MEET THE APOSTOLIC PASTORS
SHAWN AND SONNY HENNESSY
“WE’RE NOT HERE TO BUILD A CHURCH, WE’RE HERE TO BUILD THE KINGDOM”
Shawn and Sonny Hennessy moved to the Green Bay in 2013 after living in cities from coast to coast including: Tacoma, WA, Memphis and Nashville, TN, Houston, TX, Tampa, FL and San Diego, CA.
Within the first seven years, Life Church grew from 145 people to 4,000 in physical weekly attendance. They grew so quickly, they met in three different buildings in four years. To reach more people than could fit in an auditorium, they launched an online campus that grew to serve tens of thousands of people weekly. Life Church was named the 2nd-fastest-growing church in America in 2017. Shawn has been with the Packers as their Chaplain since 2018.
Then the pandemic hit. Life Church’s online presence was already established, allowing them to carry out their mission of reaching people with the Life-Giving message of Jesus beyond Green Bay. They felt a call to start a Life Church in Seattle, Portland, Detroit, Southern California, and Vancouver, B.C.
The Hennessys have never been content with a Sunday-only model of church — because Sunday-only church often leads to Sunday-only Christians. In 2018, they took bold action by investing in community spaces and launching a series of businesses, beginning with The Exchange Coffee, Mercantile & Eatery, to point to Jesus all week long in the marketplaces.
Recognizing their reach had already expanded beyond Wisconsin’s (920) area code; they began partnering with like-minded investors across the country to launch marketplace-driven ministries — all with one mission: to introduce people to Jesus where they are and connect them to a local church. It’s not about building a single church — it’s about building the Kingdom of Heaven.
Now, that mission is expanding again. Life Church launched in the Seattle area on October 2025 and The Exchange Brand opened another business in Southern California in May 2026. Plans for Portland and several people activated to go are currently underway.
Life Church is governed by a board of directors and guided by a team of elders/pastors.
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It is a pioneering, Jesus-centered, and Holy Spirit-led mission aimed at establishing churches in new territories and strengthening believers. It is characterized by sacrifice, suffering for the gospel, and working as a "master builder" who lays foundational doctrines to build up the church.
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Pioneer: Paul focused on planting churches in unreached areas rather than staying in one place, constantly moving to establish new communities.
"Master Builder:" He established churches, ordained local leadership, and provided structural, doctrinal, relational, and foundational order.
Spirit-Guided & Empowered: He was led directly by the Holy Spirit regarding where to travel and preach, and his ministry was marked by signs, wonders, and mighty deeds.
Sacrificial and Gospel-Centered: Paul’s ministry was characterized by immense suffering, opposition, and a single-minded devotion to preaching the gospel of grace.
Relationship-Oriented: He focused on nurturing and equipping the churches he established, often returning to strengthen them and ensuring they were not led astray.
CULTURE IS A BIG DEAL HERE
We focus on culture because curated culture has intentional effects. Simply, we get our culture from the character Jesus modeled. We are life-giving, we are kind, we are peaceful, we are inspired and we are generous. Here’s how we put that into action:
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Restoration
Life and ministry is difficult, and the pressure is immense. The Exchange Collaborative offers tailored pastoral restoration programs for pastors and resources for high-performing leaders.
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Podcasts
We provide fresh, high quality podcasts on many different topics. Journey to Wholeness for emotional help, A Sonny Look at the Bible or LC Sunday Messages for Theology and Leadership Development, and even more!
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The Exchange Brand
The Exchange Brand has businesses 3 states. The first was the Exchange Coffee, Mercantile & Eatery and the Parlor and Barber which opened in 2018, followed by The Reserve Retreat Center in 2022, and most recently The Exchange Cigar in 2026.
The Exchange Story
In 2018, we realized that we wanted a way to be present in the community more than just at Sunday morning services. We intentionally decided to invest and become a part of the business sector in the Green Bay area.
Thus, the Exchange Coffee, Mercantile & Eatery was born. Open Tuesday to Saturday, the Exchange is a life-giving, culture creating brand meant to reach the people of the (920). The unique products and peaceful environment inspires through its simple elegance. Whether you’re in need of an incredible cup of coffee, a bubble waffle, gourmet crepe or salad, a thoughtful gift, or a haircut from the parlor, the Exchange is for our city.
The Exchange Coffee, Mercantile and Eatery believes in being life-giving, inspired, peaceful, and kind because you deserve a better (920) and we can build it together.
The Exchange Coffee, Mercantile and Eatery is a wholly owned and operated subsidiary of Life Church Green Bay, Inc.
Plans to expand in business concepts to other cities are funded by investors & partners and the Life Church Kingdom Builders fund for those with a heart for reaching people beyond Sunday mornings.
Our vision is that this model would inspire other cities to locally invest in their “dirt”, to bring life-giving experiences to more communities. If you are interested in bringing this concept to your area, please contact us HERE.
To learn more about our culture and what we do, download our special edition Life & Culture Magazine.