“I want to make a difference.”
Do you still remember that thought? That once loud battle cry reverberating inside your head as you tossed your graduation cap high up in the air? A sense of invincibility; of a newfound power that made you feel as if you were indeed meant to make a difference in the world.

But as soon as you set out on your first job hunting spree, you feel that sense of invincibility slowly beginning to fade and that armor of confidence begins to show cracks.

And as you join the urban jungle and make that arduous climb up the corporate ladder, those ideals take a backseat, eclipsed by the pressure of work and buried by the growing piles of projects and paperwork.

As much as you hate to admit it, you realize your optimistic side slowly fading away; quietly being eased out by a twenty-something adult who is just looking to make ends meet, in search for significance, and in desperate need of inspiration.

And just when you’re about to give up on your dream, you come across someone who reminds you of that ambition, that reawakens those hopes and makes you realize that you’re never too far away from fulfilling those aspirations.

Changing the world may now seem unlikely, but changing your world to make it better for those around you? It’s definitely possible.
 
Purpose driven pastor
Brimming with energy, enthusiasm and passion, Pastor Rodney Garcia’s goal of effecting change no matter how small is being achieved every single day.

Garcia, a BS Business Administration Graduate from De La Salle University-College of St. Benilde (CSB), first dabbled in the Information Technology industry for several years and was given opportunities to engage in different marketing and technical activities. He also taught computer subjects in CSB before deciding to give it up to serve in church through several ministries before finally taking the reins as lead pastor of The Rock Church.

As the lead pastor his church, Pastor Rodney (or P.R. as he is fondly called) has dealt mostly with the youth for the past 10 years—the core group that will soon change the world or at least, our nation.

Upon meeting the pastor, his determination and energy directed to ensure that this generation is raised differently from those before it, was certainly contagious.

His understanding of the connection from one generation to another also shed light on some of the problems our country faces today.

For Garcia, the previous generation is just as responsible as the current one for whatever issues they’re facing.

“I’m not washing hands but what I’m saying is, somebody in that room partied hard and forgot to clean up the place. And now, they can’t use the room to do what it is that they want to do. You cannot blame them if they’re hurt or frustrated or disappointed, whatever it is they are doing now or what they have now is simply a residue of what the last generation has left them.”

He also stresses the call of each generation. “Every generation is given the opportunity to make it better or make it worse. Every generation wants to be better than the previous one, but 10 years later what happens? They’re still in the same position. What happened? If there’s anything that the new generation is going through it is because the previous one did not do much.”

For Garcia, his mission is simple: To make sure that the cycle no longer continues.
 
Church on a mission
Garcia optimistically believes that change is not such a difficult concept. He believes that to effect a big change, it is important to start small. He believes that a simple word of encouragement can go a long way.

Garcia understands the need of this generation to be able to go to a place where they can share whatever it is they are feeling, especially in a generation filled with angst and questioning teenagers.

So many things have happened in the past decade alone and teenagers are more expressive through social networks about how they feel, and the current generation is crying out for someone to hear them—not to be reprimanded but to be heard.

The Rock Church is hoping to be that place and at the same time break stereotypes about it wanting only perfect people. “The church should be like a hospital; people do not go to the church because they’re perfect, they go to church because they’re hurting.”

Garcia, along with his team understands that the way to touch people is simple: Listen and let them be who they are.

The Rock Church defines itself “as a team of men and women who are passionate in encouraging, uplifting and empowering people towards God’s plan for their lives.”

“We believe that God has a plan for all of us and we aim to lead people to Jesus Christ,” the pastor elaborated.

Garcia is proud of the “niche” of their church. He believes that his church welcomes everyone.

However, his church is mostly filled with those who are not part of a specific clique, but individuals with talent and drive looking for a place that would simply accept them.

He further explained, “You must celebrate what makes you unique. If this is where God wants you to be, then celebrate it and enjoy where He has placed you.”

He also believes that in order to build up a generation, you have to do just that: Build the people up.

He enthusiastically shared why he thinks people who approach life with such big dreams eventually fail. They end up “cruising through life” because someone with authority over them told them that their dreams cannot be met.

To effect change, a kind a word or a simple nudge toward the right direction goes a long way.

Garcia states that in order to have a strong generation, one must be able to encourage the young ones to go after their dreams. People who are secure enough to allow others to live the dreams that they may have put aside in the past.

For him, it is time to break the cycle of “cannot” that has sped through generations after generations.

With the right group of people around them, Garcia believes that making things better for the next generation is quite possible. For him, it is the simple things that matter the most. Truly what the generation needs are people who genuinely believe in them and in their dreams.

“All of us have the power to do just that and finally see the difference we only once dreamt of having.”
 
The Rock Church is located at the St. Giles Hotel in Makati Avenue, Makati City

For more information log on to www.thechurchrocks.com