Today we’d like to introduce you to Denny Henderson.
Hi Denny, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I became the Lead Pastor of Northlake Church in July 0f 2019. My family and I had previously lived in Lago Vista, and we loved this community nestled outside of Austin. Lago is a beautiful little town on the north side of Lake Travis and a doorway to the great Texas Hill Country. You are far enough out to see the stars at night but close enough to get to a Target or enjoy an evening downtown. Lago is a lake town whose motto is “Live like you are on vacation.” It is a close-knit community where we all celebrate when our Lago Vikings win and come together in times of crisis.
We are far from a small grocery store and a few gas stations. Lago has become a destination home for those moving to the area. We have everything we need, from Starbucks to food truck parks. It is a special place. We returned in July of 2019 to become the Lead Pastor of a struggling Northlake Church. The church’s future was dim, with financial challenges and a shrinking congregation. However, my wife and I believed that there was something special about Lago and its community. We knew God wanted to do something great in the life of this community. Four years later, Northlake Church is a thriving church that loves our community. Over 14% of Lago Vista residents consider Northlake Church their home. Over 1400 men, women, and children worship regularly at Northlake Church. In the last four years, Northlake Church has become a staple in our community, always looking to make our city a better place to live. Northlake Church hosts multiple events throughout the year, such as our annual Egg Drop that attracts over 4,000 people in our community or our Christmas concert and drone show at the Lago Vista High School Stadium, hosting over 5,000 of our Lago residents. This builds community and a sense of pride in our town.
We have made even more significant investments in our community through our Northlake Hope Center, located opposite the city hall. The Northlake Hope Center provides help and resources for those in our community who are in a financial crisis. The Northlake Hope Center also has a fully operational counseling center with four licensed counselors who provide care to our residents for little to no cost. In addition, through the Hope Center, we can partner with our local school district by providing tutoring and mentoring to the students in our community. Our role is to make our city a better city. We believe in doing good for the welfare of our city. It drives everything we do. Through the generosity of the Northlake Church family, we invest upwards of $500,000 a year back into our community.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story. Has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
There is never a smooth road when you are doing something that has meaning and purpose. Our journey has been difficult. There are always challenges in advancing our vision in our city. Fundamental challenges include running out of room and Sunday seats as a church family. We are currently in the middle of building an additional $12 million facility to accommodate our growth. This is not easy, and it will be a challenge.
Financially, doing the right thing by investing in our community is always challenging. We could be so much more comfortable if we held our fists tight and stopped being generous, but that is not what we are called to do. We are called to live generously for the good of others and bring hope to people in our community. Sometimes, we take our resources to the cliff’s edge and pray it all works out. It is the constant challenge of prioritizing what is important. COVID was difficult for our church and every other church in our country. It was a difficult time. However, through that difficulty, the vision of the Hope Center was birthed so it could be for the good.
For any leader, there is always the challenge of making it harder than it should be. We learn more each time we do something or take a new initiative. At some point in the process, you start thinking, “Why didn’t we do it this way from the beginning?” You live and learn through the challenges. There are many challenges, and with every step we take, the challenges become more consequential.
I appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Northlake Church and Northlake Hope Center?
The purpose of Northlake Church is to love Jesus and bring hope to every man, woman, and child in our city. Our vision is to see our city become a City of God where people want to live because there is a marked difference in the people that live in our city. Could you imagine living in a city where you don’t need to lock your doors when you leave your house? Or where there are no addictions, no domestic abuse, and every student has a mom and dad who love them? This is what we are chasing after. We are proud of what we do in our city. But we are also humbled that we get to serve this community. We love the people in our town and feel blessed whenever we can make a difference in someone’s life.
What makes you happy?
Regarding my work, I am happiest witnessing the positive changes in our community. It brings me great joy to see families thriving and enjoying their time together, neighbors helping each other out, and those who may have been overlooked in the past being welcomed and embraced by the people in our city. On a very personal level, I am happiest when I am spending time with my wife and three children. They are certainly a haven of joy for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mynorthlake.com/ and www.northlakehopecenter.com
- Instagram: @northlakechurch @the.hope.center
- Facebook: @mynorthlake @hopecenterlagovista
- Youtube: @northlakechurch
Image Credits
Copyright @Northlake Church
