When a family at Church on the Rock receives difficult news, Pastor Jorge Cárdenas wants them to know they will not stand alone.

Sometimes the call comes from another state. Sometimes it comes from South America. A relative has died; a medical diagnosis has changed everything; a marriage is under strain. Perhaps a loved one is in a hospital bed, and the family has run out of words.

Cárdenas does not try to explain or preach away their suffering. Instead, he stays present with them, prays with them and walks beside them.

“We love you,” he tells them. “We don’t know what’s happened, but we’re walking this with you.”

That sentence has shaped much of his ministry in Katy, TX.

For 28 years, Cárdenas has led Church on the Rock with a steady focus on faith, family and presence. The church began in 1999 in a hotel, moved into a shopping center on Kingsland Boulevard and eventually built its current campus. Along the way, Cárdenas said the congregation became known for consistency.

“Our church is known for being steady,” he said.

That steadiness developed through years of ordinary ministry and through seasons that tested the church. Hurricane Harvey flooded the building and caused about $1 million in damage. Cárdenas said believers from Texas and other states helped the church rebuild.

“We got to know more people in the body of Christ than ever,” he said.

Within 54 days, the church returned to regular services.

“That was a huge miracle,” he recalled.

Then came COVID. When churches faced restrictions on indoor gatherings, Church on the Rock adapted swiftly, moving its services outside. Families parked their cars on the church’s soccer field and listened to the service through their radios in a clever, “drive-in-theater” approach. The worship team led from a platform, while Cárdenas preached from a covered area. Some members brought lawn chairs and sat outside.

“You make the best out of difficult situations,” he said.

He recalled standing in the sun while preaching and finding humor in it.

“How wonderful the Lord is,” he laughed. “He allowed me to have a nice tan while preaching.”

That combination of thoughtfulness, insight and warmth shows up often when Cárdenas speaks about ministry.

Before he became a pastor, he spent 10 years as a banker and another 10 years as an educator. He said he received the call to full-time ministry in 1999 and prepared for it with graduate studies in education, counseling and administration.

“I believe God used all of that to equip me for the work He called me to do here in Katy,” he said.

Cárdenas was born in Colombia and came to the United States when he was 12. He grew up in Chicago and became a U.S. citizen in his 20s. His life as an immigrant shaped part of his ministry, especially as Church on the Rock serves many Spanish-speaking families and newcomers learning how to build a life in the United States.

“One thing I learned to cherish and love is this country,” he said.

He said the church teaches its members to place God first, family next, then work and ministry. He also encourages newcomers to the U.S. to respect the country, understand its laws and become responsible members of their communities.

Cárdenas has been married to his wife, Olivia, for 50 years. They have three children and nine grandchildren.

As a family man, marriage ministry is one of the areas closest to his heart. Through counseling, follow-up and biblical teaching, Cárdenas described helping numerous couples strengthen their relationships and find healing before giving up.

Whenever he teaches at marriage conferences, he likes to begin with a line that gets everyone’s attention.

“I’ve been married to Olivia for 50 years, and we never had a fight,” he tells them.

Then he pauses.

“We never had a fight where Jesus did not intervene on our behalf to stay together,” he said.

That joke encompasses Cárdenas: it is rooted in belief, with a twinkle of humor.

Church on the Rock describes its mission simply: “Go and make disciples.” Its vision comes from Matthew 7:24, where Jesus describes the wise man who built his house on the rock.

“We want to reach homes so they can build their homes upon the rock,” Cárdenas said.

The church has also helped plant churches and ministry centers in Central and South America, with current work in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Colombia and Panama. Cárdenas said the church focuses much of its mission work in the Spanish-speaking world because many members of the congregation can connect naturally there.

Locally, Church on the Rock has shared space with other congregations over the years, including Filipino, Portuguese, English-speaking and Spanish-speaking churches. Some began by meeting in the church’s building during the week before growing into their own facilities.

“We’re just happy to see that happening,” he said.

Church on the Rock also has a Spanish-language seminary and works closely with The Bible Seminary in Katy for English-language ministry training.

In this season of his life, Cárdenas said he feels especially drawn to younger leaders.

“I love to spend my time and life and knowledge and experiences in ministry to young people, future pastors and future leaders,” he said.

He also writes children’s books, a project that began with his grandchildren. He has now published 11 books and works with illustrators to bring them to life. He said he prefers to keep that creative process personal and organic.

“I have a lot of respect, love and need, desperate need for the Holy Spirit,” he said.

Still, when he talks about Church on the Rock, he returns to people.

When asked about the top struggle he sees affecting Christians today, he named the challenge of keeping faith strong through life’s trials.

He talks about families facing sudden diagnoses, hospital stays, uncertainty and seasons when faith is tested. In those moments, people may wrestle with questions they are afraid to say out loud.

Cárdenas’ approach to these seasons of adversity is to walk into hospital rooms, stay close to families and remind them that the church is there with them.

“Being able to walk with them in the difficult moments, that’s what a church is for,” he said.

Those moments, he said, often bring honest questions.

“Why is this happening to us?” he said. “What have we done to deserve this?”

Cárdenas said the church’s role is to stay present without rushing to give answers.

“You don’t make any type of comments as to why something happens,” he said. “That’s the worst thing we can do to people.”

He thinks of Job’s friends in Scripture, who tried to explain suffering and made the pain worse.

“We love you,” he tells families. “We don’t know what’s happened, but we’re walking this with you.”

That depth of care extends across generations. Cárdenas said Church on the Rock has ministries for children, adults and seniors, along with support for families facing health issues, mental health struggles and aging-related challenges such as Alzheimer’s.

Every Wednesday, he leads a men’s gathering where about 33 men come together for Bible study and a meal. Sometimes they order food. Sometimes someone cooks. The point is fellowship, Scripture and encouragement.

Cárdenas said men often carry responsibility without hearing simple words of affirmation.

“Thank you for providing,” he listed. “Thank you for being a great example for the kids. Thank you for bringing the paycheck home. Thank you for taking the kids out to soccer.”

He often ministers to men who go without those words, along with people who face their own unique crosses to bear.

For Cárdenas, community and care describe the church home he has worked to build since 1999. Church on the Rock, Katy, is a church where people are known, families are strengthened, faith is nurtured, and people can bring questions, weariness and difficult seasons without being treated like a problem to solve.

At the end of the day, he said, he hopes people know what they will find at Church on the Rock.

“[You will find that] we care for you,” Cárdenas said. “We’re not after your money. You’re not a number to us. You’re a family member.”