Our graduates are called, transformed, and sent to lead a life of eternal impact, and we love celebrating the life change they get to be a part of through the local church!
INTRODUCING
Russ Daly
2013 Highlands College Graduate
Russ Daly, a 2013 graduate of Highlands College, is making an impact at Red Rocks Church in Denver, CO. Currently serving as the Campus Pastor of the Arvada Campus, Russ has been a dedicated leader, previously serving as both a Worship Pastor and an Associate Campus Pastor. His journey reflects a deep passion for ministry and building the Kingdom of God.
Keep reading to learn more about Russ’s journey, how Highlands College prepared him for ministry, his advice for those pursuing their ministry calling, and the incredible work God is doing in Denver.
What do you love about your role?
I love the opportunity to lead a fantastic group of people with the best staff on the planet. Seeing people raise their hands every week to begin a relationship with Christ, take their next steps, join a group, get on a service team, and find their place in Christ’s body is a joy to experience. I remember what it was like to be skeptical about church and God. One of my favorite things we do here at Red Rocks is our baptism services. Giving high fives, cheering with families, and seeing our students gather around a tub to celebrate each other is genuinely life-changing.
What is your favorite hobby or way to spend a day off?
An ideal off day for me is a quick round of golf, some good coffee from Sweet Bloom here in Arvada, and a good dinner with my family and friends. We love to go camping in the mountains in the summer!
What do you love about Denver, CO?
My wife and I visited Denver while living in Texas and fell in love. Living in a world-class city only a 15-minute drive to the Rocky Mountains is fantastic. The pro sports, outdoors, and especially the people make this city so fun to live in. We haven’t even scratched the surface of things to do yet.
How did you get connected to Red Rocks Church?
Our family decided to pack our house and move to Denver in January 2021, trusting God was speaking to us. It was a voice I couldn’t ignore. My wife Miranda took a travel nurse position, and I watched our daughter for a season. The day after we arrived in Colorado, we visited Red Rocks. I started serving on the worship team within a few weeks and was hired onto the team in June 2021. We began to build relationships immediately after serving and fell in love with the community.
Russ leading worship at Red Rocks Church.
Russ with his wife, daughter, and baby #2 on the way
What are your favorite memories as you reflect on your time at HC?
Some of my favorite times spent at HC were honestly the hardest ones. The things that challenged me to go beyond myself were Chapels, Saturate, the Half-Marathon, and Expedition. One of my favorite memories is simply spending time with the fantastic leaders at HC. I would not be who I am today without their leadership and time investment.
What have you learned that you want to share through your time in ministry?
That’s a great question. Identity is the first thing that pops into my head. It’s easy to wrap your identity and worth into what you do rather than who you are. You are a worshipper before you are a worship leader. You were a churchgoer before you became a youth pastor. You are a Christ-follower before you are a pastor. Pastoring is what you do from an overflow of your relationship with Christ. I was guilty of having a mindset that I had to be some great worship leader to be considered successful. I found a lot of freedom when I let go of titles and positions as my definition of success.
What is God doing through Red Rocks Church?
God is doing so much! I genuinely get to serve at one of the best churches on the planet. The worship of Red Rocks is fantastic; we are reaching so many prodigals. Our pastor always says that we are a front porch for prodigals. I remember being in that boat and loved the opportunity to welcome people home every week.
Are there any stories or testimonies that you want to share?
I have a story about our baptism services that brought me so much joy. We have a lady named Linda who attends every week. She is entirely wheelchair-bound, unable to communicate with her voice except through eye movements. She brings two caretakers who volunteer with her for free everywhere she goes. Linda loves to sit up front because she feels the bass from worship. Her caretakers lift her hands in worship every week for her. During our last baptism service, Linda decided to get baptized. One of her caretakers, whom I’ve been talking with for years, gave his life to Christ that day and was baptized. This amazing lady who had every excuse not to show up to the church was reaching her immediate influence, and we got to witness actual life changes happen because of her testimony. That day, the whole noon service gathered up after worship while she was being baptized. It was an amazing sight and one I’ll never forget.
What are you most excited about for the future?
I am excited for God to continue growing His Church and using imperfect people like me to be a small part of it. Our church is such an exciting place to be and serve. We just had a baby boy named Luke, so I’m excited to see him grow up, start walking, and get into some sports! My daughter Lily is the best; we have so much fun in the summer here in Colorado.
Baptism service at Red Rocks Church.
Looking Ahead
Russ’s journey is such a powerful testimony of how God is working through Highlands College alumni to make an eternal impact in the local church.
We hope you enjoyed getting to know one of our amazing Highlands College graduates. Learn more about Highlands College and how you can connect to our network of graduates around the world.