Austin House of Prayer is a small community of Christians living out the 24/7 prayer & reconciliation they wish to see throughout the city of Austin.
The vision of ABBA is that of a connected body of Christ in a transformed Austin. Their mission is to help leaders build alliances that better fulfill the Great Commission and the Great Commandment-Love One another. ABBA connects with churches and organizations to facilitate cooperation between the caring entities of Austin to solve problems.
Bill Glass Champions for Life is a ministry to those in prisons around the United States. However, they have an equal focus on assisting churches in igniting Christians to share their faith. The ministry puts a heavy reliance on the use of volunteer "Teammates." With a very small group of employed staff members, Champions for Life equips and empowers many thousands of teammates each year to be witnesses (evangelists) and provides the environments for them to practice their skills for Christ. For a period of two or three days, teammates are trained and released into prisons to witness to prisoners. Both teammates and inmates are affected spiritually during a Weekend of Champions. Contact:
CNS's vision is to create healthy, vibrant communities transformed and sustained by the presence and power of God, one block at a time. This holistic community renewal ministry is currently working in the St. John neighborhood in northeast Austin. Their Mission is practical transformation of communities through Incarnational Christian ministries of Word and Deed by building relationships and providing services that address the physical, social and spiritual needs of the individual and the wider community. Their strategic approach to community renewal is anchored in establishing, deepening and expanding a systematic network of mutually enhancing relationships within the St. John Community: between neighbors and neighbors, between neighbors and institutions, and across the broader Austin community.
Volunteer Opportunities: mentoring elementary, middle, and high school students, teaching Bible-based classes at CNS's after-school program called Smart Start, working on clean-up or building projects, helping with their VBS summer camp in June, or any creative uses of your gifts and skills.
Contact:
ECDC has been in operation for almost 30 years. It serves as a child care center for preschool children of low-income families in its East Austin Neighborhood. It continues to serve these children once they begin public school in an after school program. WHPC has a long history with the center. WHPC members sit on their board of directors and WHPC volunteers provide a week-long Bible School every summer.
Volunteer Opportunities: include mentoring or tutoring a child from Sanchez Elementary; reading or providing craft activities to the preschool children; establishing contacts between El Buen children and scout troops or other children’s organizations you may be involved in.
Contact:
FCA uses the medium of sports to impact the world for Christ. FCA is the largest interdenominational, school-based, Christian sports organization in the U.S. It aims for Christian fellowship, outreach, and leadership development for youth. At the school level, an athletic coach volunteers to be a local FCA chapter sponsor. The group, which meets at school or in a home, is led by student officers. FCA educational materials and representatives minister to both adults and students. In the WHPC area, there are chapters at Westlake High School, West Ridge Middle School, Hill Country Middle School, and in the Lake Travis ISD.
Feed My People--Homeless Breakfast Program (FMP)
The Homeless Breakfast Program was started by members of the Westbank Women's Bible Study in 1986. It was the first program of Foundation for the Homeless and was held weekly in WHPC's Fellowship Hall until 2000. That year it moved downtown to First United Methodist Church to increase its availability to the homeless population it serves. Every Tuesday and Thursday, over 250 homeless people are fed a substantial breakfast. They are also offered the opportunity to take a shower, get a free haircut, or pick up some needed items of clothing. Area churches take turns as hosts.
WHPC hosts the third Tuesday of the month, from 5:00-7:00AM.
Volunteer Opportunities: cooking or serving breakfast, helping in the clothes closet, or giving a Bible lesson and praying with the clients.
Contact: WHPC church office, 327-1116
FFH assists Austin individuals and families in their work toward a self-sufficient lifestyle. FFH was organized as a non-profit in 1989. It is an out-growth of an earlier WHPC local mission called the ‘Second Street Ministry.’ FFH is committed to organizing the resources of the community of faith to alleviate homelessness in a spirit of compassion, hope and love. Along with financial support,
WHPC is greatly involved through volunteer support with two FFH programs, Interfaith Hospitality Network [IHN] and Feed My People [FMP].
