We have, by God’s grace, always been able to make ends meet and still make an impact, but have never been in a position to pay a salary to anyone. Including me.

Rather than raise salary support, I opted to work full-time while starting the church so that I could provide for my family and have the resources to start Project Church. This clocked me in at an insane amount of working hours. From time to time, I would reassure my family, “It won’t be like this forever.” They would smile and give me the supportive-family nod. Deep down, I knew things had to change or it would all catch up with me.

Sure enough, leaks began to emerge in my proverbial boat. I tried to stick some gum in the cracks to seal up the leaks—I handed off as much as I could to other leaders, attempted to establish elders, scaled back and made our church as lean as possible, and worked more from home—but the pressure kept pushing on through.

In May of this year, I took a couple of weeks off, and that’s when I first sensed that God was releasing me to a new season. But I’m a fighter. And instead of listening to God’s nudge, I held on tighter, tried harder, and hoped God would change his mind. But he kept whispering, “It’s time…It’s going to be okay…I’m in control.”  I even attended the Catalyst conference earlier this month, begging God for a different direction. But the collective shout of the theme “Be Present” only reinforced what God was already whispering.

I finally listened.

The most heartbreaking part isn’t about what happens to me and my family, we’ll be fine. It’s knowing the impact our decision will have on others. We certainly don’t want to disappoint anyone, but we know this news will. And for this, we are truly sorry. Just know we didn’t make this decision lightly.

My battle cry is to finish strong. I will continue to teach at our Sunday gatherings for the rest of the year. In the meantime, other leaders will seek God as to what should happen with Project Church following our departure. I have expressed my feelings, but at their request, I will leave the decision in their hands. Regardless, my hope is that all who have been a part of this story will always love God, love people, and live free.

As for what’s next for me? God only knows. I do know my calling hasn’t changed. I will spend my life living and telling better stories and helping others do the same.

As for you, thank you for your support, prayers, and love. This story we’ve lived has been one wild ride and it has totally been worth it. Looking back, we’ve learned a ton through our successes and mistakes. And at the end of the day, we are better because Project Church existed. We hope you are too. We love you all!

Following the announcement to our leaders, my nine-year-old daughter squeezed my hand and said, “Thanks for choosing us, Daddy.”  Those five words sum up what this decision is all about.

I will conclude with a quote from the brilliant Dr. Seuss, “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” We are so glad it did.

Love God. Love People. Live Free.

Jason and Gwyn Salamun

 ”For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” {Ecclesiastes 3:1}

On the surface, Breaking Bad is a story about a middle-aged, high school chemistry teacher who’s diagnosed with lung cancer and turns to manufacturing meth to provide financial security for his family before he’s gone.

Initially, you’re rooting for the protagonist, Walter White. While not agreeing with his decision to produce meth, his motivation is understandable and relatable. Most of us would go to great lengths to take care of the ones we love.  So we excuse Walter’s trips across the moral state line because, well, he’s dying.

Over the course of several seasons, his descent becomes clearer. His decisions and behavior reveal that this story goes much deeper than originally thought, and a more grandiose premise begins to emerge: this a story driven by a protagonist who gradually evolves into the antagonist.

And we, the viewers, are the ones who must discern how far is too far. Where’s the moral line a hero must cross before he becomes the bad guy? The show dares us to make that judgement—and therein lies the brilliance of the show.

In a piece by the New York Times, the creator of Breaking Bad, Vince Gilligan, gives us a glimpse under the hood of the story:

“If there’s a larger lesson to ‘Breaking Bad,’ it’s that actions have consequences… I feel some sort of need for biblical atonement, or justice, or something… I want to believe there’s a heaven. But I can’t not believe there’s a hell.”

Gilligan later states…

“I’m pretty much agnostic at this point in my life. But I find atheism just as hard to get my head around as I find fundamental Christianity. Because if there is no such thing as cosmic justice, what is the point of being good? That’s the one thing that no one has ever explained to me. Why shouldn’t I go rob a bank, especially if I’m smart enough to get away with it? What’s stopping me?”

This reminds me of the words of C.S. Lewis,

“My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?”

Whether he realizes it or not, Gilligan is stumbling upon a profound truth and this is what makes Breaking Bad so good: It’s an echo of the gospel story.

It explores the reality that we, like Walt, have a bent toward descent and are capable of much more than we realize—for better or for worse. Instinctively, we know there’s a distinction between right and wrong, between justice and injustice, and this is a clue to a much larger story. We know we deserve justice, but hope we get redemption.

As the narrative of Breaking Bad unfolds, I’m curious to see if it ends with justice for Walt, getting what he deserves or redemption, getting what he doesn’t.

Regardless, it’s remarkable storytelling that’s worth watching.

Likability. It’s something every protagonist must have in a story at some point.  Screenwriter Blake Snyder called this, “Save the Cat” in his book by the same name. It’s the part of a story when the hero, even if he/she is a jerk, does something that makes us want to root for them, such as save a cat. Although I’ve never come across a cat worth saving.

When you’re in a position of influence, likability is a must. It’s what gets folks wanting to join you on a journey, whether it’s a new venture, project, or presentation. If people like you, they are more apt to root for you. Bottom line.

Interestingly enough, sometimes it’s a flaw that makes us more likable.  Oprah Winfrey, with all her success, had a more favorable image when she struggled with her weight than when she appeared to have conquered it.  It made this mega-star, public figure more human. Thus, more likable. It made us think, “She’s just like us.”  And we like people like us. Flaws and all.

So what does this mean for you?

In your story, it’s important to embrace your humanity.

You might be quirky, weird, and different…
You might be gruff, tough, and obnoxious…
You might be jacked-up, messed-up, and fed-up…
You might be shy, reserved, and quiet…
You might be successful, interesting, and attractive…

Whoever you are, do something that gives us a glimpse of your heart, your humanity. Show us you’re like us. When we can relate to you, we may join you. And if nothing else, we will root for you.

Smile. Say something kind. Open a door. Help a kid. Pay for the meal. Laugh at yourself. Confess a flaw. Care about someone else. Admit a mistake. Save a cat.

It might seem small, but your likability is key to you living and telling better stories.

Unaired “Think Different” Ad from Apple.

Narrated by Steve Jobs.

“Here’s to the Crazy Ones.
The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round pegs in the square holes.
The ones who see things differently.
They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo.
You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them.
About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them.
Because they change things. They push the human race forward.
And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.
Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world–
are the ones who do!”
~ Apple

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” {Plato}

That person walking down the street. That coworker in the cubicle. That actor on the screen. That neighbor cutting the grass. That couple in the diner. That preacher in the church. That cashier at the store. That leader in the White House.

Everyone goes through stuff.

We’re tempted to think we’re the only ones. We’re not. Some of us have just become professionals at hiding it. But if we were to look behind the curtain, we would see a mighty struggle, a difficult decision, a relationship crack, an old wound, a void, a physical ailment, an insecurity, and more.

Our challenge is to assume everyone around us needs our encouragement, our smile, and our attention.

Because just like us, they do.