What does it actually take to plant a church that reaches a city?

In this episode of the Lead With Vision Podcast, Nolan sits down with Pastor Jason Taylor of The Vertical Church in Yuma, Arizona.

Jason shares the honest story of parachuting into Yuma, shrinking from 54 people to 18, learning his city the hard way, and watching God build a thriving, evangelistic church over the last two decades.

This conversation is packed with practical wisdom for church planters and pastors:

• How to contextualize without compromising
• How to build a culture of evangelism
• Why every leader needs coaching
• Why humility may be one of the greatest predictors of fruitfulness in ministry

If you want to reach people, lead through growth, and stay hungry without losing humility, this conversation is for you.

Follow Pastor Jason:
https://vertical.church/
https://www.instagram.com/jasontayloryuma
https://www.instagram.com/theverticalchurch/

Join us for a free Vision Arizona event:
We can’t wait for the next Vision Arizona Start & Strengthen Gathering!

This is a networking event for starting and strengthening churches and church leaders. Join us for free lunch and free leadership training. Invite your teams!

Date: Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Time: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Location: Cornerstone Chandler
1595 S. Alma School Road
Chandler, AZ 85286

Register here:
https://vision-arizona-473523.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/3730345

You can also sign up for Pre-Event Breakouts beginning at 9:30 AM.

Speaker: Chris Hilken

Dr. Chris Hilken is the Senior Pastor of College Avenue Church in San Diego, where he leads a multi-generational congregation in one of the most complex cultural and ideological environments in the country.

He also serves as a professor of theology, training future leaders to think clearly, biblically, and critically in a confused age.

Chris collaborates with the Dad Tired Podcast, engaging honest conversations surrounding masculinity and Christian fatherhood.

Shaped by a heartbreaking story of grief and loss, he is known for clear, direct teaching, biblical depth, and unfiltered realism.

Interested in planting in Arizona?
https://www.visionarizona.com/

Some leaders fold when the pressure hits. Others get forged by it.

In this episode of Lead With Vision from Vision Arizona, we sit down with a Vision Arizona church planter named Tim Birdwell who faced obstacle after obstacle and refused to let adversity have the final word. What looked like setbacks became setup that humbled him, shaped his leadership, and helped their church lock in to the mission of the Gospel. What should have slowed the mission down actually sharpened the vision, strengthened his leadership, and helped build a thriving church culture.

Tim planted Phoenix Bible Church in Phoenix out of the ashes of another movement. He established a fresh vision, created unified language, and led against some pretty incredible odds. Tim also led one of the most impressive church mergers and obtained a beautiful building on 10 acres in the heart of Phoenix.

Whether you're a church planter, revitalizer, or church leader--Tim's story and insights are going to help you navigate hardship and break down barriers. This conversation is about more than surviving hard seasons: it's about leading with resilience, seeing opportunity where others see obstacles, and learning how God can use resistance to produce resilience, clarity, and momentum. If you are planting, leading, rebuilding, or fighting to stay faithful when the odds feel stacked against you, this episode will hit home.

📱Follow Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timbirdwell/

⛪️ Learn more about Phoenix Bible: https://www.phoenixbiblechurch.com/

📝 GROW WITH US! Come to a Vision Arizona Gathering Featuring Mark Clark: https://vision-arizona-473523.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/3557215

✅Subscribe to get more content like this + help other leaders lead with vision. 👉Plant a church with Vision Arizona! https://convergeplanting.com/

What do you do with the years before your calling comes to fruition? Nando Mejia is a church planter who launched who accomplished impressive feat: planting a dual-lingual church with two services--one in Spanish and one in English--with nearly 700 people. He's an incredible preacher in both languages, has an impressive men's leadership pipeline, and something extremely unique and effective in ministry. He's real, Spirit-filled, and strategic. How did he pull it off? Nando would say it's not him. God was forming him long before a platform. We'll hit some very interesting leadership topics in this episode:

👉How can aspiring leaders lean in an leverage the long and lonely seasons before they are used mightily?

👉How can you develop humble leaders?

👉How do you contextualize effectively in two different cultures?

Church leadership is harder than ever, how can you be effective? Pastor Justin Anderson is easily among the most interesting and insightful church leaders. He is a serial church planter who started churches in Tempe Arizona, San Francisco and Seattle two of the hardest to reach cities in the US, and is now leading an existing church of 77 years through the crisis of the Palisade Fires. He has led as the vice president of a global church planting network, and is going to unpack some important principles for church leaders and planters alike. Lean in with this episode to gain insights, trends, and helpful concepts that will help you as a church leader in any season. Let's lead with vision.

