The Story of Neartown Church

2009: A Call to the City

Russell and Jeanie Cravens moved their family into Houston's Montrose neighborhood with no plans to start a church. They simply felt called to live among the people they hoped to serve. As relationships formed and conversations unfolded, God began gathering a small community of believers around a shared vision for a new church in the heart of Houston.

2010: The Vision Takes Shape

Sixteen people gathered in the Cravens' home to pray, dream, and discern what God might be building. During that season, the church's mission became clear:

Inviting busy people to experience the peace of life with Jesus Christ.

What started in a living room would soon become a church family committed to helping people encounter Jesus amid the pace and pressure of city life.

2011: The Church Begins

On January 16, 2011, Neartown Church held its first public Sunday gathering at the Tellepsen YMCA in downtown Houston.

From the very beginning, Neartown committed itself not only to building one healthy church, but to helping start many healthy churches. As a founding partner of the Houston Church Planting Network, Neartown joined a growing movement of churches working together to plant gospel-centered congregations throughout Greater Houston. This commitment to church multiplication would become one of the defining characteristics of Neartown's ministry.

At the same time, small groups—eventually known as Loop Groups—began forming throughout the city, creating spaces for discipleship, friendship, and spiritual growth.

In the years that followed, hundreds of people would walk through Neartown's doors searching for hope, community, and purpose. Many would place their faith in Jesus Christ for the first time, publicly declare that faith through baptism, and begin growing as disciples. While locations, programs, and partnerships would evolve over time, life change through the gospel remained at the center of Neartown's story.

2012: A Global Vision

As the church grew locally, its vision expanded globally. Neartown adopted an unreached people group in Ethiopia, beginning a long-term commitment to global missions and gospel access among those who had little opportunity to hear about Jesus.

2013: Generosity and Multiplication

A newly converted local business leader made a significant gift of $150,000 to help accelerate the church's mission and growth.

This same season marked the beginning of Neartown's Church Planting Residency, an initiative designed to identify, train, and send future church planters. The first residents, John and Halcie Wethington, would eventually go on to replant New Day Church.

Through its partnership with the Houston Church Planting Network, Neartown also began investing in the assessment, training, coaching, and support of future church planters serving throughout the city.

2014: Planting Deeper Roots

Neartown relocated Sunday gatherings to Gregory-Lincoln Education Center, bringing the church closer to the communities it sought to serve.

As attendance and leadership capacity grew, the church invested heavily in developing leaders, strengthening ministry partnerships, and expanding its involvement in both church planting and anti-human-trafficking efforts.

2016: Shared Leadership

Recognizing the need for healthy governance as the church matured, Neartown transitioned from a single-elder model to a plurality of elders. This shift reflected a commitment to shared leadership, accountability, and biblical shepherding.

2017: Fighting for Freedom

Neartown deepened its commitment to fighting human trafficking through strategic partnerships, volunteer engagement, advocacy, and financial support for organizations serving survivors and vulnerable populations.

2018: A New Home

The church relocated its Sunday gatherings to the Council on Recovery.

While locations changed, the church's mission remained the same. Loop Groups continued multiplying throughout Houston, helping people build authentic relationships and grow as followers of Jesus.

2019: Planting Cistern Church

Neartown celebrated the launch of Cistern Church, led by the Ramos family, in the southwest corner of Houston's Inner Loop. Through years of prayer, leadership development, and partnership with the Houston Church Planting Network, this new congregation was planted to reach people with the gospel and establish a vibrant local church in one of Houston's growing and diverse communities.

The launch of Cistern Church represented another significant milestone in Neartown's commitment to multiplication and its belief that one of the most effective ways to reach Houston is through the planting of new churches.

2020: Faithfulness Through Challenge

Like churches around the world, Neartown navigated the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through creativity, flexibility, and a commitment to community, the church continued gathering, caring for people, and making disciples during a season of unprecedented uncertainty.

2021: Mentor Groups Launch

Seeking to create deeper pathways for discipleship, Neartown launched Mentor Groups.

These smaller, more intentional groups became a key environment for spiritual formation, accountability, leadership development, and disciple-making.

Through Loop Groups, Mentor Groups, Sunday Teams, and gathered worship, Neartown continued to see lives transformed as people surrendered their lives to Christ, took steps of obedience through baptism, and learned to follow Jesus in everyday life.

2022: Reaching Europe

Neartown established a formal partnership with Greater Europe Mission, expanding its support of church planting and missionary efforts throughout Europe.

2023: Expanding Global Impact

The church officially partnered with the For All Mankind Movement, extending its reach into Pakistan and other regions where access to the gospel remains limited.

2024: Sending Another Church

Neartown celebrated the launch of The Journey Church in Houston's Heights neighborhood, led by the Perez family.

This milestone reflected a commitment that had existed since the church's beginning: healthy churches helping start healthy churches. Through its ongoing partnership with the Houston Church Planting Network, Neartown had by this point helped support, train, coach, or resource numerous church planting efforts throughout Greater Houston.

2025: Preparing for the Future

As the Council on Recovery underwent major renovations, Neartown entered a season of temporary relocation while exploring long-term opportunities for a permanent ministry home.

During this season, the church continued strengthening its discipleship pathway, developing leaders, investing in local and global missions, and preparing for the next chapter of ministry in Houston.

Planting Churches for Houston

Since its founding, Neartown Church has believed that one of the best ways to reach a growing city is to plant new churches.

Through its partnership with the Houston Church Planting Network, Neartown has invested in church planters, supported new congregations, provided coaching and residency training, and helped strengthen churches throughout Greater Houston. Over the years, Neartown has helped launch, support, or strengthen churches in neighborhoods across the city, including Cistern Church in southwest Houston and The Journey Church in The Heights.

From church planting residents to partner congregations, Neartown's impact extends well beyond its own Sunday gatherings. The church continues to believe that the Kingdom of God advances most effectively when healthy churches work together to start new churches and develop new leaders.

Today

What began with sixteen people in a living room has grown into a thriving church family committed to helping people follow Jesus.

Along the way, countless stories of God's grace have unfolded as people have come to faith in Christ, been baptized, restored relationships, discovered community, developed as leaders, and been sent out to make disciples throughout Houston and beyond.

Since 2011, Neartown Church has remained focused on one mission: