Who will you learn from in 2025?

In this episode of the GrowLeader Podcast, Pastors Chris Hodges and Matt Minor kick off the year by exploring how leaders can grow through intentional models and mentors. Pastor Chris shares personal stories of how he has applied lessons from others to create systems and strategies that have fueled the success of Church of the Highlands.

The discussion dives into the power of learning from other leaders, pursuing mentorship intentionally, and crafting a personal growth plan to stay ahead. Whether you’re leading a church, a business, or simply looking for ways to grow, this episode offers practical wisdom to start your year with focus and purpose.

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Episode Resources:

- 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting: https://21days.churchofthehighlands.com/

- NEW GrowLeader One Days: https://www.growleader.com/onedays

- Join Monthly Mentoring with Pastor Chris: https://www.growleader.com/monthlymentoring

. . . .

All things GrowLeader:

- NEW GrowLeader One Days: https://www.growleader.com/onedays

- Learn More and Register for GrowLeader Conference 2025: https://www.growleader.com/conference

- GrowLeader Roundtables: https://www.growleader.com/roundtables

- Develop a Kingdom Builders or Legacy Team: https://www.growleader.com/kbvirtualintensive

- Join Monthly Mentoring with Pastor Chris: https://www.growleader.com/monthlymentoring

- Access FREE church resources: https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/resources

- Watch more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@GrowLeaderTeam

. . . .

Follow along on Socials:

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growleader

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/growleader

. . . .

Thank you to our partners!

- Wesleyan Investment Foundation: https://www.wifonline.com/growleader

- OneHope: https://onehope.net/growleader

- StudioC: https://www.thestudioc.org/growleader

How can leaders use their influence to build a legacy that transforms lives and inspires the next generation?

In this episode of the GrowLeader Podcast, we’re highlighting a powerful session from the 2024 Impact Leadership Conference at Highlands College featuring Ed Mylett. A renowned speaker, author, and entrepreneur, Ed shares transformative insights on leadership, legacy, and the power of vision.

He challenges leaders to embrace their pain as a platform for purpose, cast a God-sized vision that inspires others, and empower the next generation to carry the mission forward. With practical advice and inspirational stories, this episode will equip you to lead with conviction, create lasting impact, and build a life that leaves a meaningful legacy.

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Episode Resources:

- Learn More | Ed Mylett: https://www.edmylett.com/

- Impact Leadership Conference 2025: https://www.research.net/r/ILC25CTA

. . . .

All things GrowLeader:

- NEW GrowLeader One Days: https://www.growleader.com/onedays

- Learn More and Register for GrowLeader Conference 2025: https://www.growleader.com/conference

- GrowLeader Roundtables: https://www.growleader.com/roundtables

- Develop a Kingdom Builders or Legacy Team: https://www.growleader.com/kbvirtualintensive

- Join Monthly Mentoring with Pastor Chris: https://www.growleader.com/monthlymentoring

- Access FREE church resources: https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/resources

- Watch more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@GrowLeaderTeam

. . . .

Follow along on Socials:

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growleader

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/growleader

. . . .

Thank you to our partners!

- Wesleyan Investment Foundation: https://www.wifonline.com/growleader

- OneHope: https://onehope.net/growleader

- StudioC: https://www.thestudioc.org/growleader

How can leaders reflect, refocus, and reignite their vision to lead effectively into the new year?

In this episode of the GrowLeader Podcast, Pastor Chris Hodges dives into the importance of reflecting on the past year to identify lessons, celebrate wins, and prepare for the future. He shares seven key questions every leader should ask to evaluate their leadership, align their vision and values, and uncover growth opportunities.

This episode offers practical insights on focusing your efforts, empowering your team, and starting the new year with prayer and fasting to invite God’s presence into your plans. Whether you’re looking to grow personally or lead your organization more effectively, these strategies will help you build momentum and make a lasting impact.

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Episode Resources:

- NEW GrowLeader One Days: https://www.growleader.com/onedays

- Watch last year's December episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE4dNktIj30

- See Church of the Highlands Values: https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/about

- Pray First Resources: https://www.thomasnelson.com/p/prayfirst/

. . . .

All things GrowLeader:

- Learn More and Register for GrowLeader Conference 2025: https://www.growleader.com/conference

- GrowLeader Roundtables: https://www.growleader.com/roundtables

- Develop a Kingdom Builders or Legacy Team: https://www.growleader.com/kbvirtualintensive

- Join Monthly Mentoring with Pastor Chris: https://www.growleader.com/monthlymentoring

- Access FREE church resources: https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/resources

- Watch more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@GrowLeaderTeam

. . . .

