Good Friday Breakfast 2026

Life is Tough, So are You!

We are honored to welcome Johnny Crowder as the featured speaker for our Good Friday Breakfast. His journey is compelling, his message powerful, and his perspective uniquely suited to this day of reflection.

A bit about Johnny

• Johnny is the Founder & CEO of Cope Notes, a text-based mental-health platform used in nearly 100 countries.
• He is a widely known mental-health advocate, suicide and abuse survivor, Certified Recovery Peer Specialist, and a TEDx speaker.
• In his TEDx talk “Why I Don’t Want to Die Anymore,” Johnny openly shares the near-death experiences that shifted his life into a new direction of purpose and hope.

His story of transformation

Johnny’s life includes moments of deep struggle and a pivotal near-death experience—events that became the catalyst for his renewed commitment to living and helping others. He uses his story not only to shine a light on mental-health challenges but also to point toward a deeper sense of meaning. While his platform is secular in its reach, his transformation reflects the powerful truth that life is precious, change is possible, and hope is real.

What to expect at the breakfast

• Authentic storytelling: Johnny brings his full self—vulnerability, grit, and humor—to his message.
• Practical takeaways: His talk will include mental-health insights, reframing adversity and aligning daily life with purpose.
• An invitation to encounter: In the spirit of Good Friday, our time together will be about more than inspiration—it will be an opportunity to reflect, to connect with the story of Jesus’ sacrifice, and to consider how we respond to that gift in our own lives.

Why we chose Johnny

We believe this Good Friday merits a speaker whose personal story mirrors the themes of death and new life, brokenness and redemption. Johnny’s near-death turning point offers a tangible analogue to the message of Christ’s death and resurrection. His journey helps us see that no life is beyond renewal—and that the hope we celebrate this day remains tangible.

We hope you will join us with open hearts. Come ready to be challenged, encouraged, and reminded of the hope we share in the cross and the empty tomb.