We were lucky to catch up with Danny Lybarger recently and have shared our conversation below.

Danny, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later

Part of me always wants to say “yes,” I wish The Well started sooner, but the honest answer is it started exactly when it needed to. If I had it my way, The Well would have launched years ago. On the other hand, I also realize that if that were the case, it would look nothing like the amazing church it looks like today. The people, the space, and the team that comprise The Well today all converged with perfect timing and synergy, and I think starting the church any sooner or later would have meant sacrificing the amazing pieces that God was bringing to the table to help start this church.

On a personal note, I am someone who loves to run fast and start new things, and most people that know me would agree that patience is not atop my list of qualities. But waiting, learning, and growing as a person is exactly what I needed so that I could develop into the kind of pastor and leader that The Well would need at its launch. Over that season of expectantly waiting for God’s green light to start The Well, God was teaching me things and preparing me in ways I didn’t yet understand I would need. During that season, I learned what it meant to lead through chaos, something that I would need in abundance if I was going to successfully start a new church at a brewery in the midst of a global pandemic. I learned how to build teams, develop leaders, and trust the people around me to lead in the ways that God uniquely gifted them. I learned how to create healthy boundaries and margins so that even in doing something I love like The Well, I wouldn’t grow to resent it and burn out by running too hard too fast. During this season of waiting, God taught me countless more lessons about what it meant to be a successful pastor, father, husband, and friend. So as I think about that question, “do I wish I started sooner?” my answer has to be no.

I am so deeply grateful for God’s provision and timing in all of this, and I can say with great confidence that I’m very happy I didn’t get my way.

Danny, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

From nearly the first moment I stepped into the church, I began volunteering and leading. So when I think about “how I got into being a pastor,” it just happened as a natural evolution of my faith. I was so deeply interested in the way of Jesus that I kept searching for more ways to get connected. For me, that looked like attending a Christian college, interning at a local church, serving in part-time roles, and eventually leading into ordained ministry as a pastor.

I currently pastor a church called The Well that meets at Good News Brewing Company in Defiance, Missouri. Our church launched in December of 2021 and has grown rapidly due to our unique setting, low-key atmosphere, and the fact that we are an inclusive and welcoming church to all people. I also co-host a podcast called The Deconstruction Zone which seeks to have authentic and vulnerable conversations about the ins and outs of Christian deconstruction. Through all these avenues, my hope is to engage people on the margins and help them understand just how much Jesus loves them.

Have you ever had to pivot?

At this point, it may sound trite to say this, but my biggest professional pivot came in the midst of COVID-19. As churches shut down, pastors across the world had to ask themselves how they could still cultivate a Christian community while the doors of their churches were closed. During this season major questions about what it meant to be “the church” rose to the forefront of all of our minds.

For me, Church was about creating community and wrestling with big topics. But how do you do that without a gathering space? Here is what I did.

I knew that people were stuck at home, looking for outlets of pretty much any kind. Netflix was running out, and people were looking for something to engage in. So with that void, I decided one Thursday evening to gather some friends on Facebook Live, to eat spicy wings and have a spicy conversation. Much to my surprise, 60 people watched. Realizing that it has potential, I invited some new guests and did it again the following week. Over 100 people tuned in. This silly experience went on for over 30 episodes, where we discussed topics like racism, interfaith dialogue, leadership, politics, and more. This short-run show helped to keep my church members engaged, and actually saw people who had little interest in religion, turn in just to see people eat hot wings. In many ways, this pivot actually laid the ground work for the church that I would plant just over a year later.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Volume, voice, and consistency. are my biggest tips for growing your social media, especially on platforms like TikTok. Initially, I was really nervous to do anything more than trends on Tiktok. I was fine lipsyncing sounds or doing silly dances, but then I was very scared to put my own voice out there. That being said, in spite of my fears, I also realized that there was a major need for inclusive Christian voices on TikTok. More and more people are going to social media for their spiritual content, and it eventually became clear to me, that this space was simply an extension of the ministry we were doing at The Well.

So when it comes to building something on social media, you need to first find your voice. What are you passionate about? If your faith is something you are passionate about, speak about it! If you love cooking, make cooking videos! Whatever your passion is, speak to that. Not only will your passion help you generate content without growing bored, but more importantly, your audience will quickly learn if you’re creating content for the likes, or if you’re doing it for the value that it can add to someone. So first, find your voice. Second, you actually have to create! I hear everyone say this, but they say it because it’s true! I’m not sure if it’s one, two, or five pieces of content a day, but it has to be something. Consistency and volume are important because at first people need as many entry points to get to know you as possible.

If you’re going to grow your following, find a voice, make a tone of content around it, and be patient. It takes time for people to get to know you, but if you’re doing it because you care, it will show.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thewell636.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danny_lybarger/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lybargerdanny
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danny-lybarger-2a26105a/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSAHhg-Fn9ycMD2-CSRcKsA
• Other: TikTok: @dannylybarger

Image Credits
Image Credits: Sadie Murbarger