Follow along on Socials:

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growleader

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/growleader

. . . .

Thank you to our partners!

- Wesleyan Investment Foundation: https://www.wifonline.com/growleader

- OneHope: https://onehope.net/growleader

- StudioC: https://www.thestudioc.org/growleader

. . . .

Timeline:

00:00 - Highlight

00:12 - Reflecting on the Past

07:17 - Evaluating Vision and Values

30:37 - Preparing for the New Year | Prayer and Fasting

32:20 - Thank You, Partners!

How can church leaders boldly share God’s truth while inspiring hope and love in a complex world?

In this episode of the GrowLeader Podcast, Pastors Chris Hodges and Matt Minor sit down with Pastor Sammy Rodriguez to discuss how leaders can navigate today’s complex cultural landscape. They dive into the challenges of balancing truth and love while engaging with a rapidly changing world.

Pastor Sammy shares powerful insights on the role of the Holy Spirit in leading with conviction and grace, and emphasizes the importance of investing in the next generation. The conversation explores how staying Spirit-led and empowering young leaders can position the Church to make a lasting impact in a complex culture.

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Episode Resources:

- Learn More about Pastor Sammy Rodriguez: https://www.pastorsam.com

- Book | Fresh Oil Holy Fire New Wine: https://www.pastorsam.com/books

. . . .

All things GrowLeader:

- NEW GrowLeader One Days: https://www.growleader.com/onedays

- Learn More and Register for GrowLeader Conference 2025: https://www.growleader.com/conference

- Develop a Kingdom Builders or Legacy Team: https://www.growleader.com/kbvirtualintensive

- Learn more about Monthly Mentoring with Pastor Chris: https://www.growleader.com/monthlymentoring

- Access FREE church resources: https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/resources

- Watch the GrowLeader Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@GrowLeaderTeam

. . . .

Follow along on Socials:

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growleader

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/growleader

. . . .

Thank you to our partners!

- Wesleyan Investment Foundation: https://www.wifonline.com/growleader

- OneHope: https://onehope.net/

- StudioC: https://www.thestudioc.org/growleader

. . . .

Timeline:

00:00 - Highlight

00:19 - Meet Pastor Sammy Rodriguez

08:26 - Balancing Truth and Love

21:13 - The Role of the Holy Spirit

28:02 - Thank You, Partners!

In this episode of the GrowLeader Podcast Dr. Dharius Daniels, a visionary leader and pastor, sits down with pastors Chris Hodges and Matt Minor to discuss practical strategies for ministry success. Together, they explore the power of consistency, effective discipleship of men, and the importance of establishing a rhythm for ministry through principles like the “Ideal Week.” Dr. Daniels shares his journey of finding his voice, the lessons he’s learned in growing churches, and the transformative discipleship program he’s developed to shape men as godly leaders in their homes and communities.

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Episode Resources:

- Learn More about Dr. Dharius Daniels: https://dhariusdaniels.com/

- Highlands College Chapel: https://youtu.be/o4rbmtMv-eg?si=WEEP2ig2Z9pmtkUn

. . . .

All things GrowLeader:

- Learn More and Register for GrowLeader Conference 2025: https://www.growleader.com/conference

- Develop a Kingdom Builders or Legacy Team: https://www.growleader.com/kbvirtualintensive

- Learn more about Monthly Mentoring with Pastor Chris: https://www.growleader.com/monthlymentoring

- Access FREE church resources: https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/resources

- Watch the GrowLeader Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@GrowLeaderTeam

. . . .

Follow along on Socials:

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growleader

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/growleader

. . . .

Thank you to our partners!

- Wesleyan Investment Foundation: https://www.wifonline.com/growleader

- OneHope: https://onehope.net/

- StudioC: https://www.thestudioc.org/growleader

. . . .

Timeline:

00:00 - Highlight

00:23 - About Highlands College

03:40 - Meet Dr. Dharius Daniels

08:08 - Message Prep and Delivery

13:55 - The Power of Consistency in Leadership

26:17 - Discipleship and "Made Men"

32:09 - Thank You, Partners!

How do you ensure financial decisions prioritize Kingdom impact over infrastructure growth?

In this episode of the GrowLeader Podcast, Pastors Chris Hodges and Matt Minor sit down with Norwood Davis, President of the Wesleyan Investment Foundation (WIF), to discuss the financial principles every church leader should know. They dive into the importance of having a clear financial strategy to support church growth.

Norwood shares key financial metrics for churches and explains how WIF has helped fund over $630 million in church projects. The conversation also explores how creating margin in your budget can lead to unexpected opportunities and why preparing your team for financial growth is essential to success.

