In June 2015, Rodrigo and Kelly Cruz began to hear God’s call to start a church in Gwinnett County, a community that has been called the most diverse county in the Southeastern United States. After 6 months and research and prayer, the church found its first home on the campus of Parkview High School in Lilburn, Georgia.

When deciding what to call the church, Rodrigo didn't just want a regionally specific name like First United Methodist Church of Lilburn. "We wanted to be all-inclusive. God was calling us to minister to more than just Lilburn. Kelly really came up with the name, saying that when we cast a net into the water, we don't get to pick and choose what kind of fish we catch. It's the same with the people we connect to within our community. Our neighbors are black, white, Hispanic, Asian, and so much more. We want to reach out to absolutely everybody, and our vision is to enable nations to experience transformation together." The Nett name was chosen, with the additional “t” added to represent Gwinnett.

In August of 2017 a prayer was answered and the DNA and leadership of The Nett Church was brought to the campus of Berkmar United Methodist Church in Lilburn, creating The Nett Church: Berkmar Campus. Property renovations began immediately and drew the attention of not only the church community but the local community as well. Each Sunday, more and more families from surrounding neighborhoods gathered at The Nett Church to hear the vision of a community that welcomes and embraces people from all kinds of ethnic, socio-economic, and cultural backgrounds. The team at The Nett continued to drive the mission for a church without borders through weekly worship, small group discipleship, and our very special Mission Sundays, mornings dedicated to closing the church doors and going out into the community to serve and love others.

One year later the growth of The Nett continued and in the summer of 2018 the DNA and
leadership of The Nett Church expanded to the campus of Bethesda United Methodist
Church in Lawrenceville, creating a second campus named The Nett Church: Bethesda
Campus. The uniqueness and beauty of this campus created an opportunity for The Nett to
find a creative way to contextualize their DNA into a more traditional setting. Therefore, by
embracing the rich legacy of what was the oldest Methodist Church in Gwinnett County, and
injecting a missional DNA, this campus continues to be a place where Nations Experience
Transformation Together through sports programs, a preschool and a traditional worship
service that connects with people from a high church background from all over the world.

In January of 2019, The Nett Church acquired the facilities formerly known as John Wesley United Methodist Church on Jimmy Carter Boulevard in Norcross, Georgia. Soon after, Nett Church Works, a registered 501(c)3, and the “Nettwork Campus” were launched in order to repurpose the former church property to address the needs and leverage assets of the Norcross community. Our strategy is to create a portfolio of programs and ministries using strategic partnerships with public, private, and faith- based organizations, and ultimately strengthening the emotional, social, and spiritual vitality within the community. Currently, one of our partnerships is with HomeFirst Gwinnett (an initiative of Gwinnett County) to provide the only emergency shelter space in Gwinnett for women and children experiencing homelessness, as well as the county’s first coordinated entry system to address homelessness. In addition, we have summer
arts camp for youth, a community garden, a laundry facility, a computer center, soccer programs and other ministry opportunities to engage with the surrounding community.

In the summer of 2021 (after taking a break because of Covid), the opportunity for us to continue to reach Gwinnett County one zip code at the time has presented. So, we acquire the facilities of what it used to be The Korean Church of Norcross and have begun the renovations of a campus located right at the heart of the city of Norcross. The dreams, hopes and plans for the repurposing of this historical building have begun, and as we continue to listen and engage with our new neighbors, we are excited to see where God leads this campus as we work towards the development of a community that is based on the assets of its members.