A church plant can look like a launch date and a Sunday service, but the real story usually starts years earlier in the hidden places. We talk with Chris and Susie Parks of Presence Church in San Jose, California about the long formation behind their “yes,” from childhood faith and early callings to decades of serving while working regular jobs, raising kids, and learning ministry the hard way.

Then the conversation turns practical and hopeful: discovering Echo Church, learning mission at scale, receiving genuine support from sending leaders, and discerning a call to plant in the Bay Area, where many neighbors have no concept of church at all. Chris also explains how his book, The Unseen Work: What God Does In The Church Planter Before The Plant, poured out in a surprising burst after their launch, and both Chris and Susie share leadership takeaways on teachability, prayer, and trusting God’s provision in fundraising and team building.

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Amazon Link: The Unseen Work

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