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Episode Resources:

- Learn More about Overflow: https://www.wifonline.com/growleader

. . . .

All things GrowLeader:

- Develop a Kingdom Builders or Legacy Team: https://www.growleader.com/kbvirtualintensive

- Learn more about Monthly Mentoring with Pastor Chris: https://www.growleader.com/monthlymentoring

- Access FREE church resources: https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/resources

- Watch the GrowLeader Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@GrowLeaderTeam

. . . .

Follow along on Socials:

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growleader

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/growleader

. . . .

Thank you to our partners!

- Wesleyan Investment Foundation: https://www.wifonline.com/growleader

- StudioC: https://www.thestudioc.org/growleader

. . . .

Timeline:

00:00 - Highlight

00:25 - Intro Norwood Davis 

05:23 - Financial Strategy & Church Growth

07:13 - About WIF

14:59 - Creating Margin In Your Budget

22:41 - Leading Your Team Through Financial Growth

27:30 - Thank You, Partners! 

Ready to build momentum into the new year?

Join pastors Chris Hodges and Matt Minor as they discuss how to "stack the dominoes" into the new year as well as how to navigate the often polarizing election season with grace and wisdom. They unpack leadership strategies for maintaining focus on what matters most during the holidays and year-end, including how to define vision, develop givers, and make the most of key Sundays leading up to Christmas.

Packed with practical insights for pastors and leaders, this episode is all about stacking momentum, so that each event, service, and outreach builds toward greater impact. Don’t miss the essential advice on leveraging “At the Movies”, Thanksgiving outreaches, and preparing for Christmas to close out the year strong!

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Episode Resources:

- Jesus the High Road Leader: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-High-Road-Leader-Maxwell/dp/B0D51Q59V3

- Giving Hope Resources: https://resources.churchofthehighlands.com/resources/3362

- Kingdom Builders Virtual Intensive: https://www.growleader.com/kbvirtualintensive

- Yearly Preaching Calendar: https://resources.churchofthehighlands.com/resources/2359

- GrowLeader Roundtables: https://www.growleader.com/roundtables

. . . .

All things GrowLeader:

- Learn more about Monthly Mentoring with Pastor Chris: https://www.growleader.com/monthlymentoring

- Access FREE church resources: https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/resources

- Develop a Kingdom Builders or Legacy Team: https://www.growleader.com/kbvirtualintensive

- Watch the GrowLeader Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@GrowLeaderTeam

. . . .

Follow along on Socials:

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growleader

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/growleader

. . . .

Thank you to our partners!

- Wesleyan Investment Foundation: https://www.wifonline.com/growleader

- StudioC: https://www.thestudioc.org/growleader

. . . .

Timeline:

00:00 - Highlight

00:24 - Intro + Election Season & Leadership

07:51 - Thank You, Partners!

10:48 - Fall & the Holidays

17:38 - Define Vision & Develop Givers

26:07 - Preparing for Christmas & 21 Days of Prayer

In this episode Vance Roush, founder of Overflow, joins Pastors Chris Hodges and Matt Minor to talk about his journey of starting a church in the Silicon Valley and how it led to the creation of Overflow, a system of generosity for churches. 

Overflow allows churches to receive stock and cryptocurrency donations, as well as traditional forms of giving. Vance emphasizes the importance of removing friction from the giving process and the power of generosity in expanding the kingdom of God. He also encourages pastors to hire the right people to navigate the world of technology and leverage it for the growth of their churches.

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Episode Resources:

- Learn More about Overflow: https://www.overflow.co/growleader

- Book a Demo with Overflow: https://events.overflow.co/growleader#form

. . . .

All things GrowLeader:

- Register for upcoming Regionals in 2024: https://www.growleader.com/regionals

- Learn more about Monthly Mentoring with Pastor Chris: https://www.growleader.com/monthlymentoring

- Access FREE church resources: https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/resources

- Develop a Kingdom Builders or Legacy Team: https://www.growleader.com/kbvirtualintensive

- Watch the GrowLeader Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@GrowLeaderTeam

. . . .

Follow along on Socials:

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growleader

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/growleader

. . . .

Thank you to our partners!

- Wesleyan Investment Foundation: https://www.wifonline.com/growleader

- StudioC: https://www.thestudioc.org/growleader

. . . .

Timeline:

00:00 - Highlight

00:18 - About Vance Roush

09:04 - Removing Friction from Generosity

24:54 - Thank You, Partners!

In a culture that likes to pick sides, who can we look to as a model of high road leadership?

In this episode, Pastors Chris Hodges and Matt Minor discuss the importance of living out the values and principles of Jesus, which is the heart of a new book Pastor Chris co-authored with John C. Maxwell called “Jesus the High Road Leader”.

