Jonathan Hardy

Jonathan Hardy has a passion to help the local church reach their community so more people can experience all that God has for them. Jonathan has been in full-time ministry for fifteen years. His journey began in 2007 when he became a staff pastor at James River Church in Springfield, Missouri. He served on the executive leadership team, overseeing the church’s discipleship ministries. This included their extensive small groups ministry, men’s ministry, water baptism, altar ministry, and discipleship for new Christians. He also served as the founding director for the Stronger Men’s Conference, which grew to 3,000 attendees under Jonathan's leadership. During Jonathan’s tenure at James River Church, weekend attendance grew from approximately 7,500 to 10,000. This gave him a unique opportunity to interact with and oversee thousands of church members and observe the characteristics and mindsets of those who gave a wholehearted effort toward fulfilling God’s purposes and making a difference with their lives. Jonathan launched from James River Church in September 2013 to help plant Summit Park Church in Kansas City, Missouri. He served on the leadership team at Summit Park for six and half years. There he oversaw the church’s budget, finances, and business-related operations. The church grew to nearly 1,900 in average weekend attendance during that time. Jonathan’s personal experience of leaving a greatly desired ministry role (at James River) and giving up everything to fulfill God’s leading (to plant Summit Park) has positioned him to understand many of the challenges people face when it comes to obeying God’s leading in their lives. While serving at Summit Park, Jonathan also co-founded Leaders.Church with his father, Dick Hardy. Leaders.Church is an online streaming service to help pastors master their ministry and leadership skills and thereby overcome barriers to church growth and participation. Through this paid monthly membership program, they’ve helped more than 2,500 pastors and church leaders around the world improve their personal effectiveness, and recruit and motivate people to get off the sidelines and use their God-given gifts to contribute to the body of Christ. As of January 2020, Jonathan began putting his full-time attention toward Leaders.Church and he began writing his first book that launched in October 2022 entitled, Arrow Striker: Live with Purpose and Leave an Eternal Impact…Every Single Day. In Arrow Striker, Jonathan challenges readers to be more intentional each day to make an even bigger impact on the world around them and to live out their faith with passion and enthusiasm.   Jonathan has a B.A. in Church Administration from Central Bible College and a M.A. in Christian Ministries from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary. His ministry experience, along with a solid, biblical education, has afforded him the unique opportunity to help people maximize their lives for Kingdom purposes in their homes, workplaces, communities, and churches. Jonathan is married to Ashley and has three young children, Emery, Axel and Fia.