Today, I’m excited to interview CF Connect partner Alec Brunson. Alec Brunson serves as pastor of Pillar Church in Conroe, Texas. He is originally from Oklahoma, where he attended The University of Oklahoma and completed his undergraduate degree. He also holds a Master’s of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Master’s of Theology from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Alec and his wife, Emily Claire, have two kids, Knox and Adeline Wren.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tell us about your current ministry context.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Alec Brunson:<\/strong> We planted Pillar Church in Conroe, Texas a year and a half ago. We are a young and growing church on the south side of Conroe, a booming area with lots of growth. It’s an exciting place to be, and we have loved connecting with our neighbors who have moved from all over the world to come to Conroe, Texas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is the greatest challenge you face as a church right now?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Alec Brunson<\/strong>: The Lord has been gracious in bringing people, and our biggest challenge is working hard to make sure they are being discipled and cared for in the life of the church. A great challenge to have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is one piece of advice you would offer new church planters?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Alec Brunson<\/strong>: Root yourself in the community and get to know your neighbors. I’m talking about your literal neighbors on your street! More lasting fruit will come from real relationships with people over door-hanging campaigns or other similar initiatives (not that those are bad). <\/p>\n\n\n\n How is your family doing?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Alec Brunson<\/strong>: Our family is doing well! Emily Clair and I have the opportunity to be a team in ministry in a fun and exciting (and challenging at times) way. Our kids are growing and thriving as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What is God teaching you in this season?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Alec Brunson<\/strong>: God is teaching us to love his church and remember that Jesus is the cornerstone and that he will build his church. In other words, not everything is on our shoulders. God is going to be faithful no matter the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How can Champion Forest pray for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Alec Brunson<\/strong>: Pray for us and our people that we will continue to be a healthy church that makes and equips disciples for the glory of God and that we will live out the way of Jesus everywhere we go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n CF Connect exists to encourage and support pastors and church planters doing the work of ministry. God continues to accomplish incredible things through faithful CF Connect partners. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Today I’m excited to interview CF Connect partner Alec Brunson. Alec Brunson serves as pastor of Pillar Church in Conroe, Texas. God continues to accomplish incredible things through faithful CF Connect partners.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":822,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"\n Growing up, Ana Alonso attended a Catholic Church, but for whatever reason, she never really felt connected. She thought she couldn't have a relationship with Jesus. This all changed when her aunt invited her to a new church. Ana was struck by the beauty of this new church. The way they worshipped God and talked about Scripture opened her eyes and heart. It made her want to start going to church more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But soon after this, she found herself in an unhealthy relationship. This relationship eventually led her astray, and she stopped going to church. She focused so much on this relationship that she quickly lost herself. She wrestled with depression and anxiety during this season, and to make matters worse, her mom was also going through her own mental health battle. It was a difficult period in Ana\u2019s life. She felt like everything was spiraling out of control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One day, she had a terrible argument with her mom, and in a moment of intense emotion, she found herself yelling at her mom. She had become someone she didn't recognize. \u201cI don\u2019t yell at my family like this,\u201d she thought to herself. She was devastated and heartbroken that she had let things get to this point. In a state of despair, she left and headed to a nearby park, alone. At the park, she just cried. \u201cThere\u2019s no hope left for me,\u201d she thought. She felt like the only way out was to end her life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Amidst her desperation, she turned to God and whispered for help. She apologized for distancing herself from him and asked for strength to endure. Moments later, two older ladies walked towards her. As they approached, Ana couldn't stop crying, until one of them reached out her hand and placed it on Ana\u2019s shoulder. The woman spoke softly, saying, \"I'm so sorry.\" Ana knew God had answered her prayer. It was the spark of hope she needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since then, Ana\u2019s relationship with Jesus and her faith has grown tremendously. Of course, it has been a journey, but Ana has seen God\u2019s faithfulness time and time again. She set a goal to begin reading the Bible daily, and now she can't wait to read it every day. Even in times of frustration or bitterness, she will pray or go to her Bible, asking God for answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But her journey didn't end there. She eventually found her way to The Grove, a young adult gathering at Champion Forest. She started attending regularly. Now, she serves at the Grove as part of the weekly hospitality team. She continues to meet new people each week who share her hunger for the Lord. When asked about her time at the Grove, Ana said, \u201cWe worship Jesus together and discuss Scripture, and I've even had the chance to pray over others. Being part of this community has been a huge blessing for me, and I believe it was completely the Holy Spirit guiding me to this place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ana\u2019s testimony is a good reminder that no matter how lost you may feel, God is always with you. He will guide you and give you the strength you need to get through even the toughest of times. It's okay to ask for help, to pray, and to turn to God in moments of desperation. It's also important to surround yourself with a community that shares your faith, where you can grow together in Christ.<\/p>\n","_et_gb_content_width":"","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-623","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cf-connect","category-missions","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\n