At Highlands College, we believe more is caught than taught. Much of what a leader receives comes from relationships and mentoring, which is why we were excited to officially launch the Professors in Residence Program. The Highlands College Professors-in-Residence is a group of esteemed, cross-functional innovators that bring their knowledge and experience to share with the students of Highlands College. The purpose of the program is to expose students to a wide breadth of different leadership approaches to better educate, equip, and empower them to be leaders in their chosen ministry fields.
We have been dreaming of this day for over a year now, and there was no one better to kick it off than Pastor Craig Groeschel as our first Innovator in Residence. On October 29, Highlands College was honored to host the founder of America’s largest church, one of Glassdoor’s Top 10 American CEOs, New York Times best-selling author, and top-rated podcast host for an entire day pouring into every area of the college.
Church of the Highlands Staff was invited to join our student body as we kicked off Professor in Residence Day. In our first session, Pastor Craig shared ten qualities of those who thrive over a lifetime of ministry. Whether staff or student, all of us were challenged to identify one of these ten qualities as our next area of growth to sustain our ministry calling.
Next, Pastor Craig shared with Highlands College students at a special “All Prac” gathering where all eight practicums joined together as he imparted the value of developing a hunger for honest and timely feedback as a linchpin for personal and organizational growth. As a part of this real and raw conversation, students had the opportunity to ask Pastor Craig their questions about seeking feedback during a live Q&A session.
In our final session, students from our Evening Program also had the opportunity to join our Traditional students as Pastor Craig hosted a webinar on creating a culture of innovation in a year that’s never needed it more. A spirit of innovation has accelerated the mission of the Church in the past, and as that spirit of innovation is carried by a new generation of leaders, it will launch the Church to new heights in the future. What students absorbed in this environment will fuel a lifetime of leadership.
We are excited to continue the Professors in Residence Program as we bring in some of today’s top leaders to invest in Highlands College. We believe that our students will be better prepared to make a difference in today’s world because of the diverse and well-rounded training received at the hands of these experts.
