As Africa quickly becomes the epicenter of global Christianity, is the Church prepared to empower its next generation? In this episode of The Missional Leader, Rob is joined by Pastor Julius Rwotlonyo, Team Leader of Watoto Church, one of Africa’s most vibrant and influential churches. Together, they explore why Africa’s youthful energy and spiritual vibrancy represent both an incredible opportunity and pressing challenge for the worldwide Church.

This conversation dives deep into the story of Watoto Church—a movement in Uganda transforming lives by rescuing vulnerable children, equipping women, and planting churches in some of the continent’s most underserved regions. Pastor Rwotlonyo, who came to faith as a child in Watoto and now leads the church through explosive growth and social innovation, shares his vision for empowering young Africans—not just as future leaders, but as change-makers today.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

OneHope Africa Matching Challenge: https://onehope.net/donate

Watoto Church: https://watotochurch.com/.

Miscio: https://www.miscio.io/

OneHope’s God’s Big Story & Unstoppable Programs: https://onehope.net/programs/.

TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Africa as the Rising Epicenter of Christianity
02:39 The Watoto Church Story and Julius’s Journey
05:02 Blending Social Outreach and Spiritual Discipleship
06:14 Transforming Orphan Care: The Family Model
08:03 Empowering Vulnerable Women Beyond Charity
09:03 Uganda’s Shift from Poverty Through Church-Led Development
10:56 Africa’s Youth: Unmatched Potential and Challenges
11:35 Disconnect Between Faith and Daily Life in Africa
13:50 Research Reveals Uganda’s Actual Spiritual Resiliency
15:15 One Hope’s Impact: Reaching 78 Million Children
18:03 Church Planting Among Unreached Muslim and Animistic Groups
20:04 Gen Z’s Questions: Discipleship in a Digital Age
21:03 Mental Health Struggles and Church Responses
25:26 Empowering African Girls: Esther’s Unstoppable Journey
27:08 Gen Z Movements, Social Unrest, and Church Engagement
29:27 Rethinking Christian Higher Education for Societal Change
32:10 Equipping the Now Generation: Empowering African Youth
34:05 Redefining Youth Ministry: Children as Church Leaders
38:05 $1M Matching Gift: Reaching 6 Million African Youth
39:53 Malik’s Story: From Muslim Street Child to Hope-Filled Leader

In this special episode of The Missional Leader, Rob sits down with Bobby Gruenewald, founder and CEO of YouVersion and the visionary behind the Bible App, to unpack one of the most remarkable digital movements of our time.

Join Rob as he and Bobby celebrate a historic and timely milestone for the Bible App: one billion installs. With November marking Global Bible Month and the official crossing of this historicthreshold, Bobby shares what it means for the future of Bible engagement and how everyone can join in this global celebration.

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Resources mentioned in this episode:

YouVersion Beyond a Billion Celebration & Global Bible Month:
https://www.life.church/billion

OneHope 30 Day Reading Plans for Children, Youth, and Parents:
https://www.bible.com/organizations/d6634491-2d45-4e2f-81b3-f8ade04f4494

YouVersion Bible app:
https://www.youversion.com/

Bible App for Kids:
https://www.bible.com/kids.

Kids Bible Experience:
https://www.bible.com/organizations/09d8dc67-6b79-4db8-95fb-b9055258b85b

YouVersion Instagram - Times Square Footage:
https://www.instagram.com/youversion/?hl=en

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TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Timely Episode: The Billion Bible App Milestone
01:41 Surpassing Expectations: Billion Installs Arrive Early
02:59 Digital Bible Growth Sparks Print Sales Surge
05:21 Global Bible Month: Uniting Apps and Partners
06:51 Lighting Up Times Square with the Bible
08:30 Amazon Prime Celebrates Global Bible Month
09:54 Arena Event: Worship Night for a Billion Installs
10:40 Who Uses YouVersion? A Global, Multigenerational Audience
12:58 Expanding Features: Gamification and Video Content
14:22 Bible App for Kids: Reaching 170 Million Young Users
15:41 Engagement Metrics: How Depth of Use Is Measured
17:24 The Power of Four: Bible Engagement Changes Lives
18:33 The Generosity Model: 58,000 Donors Power Free Access
20:27 Next Milestones: Reaching Two and Three Billion Installs
21:30 30-Day Bible Reading Plans for All Ages

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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

Rob's Socials:
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What does it take to raise a generation that doesn’t just attend church, but actually transforms culture? In this episode of The Missional Leader, Rob sits down with Teo Hayashi, one of the youngest and most influential leaders in the global church, founder of the Dunamis Movement, and lead pastor of Zion Church, whose vision is igniting a wave of young leaders across Brazil and beyond.

