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.