Steve Blake moved to Austin with a goal of creating something that’s hard to find: an urban, multiethnic Christian church that appeals to people disillusioned with traditional church models.

But with no previous experience starting a church, lots of money to raise and no team to back him up, starting a church from the ground up would be one of the biggest challenges of his life.

Others were counting on this dream, too. His wife, two young children and mother-in-law also left the lives they knew behind to begin this chapter.

“Some days, I’m like, ‘This is amazing,’ ” Blake said. “And other days I wake up overwhelmed, because the clock is ticking. Is this going to work?”

About the Author

Featured

University of Georgia students are seen entering and leaving the main Library on the Athens campus on Monday, Sept. 8, 2025. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez