Update September 09: Life as a parent

Sitting down in my office. In front of me, mildly steaming my glasses is a pressed cup of my favorite Colombian roast variety. It is currently and I will say abnormally silent. To my left is a stack of books I intend to rip through this next week as I start year two in writing the curriculum for and teaching my worldview class. To my right is a stack of notes about a foot high, reminding me of the amount of sermons I preached this summer. 5,000 teenagers, 132 full services, 112 staff members, 56 messages preached, 8 weeks, 4 camps, 2 national conferences, and 1 baby; this has indeed been a full summer.

This year was yet again another year of vast change in every area of life. In October Carrie and I will have been married a single year. In 10 nearly 11 months of marriage we have not only grown extremely close as friend and spouse, but we have endured and championed the greatest gift any couple could receive; giving birth to a child.

On our wedding day last October, I wept like a baby when I saw Carrie come down the aisle. The events of that day collaborated into the most beautiful experience of my entire life. I remember I didn’t stop smiling for weeks after. 10 months later that experience was rivaled with the birth of Natalie Sage Hensley.

Watching my wife give labor made me fall in love with her in ten different ways that I never thought possible. Toward the last few pushes I found myself in tears watching my wife muster the courage to push Natalie out, with no drugs or sedatives of any kind. She had the joy of seeing little Natalie set before her, and endured such hardship to bring her here. It was like watching her walk down the aisle again; my love for Carrie overwhelmed me.

They say having a baby changes you, and they are right. Instantly I began to think differently. Where I had always been a stickler about getting enough sleep, now I gladly wake up at 2:30am and help Carrie feed, change, and rock Natalie back to sleep. Where I was concerned about what the next 5 years of life would look like, I first wonder about how to make the first 5 years and beyond of her life a success. Where I had a hard time getting motivated to cook and clean, I find pleasure in doing it so my wife can rest. Having a baby, truly, makes a man out of you.

In the last 6 months I’ve seen my ministry, influence, and leadership grow significantly. I got to preach on the main stage at 2 National IHOP conferences, I got to lead thousands and pastor hundreds. I even had a line of teens begging me to autograph their Bibles this summer. Where in times past it would have been an answer to both my prayers and ambition, it has become a small foot note in the essay of my life. Nothing has, or ever will give me such honor, and such glory as being a lover of Jesus, the husband of Carrie Hensley and the Father of Natalie Hensley. If nothing else becomes of my name and ambition I will end my days completely content.

Soli Deo Gloria

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As you may know, the purpose of this blog/site is two fold:

1. To update friends, family and supporters with the current happenings in our life and ministry.
2. To raise funds to continue our ministry to the region of Kansas City and the International House of Prayer.

Three ways to support us:

Pray- Seriously helpful to us. No I mean like really HELPFUL to us!

Invite- As a preacher I’d love to come to any church or ministry that would have me and talk about night and day prayer and how to reach this present generation of teenagers.

Invest- Partner with us through finances. In this day and age I realize everybody has a new way to ask for donations to their ministry/cause/idea/campaign. I will simply say this: Sow into our lives, and we will sow into yours. Any and every type of donation is helpful for us in being able to stay a float financially while giving 70 hours a week to ministry.

To donate online click here: ZACK’S DONATION PAGE

If you would like a tax deduction for your donation, make the check out to: IHOP-KC and mail it to:

Support ATTN: Zack Hensley

3535 E  Red Bridge Rd

Kansas City, MO 64137

An Introduction to Zack and Carrie Hensley

If you will allow me to act like a football star and talk in the third person for just a second- it help when trying to communicate what one does without always having to say “I” at the beginning of every sentence.

Zack and Carrie Hensley are two missionaries to the city of Kansas City working with an organization called the International House of Prayer . Zack moved to Kansas City from Phoenix Arizona to work with “IHOP” in July of 2002. Carrie moved to KC from Montevideo in August of 2004 to do the same. We are here in Kansas City to give ourselves to a lifestyle of extended prayer, fasting and seeking the Lord through the spiritual disciplines outlined in the New Testament for every believer. We are also here to minister, and labor on behalf of the people of Kansas City and surrounding region.

Zack, Works specifically with teenagers. Being the Director of IHOP’s Awakening Teen Camp, he sees thousands of teens come through K.C. every summer wanting to get an understanding of how God sees them both biblically and presently; giving them a true identity of what it means to be a follower of Christ.

Among planning, organizing, and preaching at such an event, this also means building and pastoring a leadership team of about 50-60 young adults to pour into these teens lives. He takes much time mentoring, and helping them mature into Godly young leaders. A few other bullet points:

• Zack runs IHOP’s Sunday morning teen church service, preaching and and pastoring teenagers weekly
• Zack leads and is starting an inner city outreach to teenagers in downtown Kansas City. This will involve both evangelism, and pastoring teenagers in rough situations long term, and helping them get plugged into churches, and or our teen church on Sundays.
• Zack teaches at The Daniel Academy Jr. High and High School. Teaching their Biblical Worldview class, and Debate teams.

Carrie, works specifically with IHOPU and the Apostolic Preaching Program. (A program she graduated 2 years ago) There Carrie specifically gives herself to the mentoring, equipping, and shepherding young adults in the message of the gospel and how to communicate it to this present generation. She spends time teaching, and training IHOPU college at their practicum course designed to connect their lifestyle to the information about Theology and Message that they are learning in class.

More specifically now, Carrie’s main vocation is as a mother. She has recently realized the infinite blessing of raising up a child in the way of the living God. While her ministry roles still thrive, her desire in this stage of life is to serve and love little Natalie Hensley so as to rear her in the way of Christ. Never has any person been given a blessing as to teach a child how to live life in this age of history.

Zack and Carrie do not get paid for their work. It is primarily from the donations of supporters that they are able to live the life of ministry that they are called to live. With that, they have also taken a vow to live simply, meaning we don’t live outside our needs. Anything extra goes straight to the poor. Financial sheets can be available upon request.

Please consider supporting them in the following ways:

(switching back to first person )

Pray- Seriously helpful to us.

Invite- As a preacher I’d love to come to any church or ministry that would have me and talk about night and day prayer and how to reach this present generation of teenagers.

Invest- Partner with us through finances. In this day and age I realize everybody has a new way to ask for donations to their ministry/cause/idea/campaign. I will simply say this: Sow into our lives, and we will sow into yours. Any and every type of donation is helpful for us in being able to stay a float financially while giving 70 hours a week to ministry.

To donate online click here: ZACK’S DONATION PAGE

If you would like a tax deduction for your donation, make the check out to: IHOP-KC and mail it to:

Support ATTN: Zack Hensley

3535 E  Red Bridge Rd

Kansas City, MO 64137

Your support keeps our mouths feed and house warm! It’s much appreciated!