For the Saving of Households on Humble Tank Road
In June 1996, Alan and Joy Clayton, along with two other couples, arrived in Conroe, Texas, with a shared vision: to establish a church for the saving of households. They took their name and their burden from Hebrews 11:7, "By faith Noah...prepared an ark for the saving of his household." Nearly three decades later, The Ark Church still gathers around that calling on a single campus at 450 Humble Tank Road, with easy access from the I-45 feeder, Gladstell Street, and Sgt Ed Holcomb Boulevard. The building sits between the ministries it has grown to house: a Main Auditorium, dedicated children's halls and auditoriums, a youth auditorium, classrooms, and a Missions Café. From the parking lot to the auditorium, friendly volunteers - called the Help Team - are positioned to greet guests, answer questions, and fast-track newcomers to the front row when their flashers are on.
The Ark is a Bible-believing, non-denominational church that is staff-led and board-accountable. The board oversees finances and major decisions, and provides accountability to the church leadership. The congregation draws from a wide mix of backgrounds, church experiences, and life stages, and the church's own literature is plain about its identity: anyone and everyone is welcome. While the church does not celebrate or affirm all lifestyles, it teaches that everyone is in the process of becoming more like Jesus, and welcomes people onto that journey. There is no formal membership process - if you consider The Ark to be your church, the church considers you family.
Three Sunday Services and a Wednesday Night
Worship services run on a four-day-a-week rhythm. Three identical Sunday services gather at 8:30 AM, 10:00 AM, and 11:30 AM, each lasting about one hour and featuring live worship and a biblical, down-to-earth message. The 8:30 AM service is designed for families who want to worship together, and only Ark Kids for birth through age two is available at that hour. The 10:00 AM and 11:30 AM services offer the full slate of programming for children, students, and adults with special needs. A Wednesday night service at 7:00 PM adds a little more teaching time for those who want to go deeper.
Spanish translation is offered in the Main Auditorium on Sunday at 10:00 AM and 11:30 AM, and on Wednesday at 7:00 PM - guests simply ask an usher for the equipment. American Sign Language interpretation is available during the 11:30 AM Sunday service. All adult services are live-streamed, and past services for adults, youth, and kids are available as podcasts and on YouTube. The dress code is "come as you are"; the only requirement is clothes that you're comfortable in.
Live For God, Grow Stronger, Make a Difference
The Ark's mission has been condensed into three short phrases that show up everywhere - on the website, in the lobby, and across printed materials: Live For God, Grow Stronger, Make a Difference. Live For God describes the church's central conviction that God desires an active, growing, personal relationship with each person, strengthened by engaging in a community of like-minded believers. Members find Bible-based teaching, powerful worship, and tools to help them connect with God. Grow Stronger describes the personal work of discipleship - the church offers help for overcoming obstacles, friends to grow with, and opportunities to nurture God-given gifts. Make a Difference describes the outflow: weekly service opportunities and seasonal outreaches throughout the year.
Each of these aims is supported by a wider network of ministries, groups, classes, and a mobile app (available on Apple and Google) that ties together sermons, devotionals, the events calendar, online giving, group registration, and personal prayer requests.
What The Ark Believes
The Ark teaches that the entire Bible is inspired, infallible, and without error (2 Timothy 3:16; Proverbs 30:5). The church believes in one God who exists in three distinct persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and confesses that God the Father is the Creator of the world, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God born of a virgin, that He lived a perfect life, died on the cross, rose again, is alive today, and will one day return, and that the Holy Spirit is continuing the work of Jesus upon the earth through the Church and a variety of spiritual gifts (1 John 5:7; Acts 2:38-39).
The church teaches that salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and His death, burial, and resurrection - a free gift available to anyone who believes and confesses with their mouth that Jesus is Lord, not a result of human effort (Romans 5:8-9; Romans 10:9-10). Every believer is called into a growing relationship with Jesus, becoming more like Him by obeying God's Word and yielding to the Holy Spirit (Philippians 3:12-13). Communion is observed regularly, taking bread and juice as an act of remembering Jesus' sacrifice, and is open to anyone who has said yes to following Jesus (1 Corinthians 11:24-25). Tithing - giving God the first ten percent of one's income through the local church - is taught as a biblical principle and a practical way to acknowledge God's place in a believer's life (Proverbs 3:9; Matthew 6:20).
Nine Defining Values
The church distills its culture into nine defining values: Come As You Are (John 3:17), a commitment to reaching people in all walks of life and spiritual conditions; Willing To Change (James 4:6), recognizing that growth requires it; Here To Bless (Acts 20:35), stretching out hands to improve the church, community, and world; Do Your Part (1 Peter 4:10), the conviction that everyone in God's kingdom has an active part to play; Bring Your Best (Colossians 3:17), because excellence honors God and inspires people; Create Great Environments (Matthew 25:20-21), offering appealing, engaging, helpful experiences; God's Word First (2 Timothy 3:16), holding the Bible as first and last word; Spirit Led (Acts 9:31), depending on the Holy Spirit for guidance; and More Like Jesus (1 John 2:6), the church's ultimate goal.
