When I sat down with Pastor Brandon, the church planter behind Eden Church just outside of New York City, I expected to hear an inspiring story. I didn’t expect to walk away with a deeper appreciation for the grit it takes to plant a church in one of the most challenging cultural and political environments in America.
In this article, I’m sharing highlights from our conversation and the lessons I learned from Pastor Brandon’s journey.
Why plant another church near New York City?
Eden Church is one of the fastest‑growing churches in northern New Jersey, but Pastor Brandon didn’t set out to start a “fast‑growing” church. After years of serving on staff at established churches, he felt a burden for the pockets of people around NYC who have never set foot inside a church. “Our area is spiritually diverse and spiritually dry at the same time,” Brandon told me. “There’s incredible diversity, but very little gospel presence.”
He and his family prayed about where God was sending them and kept coming back to Bergen County, New Jersey. Housing costs are high, regulations are strict and most people commute into Manhattan. To many pastors, that sounds like a nightmare. For Brandon it sounded like an opportunity. “We don’t need to ‘import’ the Bible Belt culture here,” he said. “Our job is to understand our neighbours, love them well and faithfully proclaim Jesus in a way they can grasp.”
Contextualising ministry in a diverse, dry place
Within a few miles of Eden Church you can hear dozens of languages. Reaching people in that kind of environment isn’t as simple as translating songs or sermons. Brandon explained that the launch team spent months listening to residents and asking what they thought a church should do. Those conversations shaped everything from their name (Eden evokes a garden – a place of flourishing) to their values (belonging, diversity and transformation). “We didn’t want to build a church for the city without being in the city,” he said.
He admitted that contextualisation doesn’t mean watering down the gospel. “We preach the same Bible, but we work hard to make sure our illustrations and language make sense to our neighbours,” Brandon said. For example, they host community forums on justice issues and invite local leaders to speak. That builds trust with people who might never attend a Sunday service.
Navigating cultural and political hurdles
Planting in New Jersey comes with a unique set of headaches. Meeting spaces are scarce, permits and parking are expensive and many community centres are wary of religious groups. At one point Eden Church planned to launch in a municipal building only to have the contract cancelled days before move‑in. “It felt like everything that could go wrong did go wrong,” Brandon laughed. “But every closed door pushed us to depend on God and find creative solutions.” They ended up launching in a high‑school auditorium and outgrew it within months.
During our conversation we also touched on the relationship between church and state. Brandon noted that understanding local laws helped them avoid unnecessary conflict. “We’re called to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves,” he said. “We don’t pick fights with city officials; we serve our city and let our light shine.”
Balancing church planting and family life
One of the most vulnerable parts of our interview was when Pastor Brandon talked about the toll planting a church can take on a family. He and his wife have young children, and for a season it felt like everything revolved around Eden Church. “I had to learn that my first ministry is to my family,” he told me. He schedules weekly date nights with his wife, protects his kids’ sports and school events and models Sabbath rest for his team. “If I burn out my family while building a church, I’ve missed the point.”
That honesty resonated with me because it’s easy to idolise hustle. Church planting requires hard work, but it doesn’t require sacrificing your marriage or your children’s hearts on the altar of ministry.
Building a launch team and engaging the community
As they prepared for launch, Eden Church focused on building a diverse launch team. They recruited friends from previous ministries, but most of their team came from conversations with people who had never belonged to a church. “We met in coffee shops, barber shops and community centres,” Brandon recalled. Those one‑on‑one meetings often turned into core team members.
Community events were another key piece. Eden Church hosted block parties, served at local food pantries and organised free concerts in parks. They weren’t slick marketing events; they were genuine opportunities to build relationships. “Our goal wasn’t to get people to sign up,” he said. “It was to let them know we see them, we care and we’re here to stay.”
Launch Sunday and stories of redemption
By the time launch paigns to invite people to coffee conversations instead of generic event invites. Those ads resulted in dozens of one-on-one meetings at local cafés, many of which became launch team members. “People don’t want to attend an event; they want to be seen by someone who cares,” Brandon noted.
Advice for church planters
As we wrapped up, I asked Pastor Brandon what advice he would give to other church planters. He offered three takeaways:
- Start with prayer and clarity of mission. “You can raise money and build a team, but if you’re not clear on why you exist, you’ll drift,” he said. Eden Church’s mission – to see people experience Eden‑like flourishing – guides every decision.
- Build relationships before structures. Brandon emphasised that their strongest leaders came from coffee conversations, not interest meetings. “If you want to plant a church, start by learning people’s names,” he said.
- Take care of yourself and your family. Church planting is a marathon. “Your church will never be healthier than you are,” he reminded us.
These insights echo what we teach at ChurchCandy: church growth is the byproduct of healthy leaders, clear mission and genuine relationships.
Final thoughts
Urban church planting isn’t glamorous. It’s messy, costly and often slow. But if Pastor Brandon’s story taught me anything, it’s that God is moving in the least expected places. When leaders are willing to contextualise without compromise, build relational bridges and prioritise the health of their families and teams, entire communities can be transformed. Eden Church is living proof of that.
If you’re dreaming about planting a church or reaching more people in your city, take Brandon’s advice to heart. Start with prayer, build relationships and don’t try to do it alone. And if you need help getting the word out, our team at ChurchCandy would love to come alongside you.
Ready to reach more people in your city? Schedule a Discovery Call with ChurchCandy and let’s start the conversation.
About The Author
