Neartown Church

Your First Sunday Visit

We’re glad you’re interested in Neartown Church! We are “inviting busy people to experience the peace of life with Jesus Christ.” We start this faith community with hopes of providing relevant faith for the city.

What time does it start, and what happens?

NT Worship begins at 10:00 am at the Tellepsen Family YMCA, 808 Pease St, Houston TX 77002. The service will end no later than 11:15. If you have children, please begin dropping them off at 9:40 so you can have plenty of time to make your way upstairs and find a seat prior to 10:00. Each week will be an exciting time of music and teaching in a safe, casual, and spiritual environment. There will be a time of singing for those that want to sing to God, but merely listening to the music is completely acceptable. Pastor Russell will lead people to read the scriptures and understand what it means with application that deals with real life. Before and after the approximately 1 hour service will be a time for refreshments and meeting other people.

How do I get there, and where do I park?

We are meeting at the Tellepsen Family YMCA (808 Pease St, Houston TX 77002) at the corner of Pease & Milam. Our partnership with them allows for us to use their brand new, premiere facility for NT Worship each Sunday. Plenty of free parking is available around the facility (no charge for the meters on weekends), or for only a few dollars you can park in the garage which is connected to the building.

What about my children?

Bring them! They will love NT Kids, our program for children ages birth through 5th grade. The YMCA is graciously allowing us full access to their award winning “Child Watch” play and learning areas. All teachers are fully trained and background checked by Neartown Church. If you are interested in seeing the NT Kids area prior to Sunday morning, feel free to contact us to set up a brief tour.
For more information about NT Kids, visit kids.neartownchurch.org

What about my teenagers?

Our Sunday Worship is a great opportunity for all ages, including teenagers, to hear relevant music and a compelling talk by Pastor Russell. Small groups focused on training teenagers will be provided throughout the week.

Do I need to bring anything with me?

If you own a Bible, we would encourage you to bring one with you, as well as something you can take notes with. If you don’t have a Bible, we will be glad to provide one for you to use. And if you have a smartphone, we would encourage you to visit youversion.com/download to get the Bible on your phone.

What do I wear?

Neartown Church believes you should “come as you are.” If comfortable for you means jeans and flip-flops, wear that. If comfortable for you means suit and tie, wear that.

I’m not a Christian, is that OK?

Definitely, we would love to have you join us! We welcome people from all faiths and backgrounds to join us in worshipping the God of the Bible and learning about the life and work of Jesus Christ. If you’re curious as to what we believe, you are welcome to review our Statement of Faith.

Can I listen or watch prior to attending on a Sunday?

To listen to talks from previous Sundays at Neartown Church, visit podcast.neartownchurch.org.

Can I meet Neartown Church leadership and ask questions?

Sure thing! To schedule a meeting with Pastor Russell, contact him through Facebook, Twitter, or email. For other questions, please fill out our contact form.

God

We believe in God. God has existed forever as one being, three persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). God creates all things and holds all things together. God is good and right. God is all-powerful (omnipotent). God is worthy of all glory and honor. God works in all things to redeem a people for Himself and restore fallen creation.

Revelation

God invites people to know Him personally. Generally, God has revealed Himself in creation. Specifically, God has revealed Himself through Jesus Christ whose life we read about in the Bible. God supernaturally orchestrated the events of history and the words of biblical authors to invite people to peace with God through Jesus Christ.

Bible

The Bible is the divinely inspired written word of God revealing the Living Word of God – Jesus Christ. The 66 books of the Bible were written by different people over the course of 1500 years under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Bible was not intended to answer every question posed by people, but it answers every important question regarding God, the Gospel, and eternal life in Christ. The Bible is without error. Any perceived error reveals a need for more thorough study or the limitations of the human mind. The role of the preacher is to teach the verses of the Bible in a way that people will live to glorify God.

The Fall

In the beginning, God created an orderly universe. Every created thing was set in place to work peacefully while glorifying God. The first humans, Adam and Eve, enjoyed a peaceful relationship with God until they chose to disobey God. Adam and Eve forfeited a perfect relationship with God bringing judgment on themselves and all created things. The peace that reigned in the beginning has been disrupted leading to death, pain, poverty, hate, addiction, crime, injustice, etc. The supreme need of all things is to be restored to a peaceful, orderly relationship with God.

The Gospel

Since the beginning, God has planned to restore all things through the person and work of Jesus Christ. The good news is that even though a person could never earn God’s favor, God gives it freely through Jesus Christ. A person is saved from the wrath of God (i.e. forgiven) when he or she is lead to repentance by the Holy Spirit and given faith in Jesus Christ as the way to peace with God. The message of the Gospel was given to humanity by Jesus through word and deed. A gospel without mention of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is no gospel at all. Not only do Christians receive the credit of righteousness earned by Jesus Christ but they receive the Holy Spirit whose primary purpose is to make them holy.

Church

The church is the organized group of people whose faith in Jesus Christ compels them to meet regularly for encouragement and worship. A church must regularly do at least two things: teach Scripture and practice ordinances of Communion and Baptism. The things are commanded in scripture by Jesus and practiced in the early church meetings. Members of the church share a common mission and are equally responsible to God for accomplishing all that God wants. The role of the Pastors is to ensure theological clarity, to pray and preach, to equip the people for works of ministry. The weekly all-church gathering is only 25% of what it means to be the church. The other 75% is when the people are living out their faith in everyday life.