What Does It Look Like to Build a Church on Prayer, Faith, and Intentional Community?
One year into planting a church, the story of Presence Church in San Jose is a powerful reminder that God's plans are rarely what we expect, and almost always bigger than we imagine. From prophetic words spoken by strangers to prayer walks through dark neighborhoods, this is a story about what happens when ordinary people say yes to an extraordinary calling.
Why Does God Want Us to Remember What He Has Done?
In Deuteronomy 6:4-9, God gives His people a clear instruction about remembrance:
"Listen, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all of your heart, all of your soul, and all of your strength. You must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." - Deuteronomy 6:4-9
God wants us to remember. He wants us to rehearse what He has done and what He has spoken. Throughout the Old Testament, the nation of Israel would build stone monuments whenever God showed up in a significant way. Those piles of stones were markers, physical reminders that said: God was here, and He did something.
Celebration is not just a party. It is an act of faith and obedience.
How Does God Speak Before We Are Ready to Listen?
The story of Presence Church began long before anyone knew it. At a prayer meeting in San Francisco in 2023, a stranger pointed across the room and said: "God is reigniting a passion in your heart that He wants to use in the future." Another person followed with: "You have served behind the scenes faithfully for decades, and God wants you to know the time is coming soon for you to step out front and lead."
At the time, those words were explained away. Surely it just meant a new preaching opportunity. Surely it was not something bigger.
But God was already placing puzzle pieces on the table.
That is often how He works. You do not see the full picture right away. You see one piece, then another, and slowly the image begins to take shape. The key is staying close enough to Him to notice when He places the next piece down.
What Happens When You Encounter Spiritual Darkness in Your Neighborhood?
On a cold January night in 2024, a late walk without a phone or earbuds turned into something unexpected. Walking through a familiar neighborhood, there was a sudden and tangible sense of evil, the kind that makes you walk faster and reach for your phone only to remember you left it at home.
That night ended in prayer. But the story did not stop there.
A few months later, in June of 2024, the Holy Spirit turned another walk into a prayer walk. This time, instead of fear, there was boldness. Praying over homes, claiming streets in Jesus' name, and marching through the neighborhood with a sense of spiritual authority.
Then, standing directly across from a local high school, the Spirit of God spoke clearly: "I have kept you here in San Jose all these years because I have been building a spiritual authority in you to plant a church right here."
That was the moment everything changed.
What Does It Mean to Say Yes to God When You Are Not Sure You Are Ready?
Saying yes to God is rarely a clean, immediate decision. Sometimes it comes with a tantrum first. Sometimes it takes fasting, prayer, and a King Arthur Supreme pizza from Round Table to finally settle it.
But when peace comes, it is unmistakable.
After confirming the call together, the next step was simple: pray. Not knowing exactly what to do, a small group of friends was invited over on a Saturday morning at 7:00am to pray over the surrounding neighborhoods. Some weeks there were two people. Other weeks there were fourteen. They divided up into teams, walked the streets, and came back to share what God had spoken.
On one of those walks, a prayer partner walked with her eyes closed, praying over seeds planted and yellow flowers. She had no idea the flowers were literally at her feet on the sidewalk. God was speaking in real time.
On another walk, when discouragement crept in and the question arose of what two people could possibly accomplish, God pointed to the ground covered in yellow flowers with bees buzzing around them and said: "You are pollinating seeds that have been planted way before you ever got here."
That is the nature of kingdom work. We do not start from zero. We join what God is already doing.
What Can One Year of Faithful Obedience Actually Produce?
Presence Church launched on September 7th of last year with 300 people. A launch team of 63 had grown from a handful of friends praying on Saturday mornings.
In one year, this small church plant:
Held 10 days of morning and evening prayer in response to community crisis
Raised nearly $130,000 through a generosity campaign
Served students and staff at their host school, Calero High School
Gave $5,000 each to help plant two new churches across the country
Contributed $15,000 toward building a school in Zambia for children born into the prison system
Celebrated salvations and baptisms
None of that was accomplished by one person or one family. It was the result of a community of people choosing to show up, give, pray, and believe together.
Why Does Community Matter So Much in the Christian Life?
Even in a room of fifty or sixty people, it is possible to disappear. You can come late, leave early, and never let anyone in. And while there is no judgment in that, there is also no real life in it either.
When hard things come, and they will come, you need people who already know you. People who can walk with you through the loss, the fear, the uncertainty. And when hard things come for someone else, they need you to be that person for them.
Friendship matters. Community matters. Life together really matters.
The invitation is simple: take the step. Join a group. Get connected. You will be in a room with people who are wildly flawed, just like you. And there is real beauty in that.
Life Application
This week, take your neighborhood seriously as a mission field. Whether you live in the area highlighted on a prayer map or on a street across town, God placed you exactly where you are for a reason. Your street is your mission.
Set aside 20 to 30 minutes this week to prayer walk your neighborhood. Walk slowly. Keep your eyes open. Ask God to show you what He is already doing around you, and write down what He speaks to you.
As you do, ask yourself these questions:
What puzzle pieces has God been placing in my life that I may have explained away or ignored?
Am I allowing myself to be truly known in community, or am I choosing to stay on the edges?
What has God done in my life in the past year that deserves to be remembered and celebrated?
Where is God asking me to say yes, even if I do not feel fully ready?
God is not looking for perfect people. He is looking for available ones. The same God who spoke to two people walking through a neighborhood and turned it into a church of hundreds is still speaking. The question is whether we are paying attention.
