Building a Life-Giving Culture in Growing Churches

In this episode of the GrowLeader Podcast, Pastor Chris Hodges shares insights on his upcoming book Legacy Letters, a collection of life principles framed as heartfelt letters to future generations. The podcast delves into leadership development, the power of corporate prayer, and what growing churches are doing differently in 2025—from prioritizing spiritual transformation over attraction to building authentic community and cultivating culture through purpose-driven systems.

All Things GrowLeader:

• Bulk order Pray First for Young Readers: https://churchsource.com/products/pray-first-for-young-readers-simple-steps-for-talking-and-listening-to-god?variant=41953943748705

• Join 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 more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyCNQpi3YxaOeQAIdSpbeVw

Pastor Chris’s Do More of This and Less of This:

• Assume people are hungry > Assume people are skeptical 

• Feed them – engage their spiritual questions > entertaining them

• Make space for worship, prayer, and spiritual response > Keep services safe and short

• Designed for discipleship and life change > Designed for casual attenders

• Give people what they need > Give people what they want

• Encounter with God > Entertain the crowd

• Have room for the unplanned > Package everything perfectly

• Rely on anointing > Rely on talent

• Focus on spiritual value > Focus on production value

• Cultivate authenticity > Cultivate stage performance

• Prioritize presence, truth and transformation > Prioritize fun and novelty

• Preach and teach the Bible with conviction > Teach principles only

• Being bold (without being weird) > avoiding intensity

• Call people to surrender and commitment > Send them on their way full

• Make it all about Jesus > Make it all about us

Pastor Chris’s 12 Metrics of Discipleship:

• Know God

• Committed your life to Christ and water baptized

• Know how to read the Bible and enjoy it

• Know how to pray and worship and enjoy it

• Find Freedom

• Healthy relationships and in a small group

• Honest about your struggles

• Allowing the work of the Holy Spirit in your life

• Discover Purpose

• Committed to a local church and connecting with the Body of Christ

• Discovered spiritual gifts

• A personal growth plan and growing daily.

• Make a Difference

• Regularly serving God by serving others on the Dream Team

• Sharing your faith

• Faithful in the tithe and generous beyond that

Follow along on Socials: 

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

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