Ark Kids: From Babies Through Fifth Grade
Ark Kids partners with parents to connect children to Jesus, and the church's formula is short and memorable: Home + Church = Strong. The ministry covers three developmental stages: Baby (birth through age two), with developmentally leveled rooms where infants and toddlers experience love and care in a way that prepares them to receive the love of Jesus; Junior (age three through kindergarten), with self-contained classrooms for threes and a Junior Auditorium for four-year-olds and kindergarteners, filled with activities, music, and interactive lessons; and Elementary (first through fifth grade), where services are packed with biblical truths communicated in age-appropriate ways. Children's Pastor Ellen Moore leads a team of background-checked, specially trained staff and volunteers that includes Kids Ministry Directors Erica Boyd and Meagan Ludwig, Kids Area Leaders Chad Morris, Kiley Lane, and Maia Thompson, Associate Children's Pastor Dwayne Riner, Kids Project Manager Courtney Diaz, Kids Worship Director Hannah Ellis, ChildCare Area Leader Amy Davis, and Kids Administrator Gina Hector.
Every Ark Kids room uses a strict check-in and check-out process with matching parent security tags. All Ark Kids entrances and exits are manned and secured by solid, lockable doors, and every room is equipped with video surveillance. Toys are sanitized after every service in Baby, 2s, and 3s rooms, with weekly sanitization across all Ark Kids toys using a Zono disinfecting and sanitizing cabinet. There is a strong police presence throughout the building during every service. A Nursing Room in the Baby Hallway is reserved for nursing mothers. On Sunday, the Baby Hallway opens at 8:15 AM, and all other Ark Kids and Ark Youth areas open at 9:40 AM; on Wednesday, all Ark Kids and Ark Youth areas open at 6:30 PM. For safety and liability reasons, an adult at least 18 years old must remain on the premises for the duration of a child's time on campus.
Two recurring community programs extend the Kids ministry beyond the building. Playtime at the Park meets Mondays at 10:00 AM for parents and toddlers from birth through age five, and the church calendar also lists seasonal events like Fall Fest.
Ark Youth: Sixth Through Twelfth Grade
Ark Youth meets Sundays at 10:00 and 11:30 AM and Wednesdays at 7:00 PM, with the goal of creating a welcoming and engaging environment where students can experience God's love, find friendship and support, and be inspired to live for God. Wednesday is the main event: students hang out on the Patio before service, then gather for one hour of live worship before splitting into junior high and high school groups for age-appropriate messages. Doors open at 6:15 PM, the service begins at 7:00 PM, and pick-up is at 8:00 PM. Sunday services run from 10:00-11:00 AM and 11:30 AM-12:30 PM, with doors opening at 9:40 AM. On both days, services begin together for worship and then split into separate auditoriums for the message.
Youth Pastor Michael Clayton and Junior High Pastor Nate Boyd lead the team, supported by Youth Ministry Coordinators Elijah Washington, Erica Pack, and Jacob Tonne, Youth Worship leader Jacob Flores, Youth Administrator Nadia Clayton, and Youth Administrative Assistant Erin Ward. Vibe Nights - bigger, "funner" Wednesday nights with games, free food, and giveaways - are scheduled periodically as outreach events. Biblical Life Coaching is also available by appointment with a youth pastor or trained lay coach. The Ark Youth Convos podcast continues the conversation beyond the building, with recent episodes tackling questions students actually ask: "Where Is Your Focus?", "God in Public School", "How Far Is Too Far", and "Life Of A Student Rep."
Access: Special Needs Ministry
The Access ministry partners with parents to connect kids, teens, and adults with special needs to Jesus, creating smaller, specialized environments. Access Kids serves ages three through fifth grade on Sunday at 10:00 and 11:30 AM and Wednesday at 7:00 PM; Access serves teens and adults on Sunday mornings. Self-contained classrooms are filled with developmentally appropriate activities, music, and interactive lessons. A buddy system is available for those who would benefit from a one-on-one partnership with a trained volunteer, and an electronic, adjustable changing table is available for kids and adults who need it. Throughout the year, separate Parents' Night Out events give caregivers a respite while their participants enjoy a fun evening. The easiest access to the Special Needs area is through the South Lobby, where plenty of accessible parking spaces are available.
For guests with disabilities who don't need a specialized environment, the church provides wheelchair-accessible parking spaces and reserved wheelchair seating in the Main Auditorium. ASL Interpretation is available during the 11:30 AM Sunday service. Only ADA-certified service dogs wearing an official vest are allowed inside the building; while churches are exempt from Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act and are not required to admit any service or emotional support animal, this guideline is offered as a service to those in need.
