Justin Kendrick
9 min read ⭑
“A personal relationship with Jesus is never entirely personal. We are irrevocably, eternally connected not only to Christ but also to one another.”
QUESTION #1: ACQUAINT
There's much more to food than palate and preference. How does a go-to meal at your favorite hometown restaurant reveal the true you behind the web bio?
We try to go out to breakfast as a family every Saturday. And when the Kendricks go out for breakfast, it's usually a pretty big to-do. Our regular spot is the Hornet’s Nest Deli on the Connecticut shoreline in Branford. The Hornet’s Nest is, in many ways, your typical American breakfast place with eggs, omelets, pancakes, and an assortment of meats. But what makes this place special is the community.
As a family, we are a community unto ourselves. Chrisy and I have been married for 17 years, and we started dating when we were 16. Gabe is our oldest. He's smart, handsome, and in the middle of finding himself. Noah is 12. We say he was born confident. He's full of energy, new ideas, and creative thinking. Ezra is 8 years old and is a kind soul. He thinks of others naturally, and his smile will light up a room. Then there’s our 2-year-old, Thea Rose Cherish Dream Kendrick. Her name is long because her story has a few more layers. Thea came to live with us through the foster care system and we had the privilege of adopting her this past year.
Together, we make up the Kendrick Six. Our weekend trips to the Hornet’s Nest are special since there's rarely ever a time when we don't run into friends. The food is good, but the community is magic.
Wei Zeng; Unsplash
QUESTION #2: REVEAL
We’ve all got quirky proclivities and out-of-the-way interests. So what are yours? What so-called "nonspiritual" activities do you love and help you find spiritual renewal?
As a pastor, I’m around people all the time. But by nature, I'm more of a recluse. So I've always had a spot tucked away where I can go and be alone.
When I was in college, I used to go down into the basement of my dorm room. Across the hall from the laundry room, there was a small bathroom where hardly anyone ever went. Every morning before my roommates woke up, I would go down to that basement bathroom, grab a chair from the laundry room, and turn it into a meeting place with God.
Today, my spot is the marina near my house. I can sit in my car for hours and watch the sunrise. I go there to think, reflect, pray, or read. Sometimes I just go there to be. But "place" is important to me. Places have memory, and finding my places has always been a part of my life no matter where I've lived.
QUESTION #3: CONFESS
Every superhero has a weakness. Every human, too. We're just good at faking it. But who are we kidding? We’re broken and in this thing together. So what’s your kryptonite and how do you hide it?
When I was 7 years old, my dad moved out. At the time, I didn't realize how that moment would shape my life. After that, my mom regularly dealt with issues with her new husband, and my dad remarried as well. So as a teenager, I internalized the idea that no one was really looking out for me. That might not be fair, but that's how I felt.
Because of that internalized idea, I turned to God and began building a deep relationship with him, which was extremely helpful. But that mindset also had some unexpected implications. I looked at leaders in my life with skepticism and felt I needed to build everything from the ground up. Over time, I realized that my independence was really a mixture of pride and fear. I didn't want to trust my heart to others. I didn't want to risk being let down.
Over the last number of years, God has been untangling this story in my heart and bringing me to new places of freedom. I've built deeper relationships with both my parents and I've identified this unhealthy independence and actively fought against it. Stories take time to write and even longer to rewrite, but God is working with me. And I am grateful for his patience.
QUESTION #4: FIRE UP
Tell us about your toil. How are you investing your professional time right now? What’s your obsession? And why should it be ours?
One human soul is worth more than all the treasure of this world. If that statement is true, then it demands our full attention. When I was 14 years old, I shared about Jesus for the first time with my friend Franky. He was eager to listen, and he asked me if I could lead him in a prayer to open his life to God. As we sat on the corner of MLK Boulevard in downtown New Haven, Connecticut, and prayed, something inside of me shifted. Up until then, I had been waiting for a permission slip to lead others to Jesus. I felt that I was unqualified, that I didn't have the right background. But when I watched God reshape Franky's heart before my eyes, I realized that God uses the unlikely candidate. Since that time, sharing the grace of Jesus with others has become my great obsession. His love is real to me. His presence is real to me.
Today, I start churches in the least-churched region of the United States. From Stamford, Connecticut, to Worcester, Massachusetts, our dream is to see New England changed from the least-churched region to the most spiritually vibrant place on earth. And it's happening. Rarely does a day go by without a miracle. Some people think that the church is an old bag, ready to be discarded. But God is breathing new life into his church, and I am humbled to be a part of it.
I also recently wrote a book called Bury Your Ordinary: Practical Habits of a Heart Fully Alive. It’s basically a field manual to an entirely different way of life—and it starts with digging a deep hole, putting the “ordinary you” inside it, covering it with dirt, and walking away as a transformed person. Over the years, I’ve learned that as we intentionally change our habits, we discover a deeper love for God and a heart that’s fully alive. And this book shows people how to do that.
QUESTION #5: BOOST
Cashiers, CEOs, contractors, or customer service reps, we all need grace flowing into us and back out into the world. How does the Holy Spirit invigorate your work? And how do you know it's God when it happens?
This might sound ridiculous, but the Bible talks back to me when I read it. I open it up to any page and it isn't long before I feel it speaking to me. I see the people, the tensions, the fears. I see myself. For me, preparing a sermon never feels like work. It feels like fun.
