If you were to pass by Norwalk’s Wall Street Theater and the Fairfield Theater Company on Sunday mornings, you would notice scores of people filing into those venues. But they are not arriving for an entertainment production – they are the congregations of Vox Church, one of the fastest faith-based nonprofits operating in this region
Since its launch in 2011, Vox Church has established 11 locations, including outposts in Clinton and New Britain that opened earlier this month. Vox Church is headquartered in Branford and has nine congregations in Connecticut – Branford, Clinton, Fairfield, Hartford, Middletown, New Britain, New Haven North Haven and Norwalk – and two across the state line in Springfield and Worcester, Massachusetts.
Vox Church’s growth is unusual when one considers the national and state trends are moving away from attending religious services. A Gallup poll from last June found church attendance was down four points among Protestants (from 44% to 40%) and seven points among Catholics (from 37% to 30%), the two largest faith groups in the U.S., between 2020 and this year. Closer to home, another Gallup poll from 2015 ranked Connecticut as 41st and Massachusetts as 47th in the nation for regular church attendance.
Another survey from earlier this year, conducted by the American Enterprise Institute and the University of Chicago, found U.S. adults between the ages of 18 and 30 were the largest demographic who stopped attending faith services after the pandemic. Again, Vox Church goes against the trend with a higher than normal number of young adults involved both as congregants and members of their internal teams.
The Business Journals spoke with Justin Kendrick, the founder and lead pastor at Vox Church, about his organization’s success.
What was the inspiration for creating Vox Church?
Vox began from a deep desire to help people experience the life of God. We believe in the importance of the local church to serve the community and the power of the good news of Christ to bring hope and life. These convictions were the driving force behind starting the church.
What were you doing professionally prior to starting the church?
Prior to starting Vox, my wife and I spent seven years leading a traveling Christian ministry. We worked with hundreds of local churches to serve their towns and cities and helped other leaders start three other churches during this time. I went through the licensing and ordination process with my home church in preparation for future ministry.
Why did you decide to start a new church as opposed to working within an established church?
Our desire is to see every gospel-committed church thriving and growing across New England. As we felt an inner call to give our lives fully to local church ministry, we became convinced that starting new churches is the most effective way to reach new people with the love of Christ.
Established churches often exist for the sake of their members, but new churches must exist for the sake of their non-members since they do not yet have an established membership. Since starting Vox, our hope has been to start new churches and make a positive impact on new people.
How does Vox differ from the mainstream Christian faiths?
Vox is a non-denominational church that adheres to historic, orthodox Christian doctrine. We believe in the inspiration of the scriptures and value the various expressions of the church throughout history and around the world. In substance, we are not unique in our doctrine or convictions. In expression, we hope to bring fresh relevancy and application of the truth of the gospel in our modern context.
How did you begin to gather your first parishioners?
The first service of Vox Church was held on Easter Sunday in 2011 at Toad’s Place in downtown New Haven. A small group of nine people invited friends and neighbors and went out each weekend to serve those in need in the community. Vox grew in these early days the same way it does now, primarily through word-of-mouth communication and invitations from friends.
When someone comes to a Vox service for the first time, what should they expect?
You should expect imperfect people who have a genuine desire to follow the way of Jesus. We seek to show hospitality to everyone who walks through the door. You should expect to sing songs about the love of Christ and hear a message based on a text from the Bible.
Each week, we seek to bring the truth of the scripture into our world and our experience in practical ways. There are special ministries for kids every week, and opportunities to build relationships with others outside of the Sunday church services. More than anything, you should expect to sense the presence of God in the midst of ordinary men and women.
You currently have locations in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Are you planning to spread further into New England, or even nationwide?
We plan to continue to start new churches across the six states of New England. New England is the least-churched region in the United States. Fewer people read the Bible or attend church in this region than anywhere else in America. With that in mind, we hope to introduce more people across New England to the hope that comes through faith in Christ.
You have three events coming up – Renewal Night, Illume Conference and Encounter. What is going to be happening in these events?
Throughout the year, Vox hosts numerous events that strengthen the fabric of community and relationship in the church. Each of these three events serves a different purpose. Renewal Night is a time of extended prayer and worship. The goal is to give people space to experience God in a less-structured format.
Our Illume Conference is an all-day event for women. It will include times of connection and community building, along with relevant teaching and application. The Encounter weekend is a two-day getaway that our church hosts a few times a year. This small group gathering provides for those who attend an opportunity to pull back from our busy schedules and embrace times of solitude and reflection.
If we were to have this conversation a year from now, where do you see Vox Church?
Vox will continue to start new churches and connect with new people across New England. By this time next year, we hope to acquire a few new permanent spaces for our churches to meet, and to start a few more churches to serve new regions of Connecticut, Massachusetts and beyond.