Culture isn’t a side issue. It’s the issue. This episode unpacsk why culture beats strategy every time. Amazing cultures don't happen by accident. And it didn’t happen because of talent. They are intentionally built and fiercely guarded. We’ll talk language that shapes behavior, leadership that multiplies conviction, and why what you tolerate today becomes who you are tomorrow. If you lead a church, a team, or a ministry—and you feel stuck—this episode will challenge the way you think about growth, leadership, and what actually moves the needle.

✅Subscribe to get more content like this + help other leaders lead with vision.

👉Plant a church with Vision Arizona! https://convergeplanting.com/

How do you attract and develop strong leaders? When should you develop a leadership pipeline? What kind of culture invites people?

Matt Rose unpacks these topics and more in this conversation. Matt planted Orbit Church in Buckeye Arizona. Orbit is a dialed, impactful church reaching hundreds of people who are new to Christianity. Matt has successfully developed a healthy and solid staff and volunteer leadership team and an irresistible culture.

Follow them here: www.orbitchurch.org

🔥JOIN US FOR S2!

S2 IS A MAJOR CONFERENCE FOR CHURCHES THAT WANT TO GROW AND LEADERS WHO WANT TO LEAD BETTER.

Nov. 11-13

Speakers this year: Levi Lusko, Charlette Gambill, Jonathan Pokluda--plus outstanding breakout sessions. Click Here to Register while there's time!

⛪️ PLANT WITH US! Interested in church planting? Let's start the conversation! https://www.visionarizona.com/

Is there a lid on your ministry? How do you prevent obstacles from slowing your church plant? What barriers are blocking your impact right now?

In this episode pastor Jon Kragel unpacks how to break through barriers with two powerful tools: Trust + Empowerment. While the terms might seem simple, the way to foster them is through principles Jon will offer. There's a lot of practical meat in this interview.

Jon planted Mission Grove Church prior to covid, survived the impossible in that season, moved countless locations, established a 24-7 faciltiy, and most of all built a healthy, thriving team and church that's now moving to three services in North Phoenix. Follow them HERE!

You're not going to want to miss this episode with pastor Jon. He's a practitioner in the trenches make magic happen--and has a powerful way of synthesizing complex ideas into bite-size practical application. And YES: We get granular in this episode!

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JOIN US FOR S2!

S2 IS A MAJOR CONFERENCE FOR CHURCHES THAT WANT TO GROW AND LEADERS WHO WANT TO LEAD BETTER.

Nov. 11-13

Speakers this year: Levi Lusko, Charlette Gambill, Jonathan Pokluda--plus outstanding breakout sessions.

Click Here to Register while there's time!

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⛪️ PLANT WITH US!

Interested in church planting? Let's start the conversation!

https://www.visionarizona.com/

What’s the real secret to lasting in ministry? In Mark 1, right after explosive crowds and miracles, Jesus withdraws to a solitary place to pray. This message unpacks why prayer, identity, and boundaries matter more than platform, success, or even opportunity. If you’re a pastor, church planter, or Christian leader struggling with burnout, pressure, or expectations, this teaching will give you clarity and conviction. Learn why Jesus said “no” to the crowd, how to protect your family and calling, and how to lead with strength that lasts.

📖 Scripture: Mark 1:35–39 🔥

Topics Covered:

Jesus’ model for leadership and ministry

Calling vs. potential Why crowds and success can crush you

Boundaries, family, and spiritual health How to resist burnout in church planting and pastoring

📍CHAPTERS

0:00 – The hidden danger of ministry success

2:05 – Jesus slips away before the crowd finds Him (Mark 1:35)

4:22 – Why prayer is the foundation of lasting ministry 7:18 – Calling vs. potential: what pastors often miss

10:44 – The pressure of crowds, numbers, and church growth

14:59 – Burnout, busyness, and the weight of expectations

19:27 – Protecting your family while leading a church 24:11 – Boundaries in ministry: learning to say “no”

28:36 – How Jesus modeled healthy leadership rhythms

33:02 – The difference between God opportunities and good opportunities

37:45 – Confusing giftedness with spirituality (a pastor’s warning)

42:19 – When ministry becomes an affair: the danger of misplaced love

47:03 – Finding your identity before the crowd defines you

51:56 – The hardest lessons from church planting and pastoring

56:22 – It is finished: why Jesus fulfilled His calling, not His potential

1:00:41 – Practical commitments for pastors and leaders today

⛪️ PLANT WITH US!

Interested in church planting? Let's start the conversation! https://www.visionarizona.com/