ABOUT US

  • In the mid-90s, the leadership team of Hill Country Bible Church Austin sensed God giving them a vision: reach every man, woman, and child in Greater Austin with the life-changing reality of Jesus Christ. That vision led to a single church plant and a strategy to multiply disciples and plant healthy churches across the city.

  • That one church plant became a movement. The Association of Hill Country Churches (AHCC) formed as a relational network of evangelistic Bible churches committed to making disciples, planting churches, and partnering together. A church-planting residency launched, the model shifted toward missional core groups, and reproduction accelerated into a third and fourth generation of churches.

  • Rapid growth gave way to a season of refinement. Some churches started, some folded, some merged. The AHCC organized formally as its own nonprofit with a board of directors, built to care for existing churches and resource new ones — clarifying its role in the larger body of Christ along the way.

  • The board sensed a fresh call: focus the association's efforts on catalyzing church planting across the region. That meant building real pipelines for finding, assessing, training, launching, and coaching planters into the mission field of Greater Austin. With greater theological alignment, relational commitment, and financial partnership, the movement found new clarity of purpose.

  • Today, the movement carries a new name: Saturate Austin Network: a strengthened board and a full-time executive director. We've celebrated real multiplication in recent years, and we're preparing to scale further: equipping churches with internal disciple-making systems, helping churches hire church-plant residents, and working to make sure no pastor quits the ministry to moral failure or burnout.

    By God's grace, we're laying the groundwork to grow from 30 churches to 100 in the next 10 years.

OUR STORY

Saturate Austin exists to catalyze a movement of healthy, reproducing churches that saturate Greater Austin with gospel conversations.

OUR MISSION
OUR VISION

We desire to see every man, woman, and child in Greater Austin have repeated opportunities to see, hear, and respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

OUR APPROACH

We hold five values that shape how we move as a network:

Missional Tenacity  

Because every person needs repeated opportunities to hear the gospel.  (2 Tim 4:5) 

Collaborative Community

Because we can always do more together than we could ever do alone. (John 17:20-23)

Radical Generosity

Because the mission requires open hands.

(2 Cor 9:6-10)

Strategic Urgency 

Because what’s at stake has eternal consequences.  

(Matthew 24:42-44) 

Kingdom Diversity

Because our movement should reflect our city and our eternal home.

(Revelation 7:9)

OUR LEADERSHIP

STAFF MEMBERS

NICK SHOCK

Executive Director

BOARD MEMBERS

KEITH FERGUSON

Board Chairman

MARK CANADA

Board Member

JAKE RIDLEY

Board Member

TOM ALBERS

Board Member

CONOR O’HEARN

Board Member

JOEL FRANKLIN

Board Member

TORY MAYO

Board Member

DEWAYNE MCNALLY

Board Member

DANNY BOX

Director of Coaching

MELISSA GONZALEZ

Admin

Saturate Austin Network Doctrinal Statement 

A three-tier framework for theological clarity and gospel-centered partnership across diverse local churches 

The Saturate Austin Network is a relational network of gospel-centered, Spirit-empowered,  mission-driven churches committed to planting, strengthening, and multiplying healthy congregations across Greater Austin and beyond. We believe a shared theological foundation is essential for unity in mission, while also recognizing that faithful churches may differ in their convictions and practices in non-essential areas. This doctrinal framework identifies what unites us, acknowledges our differences, and outlines how we pursue gospel-centered collaboration. 

Level 1: Primary Doctrines 

Essential for Fellowship and Gospel Partnership in the Network 

  • We believe the Bible, as revealed in the Old and New Testaments, is the inspired, inerrant, and  authoritative Word of God, sufficient for all matters of faith and life. 

    Key Scriptures: 2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:20–21; Hebrews 4:12; Matthew 5:17–18; Psalm  119:105 

  • We believe in one God who eternally exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, equal in divine essence, distinct in role. 

    Key Scriptures: Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:13 

  • We believe Jesus is fully God and fully man, born of the virgin Mary, sinless in life, crucified for our sins, bodily resurrected, and ascended to the Father’s right hand. 

