Category Archives: Church Planting

January 5, 2011

Highs & Lows of 2010 – Part 3

By alexpenduck

As we continue in this weeks blog looking at the life lessons I discover through the highs and low of 2010, here is part 3:

  1. What God has planned will come to pass!

On September 19th 2010 Generation Church was birthed. It had been a journey of around 18 months and on this day we saw the reality of what seemed only like a dream.

The biggest problem with dreams is that they are full of fantasy. Rarely do dreams actually turn out the way we dream them. Generation Church was no different. I spent nights lying in bed at night wondering what our launch service would be like. I imagined hundreds of people coming through the doors, putting extra chairs out, running out of room, people choosing to live their lives for Jesus Christ, then August 22nd happened!

I look back on August 22nd as one of the biggest highs of the year, yet at 10:30am on that Sunday morning it seemed anything but a high. August 22nd was the day of our second preview service. Our first one had attracted over 60 people and I was hopefully of a half decent crowd. Yet at 10:30am there were about 15 people, and that included the band. By the end of the service at 11:30am, 20 people had showed up. Yet as I drove home I had this incredible feeling that the vision God had for Generation Church was starting to form.

Our first preview service was full of people from other churches, people whose lives had already been changed by the life-giving message of Jesus Christ. Now on August 22nd these church people had gone back to their churches and all that was left was our core team (about 12 at the time, of which 4 were on vacation) and a few people who otherwise would not be in church that day. After talking with some of these folks, I discovered that God had deeply impacted their lives that day and that is when I realized that God was really in this thing and Generation Church was not an Alex Penduck fantasy, but a plan God had devised before this world was ever formed and we had the privilege to be part of it!

If God has spoken something to you, do not be dismayed, disgruntled or question him, if he has said it, it will come to pass! It may not look like what you imagined, it may not start out how you thought, but it will happen and the way it happens will be exactly how God had planned!

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Christianity, Church, Church Planting, Generation Church, Leadership

January 3, 2011

Highs & Lows of 2010 – Part 1

By alexpenduck

2010 will go down in my life as a year that was a game changer for me! It was a year where I experienced some of my greatest highs and also some of the lowest lows. At the end of my life I know I will remember 2010 with fond memories. Not for the landmark events that took place, but more for the incredible life lessons I learned.

So this week as I return from an eight week blogging break I want to share with you four things that will stay with me for a lifetime from 2010, and also what my 2011 plans are.

The first two days I want to share about two lows I experienced. This isn’t to hang my dirty laundry in public, but to help explain how God is working through our lives whether life is good or bad!

  1. If you want to be anything for God, then know that the things you fear the most will probably happen to you.

When my wife and I decided to step out on the journey to start a new church, known today as Generation Church I had three fears.

Raquel & I talked about these fears and said if all three would happen to us, we would still continue on our calling to plant a life-giving church in Harford, County, Maryland.

The three fears were:

  • Not getting support and blessing of our then current church
  • Being rejected by our then denomination
  • Not being accepted by a certain church-planting agency

The thought of anyone of these happening let alone all three would have caused to question our God-given calling. Yet God had done a life-changing work in our lives. He had not only transformed our hearts, but had re-wired our minds and deeply affected our souls.

So when one by one our fears became a reality, the physical and emotional hell we experienced could not stop us from the life heaven had started to give us in our hearts.

Many times of questioning, doubting, crying, worrying and fighting for a chance people to actually see our hearts were in the matter of weeks silenced by that still small voice of God. In a series of moments of uncompromising love God whispered into our hearts and souls that we are his and he is ours. That all we needed in life was him.

It was in those moments I realized that if I wanted to do anything of worth for God I would have to come face to face with my greatest fears and realize that they are not to be feared. For perfect love casts out all fear, and the love of Christ experienced in the soul of His children banishes fear for good.

As I looked back on all that God restricted us from I cannot put into words how thankful I am that my fears became a reality. Had those fears not taken place I firmly believe that Generation Church would not be what is today, and on the path to where it is going. Not saying those fears were wrong, just Generation Church found definition through those low valleys where all around is a shadow of death!

So if your fear is finances, the loss of a job, loneliness, mistrust, humility or anything else then let the love of your heavenly father sink deep within your soul and know that those earthly fears have nothing on the love that is within you and the only thing you should fear is the day your soul is not touched by that love.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Christianity, Church Planting, Direction, Generation Church, Leadership

November 9, 2010

You’ve Come So Far!

By alexpenduck

On Sunday morning I looked at all the faces of the people at Generation Church and the thought came to me, ‘haven’t we come such a long way’.

I wasn’t thinking numerically or financially. I wasn’t thinking about the space we were meeting in compared to a living room only five months ago. Yes we had grown in all those areas, but it was the life paths so many of the people have been on.

I started to think of those who would not have been in church that day unless Generation Church had started. I thought of the marriages that would have broken up if not for the love and support the people of Gen Church had given them. I thought of those who only a few months ago were so closed off to Jesus, now worshiping God in their own unique way.

Then I started to think of how far I had come. From sitting in my church office only two years ago thinking life was great because our church was growing, but having not had a meaningful conversation with someone outside of ‘the faith’ in over five years. To now, not having an office, not having a church salary, not organizing event after event to keep all the church people happy; yet week after week having conversation after conversation with people who do not know God. Reaching out to people I was told I’d never reach. Seeing Christ transform life after life in His image, not ours!

I haven’t got there yet, wherever there is. There is still long way to go. However, as I look back I can’t help but think how far I have come, how far the many of us have come.

Yes there were times when I didn’t even think I’d make another step, times of wanting to give up. Times when the opposition of others almost killed my spirit and faith; but God held strong! He carried me and I’ve watched Him carry so many others and now I can only look back and think, wow, I can’t believe we have come this far!

You may be going through some stuff today. However, just look back and take in for a moment how far you have come! It’s probably way further than you could ever imagine! Then look forward and keep on going!

1 comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , | posted in Church, Church Planting, Direction, Generation Church, Marriage, Worship

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