Bayou City Fellowship

What Bayou City Fellowship does

Bayou City Fellowship is a 501(c)(3) non-profit evangelical Christian church that operates three physical campuses across the Houston, Texas metro area, located in Cypress, Spring Branch, and Tomball. Its core products are weekly worship services, age-segmented ministry programs (children, students, adults), Community Groups organized around geography and life stage, and adult discipleship formation via the in-house MAKERS curriculum. It serves local families, students, and professionals in greater Houston, with a stated practice of allocating roughly 20% of its budget to outreach and missions.

The organization's business model is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from attendees and supporters. It operates multiple giving channels to accommodate donor preferences, including in-service offerings, recurring online giving, text-to-give, non-cash asset transfers (e.g., appreciated stock), and employer matching gift programs. Its go-to-market is community-driven rather than commercial: growth depends on physical attendance, word-of-mouth referrals, online streaming reach, and the cumulative impact of community programming rather than paid acquisition.

Its digital infrastructure is built on third-party ministry SaaS platforms, primarily Subsplash and Church Center, which power its mobile apps, online giving, event registration, and communication tools. Administrative and HR functions rely on consumer-grade SaaS (e.g., Breezy HR, ADP). The organization publicly acknowledges these tools and platforms in its operational disclosures. There is no evidence of proprietary technology development; the technology stack is entirely composed of off-the-shelf products configured for church operations.

Name

Bayou City Fellowship

Legal name

Bayou City Fellowship

Website

https://bayoucityfellowship.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bayou City Fellowship is a 501(c)(3) multi-campus evangelical Christian church operating three Houston-metro campuses (Cypress, Spring Branch, Tomball) with online streaming, serving local families and professionals through worship services, Community Groups, and discipleship programs funded by voluntary tithes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International) (BPAGAJAE)

Keywords

• Multi-site church
• Worship services
• Christian discipleship
• Faith community
• Religious nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Voluntary giving from church members and attendees following the biblical pattern of cheerful, voluntary, generous, and proportional giving as described in 1 Corinthians 16 and 2 Corinthians 9. Members are encouraged to tithe 10% as a baseline guideline.
2. Online Giving: Digital giving via debit card, credit card, or direct debit from checking/savings accounts through the church center online platform.
3. Text to Give: Donors can send text with dollar amount to 877-450-3717 for quick giving.
4. Stock Donations: Gifts of appreciated stock allow donors to receive tax deduction for full fair market value without paying capital gains tax.
5. Employer Matching: Some companies match charitable gifts through employer matching programs.

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Bayou City Fellowship operates as a multi-site Christian church delivering Sunday worship services across three Houston-area campuses (Cypress, Spring Branch, and Tomball) plus online livestreams. Its offering extends to age-based ministry programs (Kids, Students, Men, Women, Marriage, Collective), Community Groups, the MAKERS Discipleship curriculum, sacramental services (Baptism, Weddings, Baby Dedication), outreach initiatives, and structured training programs including a two-year Residency and summer Internships.

Product overview

Bayou City Fellowship is a multi-site Christian church with three physical campuses (Cypress, Spring Branch, and Tomball) in the Houston, TX metro area, offering a unified platform of ministry programs and services. The core offering consists of Sunday worship gatherings available both in-person and via online livestream through dedicated campus apps built on the Subsplash platform. The ministry portfolio includes age-based programs (Kids, Students, Men, Women, Marriage), community formation (Community Groups, Collective young adults), spiritual development (Makers Discipleship curriculum), mission engagement (Outreach with city and global partners), and lifecycle sacraments (Baptism, Baby Dedication, Weddings). Supplementary services include online giving with multiple channels, childcare reimbursement, summer internships, a two-year residency program, and safeguarding policies. Content distribution extends through YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts for sermons and stories. The church utilizes Church Center for registrations and calendar, Breezy HR for recruitment, and ADP for employment postings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunday Gatherings In-person worship services held at three campuses (Cypress, Spring Branch, and Tomball) with two service times each (9am and 10:45am) on Sundays. Open to the general community at any stage of faith.
• Community Groups Small group gatherings for discipleship, fellowship, and mutual care, meeting in homes and on campus throughout the week. Led by trained leaders and structured as the central relational formation pathway of the church.
• Kids Ministry Age-appropriate Bible teaching, activities, and spiritual formation programs for children from birth through elementary age, available at all three campuses.
• Students Ministry Middle and high school student programs focused on discipleship, community, and service opportunities for teenagers.
• Marriage Ministry Couples ministry including Merge marriage preparation class, pre-marital counseling, and ongoing marriage enrichment resources.
• Men's Ministry Gender-specific discipleship program for men focused on spiritual growth, brotherhood, fathering programs, and mentorship.
• Women's Ministry Gender-specific discipleship program for women focused on spiritual growth, community, and support through women's ministry groups.
• Collective (Young Adults Ministry) Young adults ministry for post-college and young professional adults seeking deeper community, discipleship, and faith integration with career and daily life.
• MAKERS Discipleship Comprehensive discipleship curriculum covering theology (Bible, God, Sin, Salvation, Christian Life, Last Things), practices (Word, Prayer, Generosity, Service, Community, Evangelism), and Scripture memorization for structured spiritual formation.
• Bayou City Outreach Local and global mission initiatives including city outreach partners, global outreach teams, disaster relief (Bayou City Relief), and partnerships with organizations such as Justice & Mercy International.
• Membership Formal church membership process accessed through Connect gatherings, requiring trust in Jesus Christ, believer's baptism, doctrinal agreement, and commitment to grow, serve, and give.
• Baptism Sacrament of believer's baptism celebrating new faith in Jesus, available at all three campuses through registration.
• Weddings Wedding officiant services and venue rental for church members, including Merge pre-marital preparation class.
• Baby Dedication Ceremony presenting infants before the Lord, with church commitment to help direct children to Jesus.
• Safeguarding and Care Child protection policies, abuse reporting procedures, a dedicated Safeguarding and Care Team, and survivor support network with background checks and Ministry Safe training across ministries.
• Financial Assistance Support program for church members facing financial difficulties, with password-protected application access.
• Summer Internship Program 8-10 week paid summer program for college students exploring ministry calls, with placements in Students, Kids, Worship, Adult Ministries, Missions/Outreach, Communications, or Business Operations.
• Bayou City Residency Two-year full-time ministry residency combining hands-on experience, theological development, mentorship, and leadership formation at one of three campuses, partnered with Reliant.

