Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Aranza.
Hi Alex, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
In 2018 my husband and I along with our two children at the time moved to Tomball, Texas from Birmingham, Alabama. Prior to being here, my husband was on staff at Church of the Highlands which is the second largest church in America. We served there for about three years and absolutely fell in love with the heart of the people and the church. It was the first time in my life I walked into a church and it just felt like home. How people smiled and greeted you, served you, loved on you and ultimately just made you feel so beyond welcomed. We knew then we wanted to create a place like that here in the Houston area. For the last five years we have been trying to create a place where friends become family and the hurting can find help. We do that through our services, small groups, outreaches and programs. Our favorite outreach is our annual crawfish boil. We boil 1000 pounds of free crawfish and invite the entire community! No strings attached, free food and fun. That’s the heart of everything we do at VRC, to help people get closer to God and closer to each other.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We moved here and didn’t know anyone. We started interest meetings at local coffee shops and food trucks & spent 10 minutes casting vision for what Valley Rise Church would look like and our heart behind it. Maybe you’re thinking how did u get people to the interest meetings? Talk about challenging! Wherever I was, whether in the target check-out line, gym, park with the kids or doctor’s office, you name it…I was making small talk and would invite them! Starting was the hardest/ most exciting part. We didn’t know what we were doing but we knew we were called to this and called here!
That was enough for us! After six months of interest meetings, we launched the church in Klein Oak High School, where we were portable, setting up and tearing down every Sunday. Fast forward to January of 2021, where we finally got our own building! We raised half a million dollars through covid while not having in-person services. Even though we were not meeting in person, our community stayed strong and connected and it allowed us to come out of covid better than before.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I say loving people and truly choosing to do life with others comes easy to me. Pastoring people is my joy. It’s an honor to walk in the highs and lows of people’s lives. I think what sets us apart is we believe in meeting people right where they are. They always have a seat at the table. We strongly believe you’re never too far gone that God can’t meet you exactly where you are in life. We also believe that He calls all of us to grow and we love walking that journey with people.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Yes, I think it’s very important. I have a mentor I meet with regularly. One of the greatest leadership traits is teachability. I try to surround myself with people who are further down the road that can help me navigate my personal and professional journey. One tip for finding that mentor is to look at their marriage. It’s easy to succeed professionally and let your marriage suffer. I look to people who have learned to have a healthy life/work balance and the best way you can tell that is most often by their marriage.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.valleyrisechurch.com
- Instagram: valleyrisechurch
- Facebook: valleyrisechurch
- Twitter: @vrchtx
- Youtube: valleyrisechurch