I've been preaching since I was a teenager, and I’ve found that sharing my own ideas is the most draining thing I've ever done. But submitting myself to God's ideas and then presenting them back to spiritually thirsty people never disappoints.
The Bible is a mixture of history, poetry, allegory, and mystery. It's the story of God, the story of man, and the story of my life. For those who have followed Jesus for a long time and lost the wonder and the magic of Scripture, this answer might feel lame. But for me, it's true. I love preaching the Bible. It can change people as nothing else can, and sharing it with others is one of the greatest honors of my life. When I open the Bible, it’s like opening the window on a perfect summer day. The air comes rushing in, and it can take you anywhere.
QUESTION #6: inspire
Scripture and tradition beckon us into the rich and varied actions that open our hearts to the presence of God. So spill it, which spiritual practice is workin' best for you right now?
I am, by nature, a loner. I like being alone, and I genuinely can't remember the last time I was bored. I refuel in solitude, and large blocks of alone time have been a part of my rhythm for years. That's why finding a deeper walk with Jesus in relationships recently has been challenging and exciting. My wife and I have been getting up at 5:30 a.m. one morning a week and spending an hour together in prayer. I meet a small group of guys at 7 a.m. once a month and we confess sin and pray for one another. I lead a group at my house on Tuesdays where four couples talk through the challenges and triumphs of a life following Jesus.
These regular routines of community are breathing fresh life into my spirit. I am meeting Jesus in the lives of my brothers in new ways and finding deeper joy in the success of others. The body of Christ is one of the great mysteries of our faith.
This concept teaches us that a personal relationship with Jesus is never entirely personal. We are irrevocably, eternally connected not only to Christ but also to one another. Making space for deep intentional community has been a gift to me and has taught me new truths about Jesus. Too often, we as followers of Jesus don’t build these relational rhythms into our lives. But I’ve found that as I prioritize these relationships, I enjoy a deeper relationship with God.
QUESTION #7: FOCUS
Our email subscribers get free ebooks featuring our favorite resources—lots of things that have truly impacted our faith lives. But you know about some really great stuff, too. What are three resources that have impacted you?
Looking back over the last 20 years, I can think of countless books and resources that have made an impact on my life. One regular practice that has deeply affected me has been reading sermons by Charles Spurgeon. I've read his sermons nearly every week for over 10 years and they've developed in me a deeper love for the Bible and a creative spark in approaching Scripture.
Everything by Tim Keller has also played a huge role in my growth. Keller frames the gospel like few ever have, and I am indebted to his investment.
Years ago, I first read the book Fathered by God, by John Eldredge, and his outline of the masculine journey deeply impacted me. I've gone back to that book dozens of times through the years.
Recently, I’ve been inspired by the writing of Frederick Buechner. This collection of sermons, Secrets in the Dark, is fresh, poetic, and inspiring.
We all have things we cling to just to survive (or thrive) in tough times. Name one resource you’ve found indispensable in this current season—and tell us what it's done for you.
One resource that has made a big difference in my life recently is the practice of godly confessions. I've collected confessions through the years, and I pray them out loud almost daily.
When I say, "confessions," I don't mean the confession of sin, although that can be helpful too. I mean confessions of who I am in Christ and what God has called me to do. For example, one might be: "Today, I live from a full tank; floating not paddling." This confession reminds my heart that it's Christ who fills me and I can rest in him. I have a list of confessions that I review regularly and add to them in different seasons. This practice reminds my heart of truth in times when I might otherwise waver.
QUESTION #8: dream
God is continually stirring new things in each of us. So give us the scoop! What’s beginning to stir in you but not yet fully awakened? What can we expect from you in the future?
I've done a lot of things in my life. I was the lead singer of a Christian band and traveled the world. I was a conference speaker. I was a songwriter. I am currently spending a significant amount of time writing books. But nothing has filled my soul like starting churches.
The dream in my heart is to start 400 churches across the least-churched region of the United States with the long-term goal of reaching 1% of the population of New England each week. Starting churches in New England is often overlooked. Few ministries are thriving in this region and fewer still stay for any length of time. But God often chooses the unexpected, forgotten places to do his greatest works, and I sense a call to give my life to see this area changed.
No matter what ministry God opens for me, giving my best to reach people and start churches continues to be my priority. It's gritty work. It comes with sweat and tears. It often goes unrecognized. But it makes a difference in eternity, and it’s one of the great honors of my life to play my part in God’s greater plan.
We appreciate how humbly Justin approaches his call to ministry. After all, he’s been in the spotlight. He’s toured the world. He’s preached and played for huge crowds. But none of that matters to him as much as fulfilling God’s call does.
His mindset reminds us of the apostle Paul:
“But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24, ESV).
Do Paul’s words reflect our hearts, too? Are we willing to give God everything we have to follow his plan—even if it means we go unrecognized?
Justin Kendrick is the lead pastor of Vox Church, which he founded in 2011 with a small group of friends on the doorstep of Yale University. Since then, Vox has grown to multiple locations across New England. Justin is also the author of Bury Your Ordinary: Practical Habits of a Heart Fully Alive. He and his wife, Chrisy, live with their four kids in the New Haven area.