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Justice & Mercy InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJustice & Mercy International is a mission organization that Bayou City Fellowship partners with for international mission trips. Church members participate in mission expeditions through this partnership, including trips to locations like the Amazon.
• Passion City Church (Atlanta, GA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPassion City Church in Atlanta sent volunteers to support Bayou City Relief efforts following Hurricane Harvey, demonstrating inter-church collaboration in disaster response.
• NNDRC (Northeast Houston Development and Renewal Corporation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal nonprofit partner that helps coordinate neighborhood renewal and community development projects in Northeast Houston, working alongside Bayou City Fellowship's outreach efforts.
• Reliant (Reliant Internships)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerReliant is the partner organization for the Bayou City Residency program, providing support-raised ministry placement and training for two-year residents.
• Church Center (Subsplash)coreTechnology or IntegrationChurch Center platform by Subsplash provides the digital infrastructure for event registration, giving, groups, and calendar management across all campuses.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Elevation Church: Multi-site evangelical church based in Charlotte, NC with comparable contemporary worship, multi-campus expansion, online streaming, and age-graded ministry model. Comparable in scale and digital distribution approach.
• Passion City Church: Atlanta-based multi-site church with contemporary worship, community groups, and missions focus. Already a partner with BCF (disaster relief support) and operates a directly comparable ministry model and audience demographic.
• Second Baptist Church (Houston): Large multi-site Baptist church in the Houston metro offering comparable age-graded ministry, community groups, and missions programming. Directly comparable in scale and service structure to BCF's Cypress/Spring Branch/Tomball footprint.
• Watermark Church: Plano, TX-based multi-site evangelical church with community groups, discipleship, and family ministry as core operating pillars. Closely comparable operational template to BCF, including emphasis on community formation over programmatic depth.
• Houston's First Baptist Church: Multi-campus Southern Baptist church serving the Houston metro with comparable suburban campus model, family ministry portfolio, and online streaming. Direct geographic competitor for members in the same submarkets as BCF.
• Lakewood Church: Houston-based multi-site megachurch led by Joel Osteen. Directly comparable as a Houston-metro evangelical church with broadcast-scale production, online streaming, and multi-channel giving, though materially larger in attendance.
• Church of the Highlands: Birmingham, AL-based multi-site evangelical church with comparable contemporary worship, multi-campus expansion, community groups, and digital outreach. Closely comparable in scale, model, and target demographic.
• Fellowship Church: Grapevine, TX-based multi-site evangelical church known for its multi-campus model, creative teaching, and online distribution. Operates a similar ministry architecture (community groups, age-graded programs, missions) to Bayou City Fellowship.
• Gateway Church: Large DFW-based multi-site evangelical church with comparable campus replication model, kids/students programs, community groups, and online streaming. Closely comparable in operating template and target member demographic.

Broad incumbents

• North Point Community Church: Atlanta-based multi-site church widely credited with pioneering the modern multi-site model that BCF follows. Comparable in strategy (campus replication, community groups, strategy-focused teaching) and acts as an architectural benchmark for BCF's approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bayoucityfellowship
• YouTubeyoutube.com/bayoucityfellowship
• Facebookfacebook.com/bayoucityfellowship
• Instagraminstagram.com/bayoucityfellowship
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bayoucityfellowship

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bayou City Fellowship