They emphasize the need for an attractive spirituality that draws people to God as well as highlight the value of all people, even those we may disagree with, and the importance of entering their world to understand them. Pastor Chris shares examples of how he has applied these principles in his own life and encourages pastors to preach on these topics.

. . . .

Episode Resources:

- Order "Jesus The High Road Leader" book:

- Pre-Orders: https://bit.ly/JTHRL

- Bulk Orders: https://bit.ly/BJTHRL

. . . .

All things GrowLeader:

- Register for upcoming Regionals in 2024: https://www.growleader.com/regionals

- Learn more about Monthly Mentoring with Pastor Chris: https://www.growleader.com/monthlymentoring

- Access FREE church resources: https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/resources

- Develop a Kingdom Builders or Legacy Team: https://www.growleader.com/kbvirtualintensive

- Watch the GrowLeader Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@GrowLeaderTeam

. . . .

Follow along on Socials:

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growleader

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/growleader

. . . .

Thank you to our partners!

- Wesleyan Investment Foundation: https://www.wifonline.com/growleader

- StudioC: https://www.thestudioc.org/growleader

. . . .

Timeline:

00:00 - Highlight

02:22 - High Road Leaders

11:20 - Lead Like Jesus

17:19 - Attractive Spirituality

22:46 - Value People

25:30 - Enter Their World

31:06 - Thank You, Partners!

In this episode, Pastor Craig Groeschel, the Senior Pastor of Life.Church, joins Pastors Chris Hodges and Matt Minor to discuss church growth, leadership, and the power of pre-deciding.

They discuss the challenges of maintaining a healthy church culture, the importance of reaching people and creating margin, and the potential of the YouVersion Bible app. Craig shares his personal disciplines and the concept of pre-decision, which involves making a plan ahead of time to be successful. He emphasizes the need for accountability and creating systems that make it easy to succeed.

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Episode Resources:

- Learn about the 3 Leadership Mindsets: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLgbjT0WpBo

- Get Involved with YouVersion:

    - Email: [email protected]

    - Website: https://www.youversion.com/get-involved

- Watch the Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@craiggroeschel/podcasts

. . . .

All things GrowLeader:

- Register for upcoming Regionals in 2024: https://www.growleader.com/regionals

- Learn more about Monthly Mentoring with Pastor Chris: https://www.growleader.com/monthlymentoring

- Access FREE church resources: https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/resources

- Develop a Kingdom Builders or Legacy Team: https://www.growleader.com/kbvirtualintensive

- Watch the GrowLeader Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@GrowLeaderTeam

. . . .

Follow along on Socials:

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growleader

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/growleader

. . . .

Thank you to our partners!

- Wesleyan Investment Foundation: https://www.wifonline.com/growleader

- StudioC: https://www.thestudioc.org/growleader

. . . .

Timeline:

00:00 - Highlight

00:47 - About Craig Groeschel

03:33 - Reaching People and Creating Margin

23:19 - Craig's Personal Disciplines

32:04 - Thank You, Partners!

In this episode, Pastors Chris and Matt are joined by Brad Straarup to discuss GrowLeader's newest service, the Church Health Assessment!

They discuss the importance of assessing the health of various aspects of a church, such as worship, children's ministry, and overall culture. They emphasize the need for regular self-assessment and external assessment to identify areas of improvement and ensure growth. The conversation also touches on the value of feedback, the role of leadership in driving change, and the importance of aligning with the vision and values of the organization.

. . . .

Episode Resources:

- NEW Church Health Assessment: https://www.growleader.com/churchhealthassessment 

- PC's Personal Questions: https://hubs.li/Q02JYd4k0

. . . .

All things GrowLeader:

- Register for upcoming Regionals in 2024: https://www.growleader.com/regionals

- Learn more about Monthly Mentoring with Pastor Chris: https://www.growleader.com/monthlymentoring

- Access FREE church resources: https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/resources

- Develop a Kingdom Builders or Legacy Team: https://www.growleader.com/kbvirtualintensive

- Watch the GrowLeader Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@GrowLeaderTeam

. . . .

Follow along on Socials:

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growleader

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/growleader

. . . .

Thank you to our partners!

- Wesleyan Investment Foundation: https://www.wifonline.com/growleader

- StudioC: https://www.thestudioc.org/growleader

. . . .

Timeline:

00:00 - Highlight

00:27 - GrowLeader + Motion Conferences

02:38 - About Brad Straarup 

03:32 - Church Health Assessment

17:38 - Personal Dashboards

19:53 - Personal and Organizational Questions

29:45 - Thank You, Partners!