Born in Japan and raised in Brazil, Teo’s multicultural story and supernatural encounters have fueled a movement that has grown from a small gathering in São Paulo to a multi-campus megachurch impacting nations across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Together, Rob and Teo unpack how the Church can disciple the next generation with passion and purpose, moving beyond Sunday services to a lifestyle of mission, revival, and cultural renewal.

If you care about the future of the Church and how to equip young leaders to shape society, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

The Gospel of the Kingdom, by George Eldon Ladd
https://www.amazon.com/Gospel-Kingdom-Scriptural-Studies-God/dp/1614270562

The Gospel in a Pluralist Society, by Lesslie Newbigin
https://www.amazon.com/Gospel-Pluralist-Society-Lesslie-Newbigin/dp/0802804268

To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World, by James Davidson Hunter
https://www.amazon.com/Change-World-Tragedy-Possibility-Christianity/dp/0199730806

Modalities and Sodalities, The Two Structures of God's Redemptive Mission, by Ralph Winters
https://munsonmissions.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/606d6-two-structures-gods-redemptive-mission-winter.pdf

The Send Brazil
https://thesend.org/pt-br/

Dunamis Movement (revival and next gen)
https://dunamismovement.com/site/en/

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Rethinking Church: Local Care and Global Mission
03:31 Teo’s Multicultural Roots and Family Mission Story
07:33 Choosing Between Movement and Local Church
10:32 Balancing Mega Church with Missional Movement
12:16 Embracing Energy in Ministry Tension
13:45 Gospel of the Kingdom vs. Gospel of Salvation
17:14 Why Brazil’s Church Growth Lacks Societal Change
20:19 Equipping Young People for Vocational Purpose
23:02 Four KPIs for Measuring Church Transformation
27:36 Deep Discipleship in a Megachurch Context
29:09 Teo’s Global Apostolic Vision for Zion Church

To learn more about Kingdomcity Church, visit https://kingdomcity.com. You can also learn more on Kingdomcity's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/kingdomcity.

How does a ministry grow from one city to 40 campuses in 22 countries, and still stay true to its calling? In this episode of The Missional Leader, Rob sits down with Kingdomcity Church founder Mark Varughese to unpack how revival culture, unity, and trust can scale across nations without compromise.

With a unique global perspective – born in Singapore, raised in Malaysia, of Indian descent, and holding an Australian passport – Mark shares the leadership principles, cultural insights, and communication rhythms that have fueled Kingdomcity’s explosive growth while keeping its mission unshakable.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Revival Atmosphere in a Relational Culture
02:14 Mark’s Global Identity Crisis and Divine Preparation
04:13 The Burning Bush Moment: Leaving Law to Plant a Church
05:58 Kingdom City’s Rapid Multinational Growth Explained
08:03 Building a Strong Culture Across Diverse Nations
11:16 Kingdom vs City: Non-Negotiables and Contextualization
12:08 How Kingdom Values Translate Across Cultures
15:24 Maintaining Culture: Practical Tools for Rapid Growth
16:48 Relational Culture: The Secret to Sustained Revival
20:49 Adapting Leadership Structures for Global Scale
22:16 Principles vs Preferences: The Key to Unity
24:45 Giving Trust First: Mark’s Risk-Taking Leadership Philosophy
26:39 Leadership Pipeline: The Challenge of Rapid Expansion
27:45 Developing Global Leaders for the Next Generation
28:26 Closing: Building the Global Church in a Changing World

Rob's Socials:
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To learn more about Rob's new book, "Theology of the City," visit https://robhoskins.onehope.net/theology-of-the-city.

In this episode, Rob sits down with Pastor Ivan Carluer, the visionary behind Martin Luther King (MLK) Church in Paris—one of the fastest-growing urban churches globally. In the heart of post-Christian France, MLK is defying expectations: baptizing over 500 new believers in a single year, hosting five weekend services, and launching a $30 million community center that’s reimagining how the Church can serve the city.

Ivan shares how he models his ministry after the Apostle Paul—boldly contextualizing the Gospel without compromising its truth. From building friendships with imams and bishops to welcoming progressive politicians into church services, he’s forging unlikely partnerships with humility and conviction.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Same Spirit, New Model
02:26 From Brittany to Paris: Ivan’s Call to Ministry
04:44 Planting a Church in a Communist Stronghold
07:36 Contextual Innovation and Naming MLK
10:51 Navigating Pluralism with Evangelical Conviction
13:55 Serving the City Through Architecture and Presence
17:26 The MLK Community Center Model
19:10 500 Baptisms a Year and Organic Church Growth
21:26 Engaging Cultural Questions Head-On
23:56 Redefining Church Attendance and B&B Church
27:46 Becoming a Revolutionary Church
29:17 Unity Through the Next Generation
31:35 Final Reflections on Reformation and Relevance

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Rob's Socials:
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