Can young people truly build a world-class church—in the heart of one of the world’s most expensive, influential, and diverse cities?

On today’s episode of The Missional Leader, Rob talks with Pastor Tan Seow How, co-founder of Heart of God Church (HOGC) in Singapore—a thriving young adult church known for flipping the script on what church can be for the next generation.

Globally recognized for its “by youth, for youth, to reach youth” approach, HOGC is breaking boundaries in a city famed for finance, fun, and cultural pluralism. Pastor How shares the remarkable story of how he and his wife, Pastor Lia, followed a bold calling to build a ministry where belonging comes first—empowering thousands of young people, many from non-church backgrounds, to discover faith and purpose. Plus, Pastor How shares strategies for building community across Singapore’s church population and how collaboration among young pastors and leaders is paving the way for a new era of mission-driven unity.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Heart of God Church: https://heartofgodchurch.org/

Rob’s Outreach article on HOGC: https://outreachmagazine.com/features/82687-the-greatest-youth-church-in-the-world.html

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Flipping the Church Belonging Model for Gen Z
05:52 Heart of God Church: A Youth-Led Experiment
09:18 Building a Church by Youth, for Youth: The Miracle Story
11:23 Church as Home: Kids from Broken Families Find Belonging
15:53 Empowering Youth as Immediate Leaders and Servants
19:56 Behind the Scenes: Young Teens Run the Church Operations
23:01 Balancing Success and Purpose in Affluent Singapore
32:28 Discipling Gen Z: Navigating Truth in a Digital Age
36:05 Relational Equity: The Key to Teaching Biblical Values
40:02 High Touch vs High Tech: Why Youth Choose Physical Church
43:34 Youth Unity: Singapore's Next Generation Churches Collaborate
45:24 Mission-Driven Unity: Gen Z’s Collaborative Spirit
46:54 Closing Blessing: Building Models for the Next Generation

What if the greatest opportunities for sharing the Gospel are found where the opposition is strongest? In this episode of The Missional Leader, Rob talks with Dr. Barry Corey, president of Biola University and a leading voice in Christian higher education. For almost two decades, Dr. Corey has led through the challenges of culture, politics, and faith in the heart of Southern California, one of the most progressive areas in the United States.—

From his New England roots to leading in California’s shifting cultural landscape, Dr. Corey , shares vulnerably about the burdens and breakthroughs of leadership, and what it means to stay grounded in biblical truth while boldly engaging today’s world.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Biola University: https://www.biola.edu/

Washington Post Op-Ed: "We first battled over LGBT and religious rights. Here’s how we became friends." by Barry Corey and Evan Low: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/03/03/we-first-battled-over-lgbt-and-religious-rights-heres-how-we-became-unlikely-friends/

Doritos Super Bowl commercial made by Biola film students:
https://www.biola.edu/blogs/biola-news/2025/biola-alumni-on-their-way-to-crash-the-super-bowl

OneHope Research - Gen Alpha
https://onehope.net/global-outreach/research/

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Trusting God’s Tailwinds in Leadership
01:12 The Life-Changing Bob Cooley Mentorship
02:28 Necessary: Flourishing Under the Weight of Leadership
03:50 Surviving and Thriving in Challenging Higher Ed Climates
05:32 Leading Christian Education in Progressive California
07:48 God’s Tailwinds vs. Cultural Headwinds
09:49 Building Unexpected Friendships Across Ideological Divides
12:48 Listening to Learn, Not Just to Respond
15:19 Firm Center, Soft Edges: Biola’s Approach to Controversy
17:39 Balancing Truth and Grace in University Culture
20:13 Excellence as Apologetics: Biola’s Award-Winning Doritos Story
22:35 Avoiding the Culture War Mentality
24:00 Ensuring Deep Biblical Foundations for Students
25:55 Hopeful Signs and Concerns for the Next Generation
28:46 Lessons from Europe’s “Quiet Revival”
30:14 Challenging Churches to Deepen Discipleship for Gen Z

Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing—Oxford-trained theologian and leading Christian apologist—is captivating Gen Z by combining deep biblical theology with with a disarming, whimsical love for people.

In this episode of The Missional Leader, Amy shares her remarkable journey from atheistic family roots to a transformative encounter with Jesus, and how that awakening propelled her to engage the toughest questions at the world’s leading universities. Together with Rob, she explores how the church can faithfully respond to a generation grappling with anxiety, identity, and a hunger for truth. With clarity and compassion, Amy models a trinitarian, Spirit-empowered approach to apologetics that wins both hearts and minds — one that values persuasion over pride and empathy over ego.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

OneHope Research - Gen Alpha and Gen Z:
https://onehope.net/global-outreach/research

Feed - Core Questions Devotional:
https://feed.bible/core-questions

"The Quiet Revival" Research Report, Bible Society:
https://theresource.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/The-Quiet-Revival.pdf

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Persuading Heart and Mind: Pascal’s Approach to Apologetics
02:55 Childhood Atheism to Apologist: Amy’s Unlikely Journey
04:04 Supernatural Encounter: Early Experience with Healing
07:53 Oxford Ultimatum: Career or Christ?
09:39 The Hidden Intolerance of Secular Academia
11:41 Arguments vs. Heart: Winning People, Not Just Debates
13:43 Facing a Panel: Spiritual and Intellectual Showdown
16:02 Courage, Fear, and Holy Spirit Empowerment
18:23 Confronting a Mob: Listening to Angry Students
21:26 Righteous Rage, Broken World: Turning Anger into Apologetics
24:37 Anxiety & Toxic Certainty: New Generation, New Challenges
28:20 Jordan Peterson Effect: Why Young Men Seek Church
29:51 Church’s Call: Preach a Robust, Demanding Faith
30:25 Preparation Meets Dependence: Mind on Fire, Heart Reliant

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