    Key Scriptures: John 1:1–14; Colossians 1:15–20; Hebrews 1:1–4; Hebrews 4:15 

  • We believe all people are created in God’s image and have inherent dignity, but are sinful by  nature and choice, alienated from God, and unable to save themselves. 

    Key Scriptures: Genesis 1:26–27; Romans 3:9–23; Psalm 14:2–3

  • We believe Jesus died as our substitute for sin, was buried, and rose again bodily, securing our salvation: justification, sanctification, and eternal glorification. 

    Key Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 15:3–4; Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21

  • We believe salvation is a gift of God’s grace, received through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone,  and not based on human merit. 

    Key Scriptures: Ephesians 2:8–9; Titus 3:5–7; John 3:16

  • We believe the Holy Spirit indwells all believers, transforming and empowering them for godly living and ministry. 

    Key Scriptures: Romans 8:9–11; Galatians 5:16–25; 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 

  • We believe in the visible, bodily return of Jesus Christ, the final judgment, the eternal joy of believers in God’s presence, and eternal punishment in hell for those without Christ.

    Key Scriptures: 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; 2 Thessalonians 1:7–10; Revelation 20:11–15

  • We believe that God created two biological sexes: male and female. Biblical marriage is a covenant between one man and one woman, and it is the only God-ordained context for sexual intimacy.  

    Key Scriptures: Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4–9; Romans 1:26–27; 1 Corinthians  6:9–11

  • We believe in a plurality of male elders (in our association, the lead pastor is an elder) providing spiritual oversight, doctrinal protection, and directional leadership in the local church.

    Key Scriptures: Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5–9; 1 Timothy 3:1–7; 1 Peter 5:1–4

Level 2: Secondary Doctrines

Important for Local Church Practice and Network Unity

  • We affirm the equal value, dignity, and gifting of men and women. We believe the Bible restricts the pastor/elder office and the authoritative preaching of God’s Word on behalf of the elders to qualified men. Women are gifted and called to lead, teach, and disciple under the authority of male elders.

    Key Scriptures: Genesis 1:27; 1 Timothy 2:12; 1 Timothy 3:1–7; Titus 2:3–5

  • We believe all the spiritual gifts mentioned in the New Testament continue today and should be pursued and practiced under the authority and sufficiency of Scripture. The gifts are given by the Holy Spirit for the building up of the body.

    Key Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 12–14; Romans 12:3–8; Ephesians 4:11–16

  • We practice believer’s baptism by immersion following conversion. We celebrate the Lord’s  Supper as a memorial act, recognizing the spiritual presence of Christ and renewing our covenant with Him. 

    Key Scriptures: Matthew 28:19–20; Acts 2:38–41; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26 

  • We affirm the future, personal, and physical return of Jesus Christ and the bodily resurrection of the dead. As a network, we hold a premillennial position, believing that Christ will return before a future millennial reign described in Revelation 20. While we affirm this as the best biblical interpretation, we acknowledge diversity among member churches regarding details of the second coming.

    Key Scriptures: Revelation 20:1–6; Matthew 24:29–31; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18

Level 3: Tertiary Issues 

Areas of Liberty, Conscience, and Local Context

  • These issues are not central to the gospel or the unity of our network. Churches and network leaders may hold different convictions in these areas without disrupting fellowship or mission.  We do not have official SAN positions on tertiary issues. We encourage all believers to approach tertiary matters with humility, grace, and a commitment to the unity of the body of  Christ. 

    Examples include: 

    • Views on the age of the Earth and creation timelines 

    • Political engagement and party alignment 

    • Bible translation preferences 

    • Philosophy of worship and music style 

    • Philosophy of education (public, private, homeschool) 

    • Alcohol use in moderation 

    • Observance of holidays or the church calendar 

    Key Scriptures: Genesis 1:27; 1 Timothy 2:12; 1 Timothy 3:1–7; Titus 2:3–5