Ark Groups: Friends You Can Grow With
Ark Groups is the church's umbrella for adult discipleship and community, with classes, activities, and groups designed to help adults meet new people and grow stronger in three directions: spiritually (deeper Bible engagement, applying spiritual truths, growing closer to God), relationally (making new friends and strengthening existing relationships), and in healing and recovery. Groups fall into seven categories:
- Bible Studies, in-person and online, for individuals building a strong foundation of faith (Ark Men, Ladies' Bible Study, Men's Morning Bible Study, Singles' Bible Study, Digging Deeper: Bible 365, Faith School, Understanding the Holy Spirit, and more).
- Marriage Groups - premarital and married couples' fellowship, including a Premarital Class and Married Life.
- Life Stage Groups - specialized groups addressing specific stages of life.
- Young Adult Groups - designed for ages 19 to 29 (Young Adults Bible Study, Young Adults Coffee Crawl, Young Adults Pickleball, Young Adults Run Club).
- Care Groups - centered on physical, emotional, and spiritual healing and recovery (Life's Healing Choices, Pathway to Freedom, Beyond Grief, Healing Hearts for widows, Veterans for Christ).
- Activity Groups - common-interest enrichment (Ark Golf, Ark Runners, Pickleball, Toastmasters, Writer's Collective, Summer at the Park, Business Leaders' Forum).
- On Demand Learning - online classes such as Baggage, Fruit Of The Spirit, Quiet Time, Growing In Marriage, The Power Of Your Words, The Mind Of The Spirit, How To Hear The Voice Of God, How To Study The Bible, and Better Together.
Most groups meet on campus; a few activity groups meet off-site in public places. There are no home groups. Groups follow Spring, Summer, and Fall semesters, and newcomers are welcome to begin attending at any point during the semester. Adults Pastor Derrick Thompson leads the ministry alongside Ark Groups Director Billy Smith, Associate Adults Pastor John Fernandez, Adults Administrator Ghia Thompson, and Adults Administrative Assistant Kimberly Smith.
Ark Care: Biblical Life Coaching, Visitation, and Care Groups
Ark Care provides individuals and couples with guidance, tools, and resources from God's Word to help them overcome life's challenges, in a safe and confidential environment. The ministry operates in three expressions. Biblical Life Coaching offers in-person and remote (video or phone) guidance to help people address challenges, hurts, and hang-ups; appointments typically last one hour and are available during office hours, Tuesday night, Wednesday night, and Sunday morning. Coaching is open to those in first grade and older who have attended The Ark for at least six months, and family coaching is available when appropriate. Visitation provides personal visits and prayer for shut-ins and those in hospitals or senior residence homes in the surrounding area. Care Groups are the Ark Groups track dedicated to physical, emotional, and spiritual healing and recovery. Pastoral Care is led by Norma Henneke, with Aaronda Ivery serving as Biblical Life Coach.
Serving: Ark Teams and Serve Day
The Ark calls its volunteer pathway Ark Teams, with two-and-thirty open positions across every area of church life: Ark Kids (Check-In, Birth-3 Years, 4 Years-Kindergarten, 1st-5th Grade, and Worship), Special Needs (3 Years-5th Grade and Teens & Adults), Ark Youth (Sunday, Wednesday, and Special Events), Ark Groups (Guest Experience and Leader), Biblical Life Coach, Chair Backs, Deaf Translation, Funeral Team, Help Team, Marriage Mentors, Medical Response Team, Missions Cafe, Parking Lot Team, Production (audio, video, and lighting), Senior Living Team, Spanish Translation, Ushers, and Visitation Team. The first step for any interested volunteer is Ark Teams Class - offered in-person or online as the course "VOL-101," taught by Penny Rogers - which introduces the heart of The Ark and the values of being an Ark Team Member.
Serve Day mobilizes the whole congregation three times a year to make a large one-day impact across Montgomery County, while Serve Day Plus offers smaller monthly projects for groups that want to make a difference on a regular basis. Recurring Serve Day Plus projects include Food Bank shifts (morning and evening), workdays at Armstrong Elementary, and Senior Shut-In Food Distribution. The Missions Café serves food and beverages on campus in a fast-paced, friendly environment, and every dollar of its profit is directed toward global missions.
