Passing the Baton | A Conversation with Pastor Lawrence

What does it actually look like to hand off leadership well?

Passing the Baton is a four-part conversation series from Grand Point Church, hosted by Mitch Benedict, exploring one of the rarest things in church life: a healthy, intentional pastoral transition.

After nearly 14 years leading a thriving, multi-campus church, Pastor Lawrence isn't stepping back because he's burned out or moving on to another church. He's choosing to begin the search for the next lead pastor while Grand Point is healthy, growing, and full of momentum — and he's inviting the whole church into the process.

Across this series, we go behind the announcement to tell the real story. The years of prayer and counsel. The mentors and the hard conversations. The conviction that ministry isn't a marathon — it's a relay. We talk about what it takes to build a church that can thrive through change, the lessons of 14 years in leadership, and why Pastor Lawrence believes the best days are still ahead.

Whether you call Grand Point home or you're a pastor or ministry leader wrestling with what comes next, this is an honest, hopeful look at finishing one lap well and handing off the baton so the next runner can go further.

In this series:
Episode 1 — How We Got Here: The story behind the decision.
Episode 2 — What I've Learned: Hard-won wisdom from 14 years of leadership.
Episode 3 — What I'm Excited About: A vision for Grand Point's future.
Episode 4 — A Word for the Church: A message to the GPC family and to leaders everywhere.

🎧 Also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube

📍 Learn more about Grand Point Church: www.grandpoint.church

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