Reaching Out: Local and Global
The Ark is committed to supporting both local and global missions. A portion of giving supports local organizations that minister to the disadvantaged, and more than ten percent of the church's annual income is allocated to global missions. Missionaries based out of the church include Les and Shanna Shannon with CandleRock International (widows and orphans in Uganda and India), Cindy Zuspan with CZ Asia (Thailand and Bhutan), Terry Thompson with Global Leadership Network Ministries, Ray and Cathi Croese with Joshua Ministry in Bukura, Kenya, Matt and Kelly Clayton with MCMI / Project Playground (building playgrounds in impoverished communities), and Jim and Peggy Eby with Mission Catalyst International. Additional missionaries supported include One for Israel, John and Jo Smith (serving in areas hostile to Christianity), Tony and Patsy Cameneti with Cameneti Ministries (Bible schools in Australia and New Guinea, orphanage in Nepal), Richard and Jeannene Sanderson with Children's Vision International in Colombia, Todd and Stephanie Presley with the ELI Project in Wales, Guine and Lisa Anderson with Harvest Now, Mike Roth with International Cooperating Ministries, Jerry and Jana Lackey with Lackey Ministries in Botswana, James and Patti Ah Kui with Uttermost Ministries in the South Pacific, Pastor Israel Pochtar with Voice of Judah Israel Ministries, Ben and Carmen Gil with Wings of Faith in Bolivia, and Daniel and Doina Matei with Worldwide Ministries in Romania.
Reach Pastor Anthony Rios leads the outreach team, with Missions Café Coordinator Sherry Howard and Volunteer Coordinator Penny Rogers.
Next Steps: Salvation, Baptism, Bible 365
The Ark teaches that salvation is the act of accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior - confessing sins, being forgiven and made new in the heart, believing that Jesus is the living Son of God, and choosing to make God the leader of one's life. New believers are invited to download the Yes! booklet, a three-week devotional that walks through what it means to follow Jesus, and the church's prayer team commits to pray for every new and returning believer for a year.
Water Baptism is offered as a public expression of what God has done in the life of a believer, symbolizing death to sin and rebirth as a new creation in Jesus. Baptism is performed by immersion in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and is open to anyone who has said yes to following Jesus (the recommended age is seven and up to ensure understanding). The church offers three baptism tracks: Family Baptism for adults and families (ages 7 and up), Ark Youth Baptism for students in grades 6 through 12, and Kids Baptism for grades 1 through 5. Re-baptism is welcome for those who were too young to remember their first baptism or who are rededicating their lives to Christ. Child Dedication is a separate rite in which parents publicly commit to raising their children in a way that honors the Lord; it is not required for a child to go to Heaven and is not a substitute for personal faith.
Bible 365 is the church's daily Bible-reading plan, available in two versions: Bible 365 for reading the New Testament in a year, and Bible 365+ for reading the entire Bible in a year. Each day's reading is paired with a personal devotion from Senior Pastor Alan. Additional devotionals include Ark Kids At Home (simple weekly conversations to strengthen family faith) and Healing Class (encouragement for growing faith in the area of healing).
Weddings at The Ark
The Ark celebrates the start of marriages with three ceremony options: an Express Ceremony for couples seeking a simple, intimate event with a limited guest list; an On-Campus Ceremony for church attenders who want to marry in their church home, with two locations available for rent on Friday or Saturday; and an Off-Campus Ceremony with an Ark pastor officiating at a location of the couple's choosing. Either the bride, the groom, or one parent must attend The Ark. Couples can write their own vows, pick the music (subject to approval), and even earn a discount on a Texas marriage license through the church's pre-marital classes. Weddings are coordinated by Hospitality Coordinator Staci Riner and Administrative Assistant to the Senior Pastor Wilma Hector.
Giving
The Ark teaches tithing as a biblical principle and offers giving in five ways: in person (dropping a gift in one of the offering boxes at the back of the Main Auditorium), online through the church's secure giving platform, by text to 936-249-1007, by mail to the church's physical address or PO Box, by transfer of appreciated stock (instructions handled through Woodforest Wealth Strategies), and by crypto donation through a giving partner. Designated funds include General Tithing, All Aboard (Building Fund), Outreach Offering, General Missions, and over a dozen specific missionary partners around the world. The Ark Church is an official 501(c)(3) non-profit, and contribution statements are available online through the My Giving portal.
The Pastoral Team
The Ark's leadership team is led by Senior Pastor Alan Clayton, who co-founded the church with his wife Joy in 1996. The pastoral staff includes Executive Pastor Phillip Moore, Connections Pastor Adam Hoppe, Adults Pastor Derrick Thompson (with associate John Fernandez), Children's Pastor Ellen Moore (with associate Dwayne Riner), Youth Pastor Michael Clayton, Junior High Pastor Nate Boyd, Reach Pastor Anthony Rios, Media Pastor Matt Clayton, Production Pastor Chris Allgood, and Worship Director Tony Jasso. Operations Administrator Jodie Hart oversees the operational side of the ministry. Two of Alan and Joy's sons serve on staff - Matt in media and Michael with youth - and the family imprint is one of the visible threads of the church's three-decade story. Office hours run Monday through Thursday, and the church office can be reached at (936) 756-1988 or info@thearkchurch.com.