God of Hope Ministries seeks to provide hope to prison inmates through prayer, evangelism, mentoring/discipleship, transitional assistance and biblically-based teaching and counseling. The program is currently working in the Travis State Jail with men and starting up at the Lockhart Prison for women. This is a high-impact ministry, Inmates volunteer to live in a specific dorm for discipleship training during an intense 24/7 six-month Christian ‘boot camp.’ Prayer and classes taught by volunteers fill up their days.
Danny is serving along with his wife Gretchen as campus ministers with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at Alvernia University in Reading, PA. They are working together to create a space for students to grow deeply in love with Jesus during their time in college. God has given them a strong passion to spread the gospel on Alvernia’s campus and to build a fellowship that welcomes students of many different backgrounds to follow Jesus and to invite their fellow students to come to God along with them.
Habitat for Humanity builds low-cost housing for first time home buyers. Eventual owners provide ‘sweat equity’ in construction services for their own house and houses of others. WHPC collaborates with other churches on a faith build yearly, providing partial financing, construction volunteers and lunches for the crew.
Volunteer opportunities: Carpenters, painters, plumbers, electricians, contractors, as well as unskilled laborers, are always needed. You can also organize a group to provide a lunch for the construction crew.
Contact:
Cliff Holubec is a missionary to International Graduate Students on the campus of University of Texas. Cliff’s ministers to students in a variety of practical and spiritual ways, including a furniture loan closet, get-acquainted activities with newly arrived students, and weekly English conversation and Bible Study classes.
Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN)
IHN is a national program that provides temporary housing and meals to homeless families for about 3 months. During this time, they look for homes and/or jobs as they seek to put their lives back together. In Austin, it is administered by Foundation for the Homeless, an organization founded almost 20 years ago by WHPC members. Three or four families move weekly between different churches in a network.
WHPC hosts families for a week, four times a year. The families stay at the church in Sunday school rooms that have been specially prepared as living/sleeping quarters for them. They are at the church from 6:00 pm to 6:15 am daily. With the help of the counseling staff at Foundation for the Homeless, the families spend their day-time hours searching for jobs and housing. Weekends are spent at the church.
Volunteer opportunities: include evening hosts (5:30-8:00pm), overnight hosts (8:00pm-6:00am), Saturday hosts (2-3 hour shifts during the day), evening meals, shopping, and set-up and take-down (approximately 2 hours on Sunday). Training sessions for new volunteers are held before each IHN week.
Every year the world comes to our doorstep! Over 4,000 international students attend The University of Texas. The International Friends Ministry provides opportunities to connect with these students and introduce them to Christ.
WHPC partners with on-campus organizations throughout the year, participating in events as hosts, cooks, or as English speaking friends to introduce students to the culture of the United States.
Contact:
Literally translated as "Hands of Christ," Manos de Cristo is a Presbyterian outreach program caring for the body, mind and spirit. Manos is a bilingual, not for profit mission organization in Austin dedicated to serving those in need. Manos serves new immigrants, the homeless, refugees, ex-offenders, the elderly, and the working poor through the following programs: dental clinic, clothes closet, food pantry, English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, citizenship classes, and computer literacy classes. Each July, local Presbyterian churches coordinate the Back-to-School event at Manos. Back-to-School provides school supplies, clothes, backpacks, Bible stories, and love to about 1500 children each year.
Volunteer opportunties - ESL classes - Volunteers are given special materials to teach English at Manos de Cristo. Morning and evening classes are offered and each teacher handles one session per week (2 hours). You need not be bilingual.
Food Pantry - Volunteers work two hours per month sacking groceries for those in need. Manos de Cristo gives each client family enough food for several days to tide them over in an emergency.
Other - gifts of time in any amount, with all training provided.
Donations needed - Food Pantry - canned tomatoes, carrots, peas, salmon (not tuna),other meats, flour, sugar, dry milk, breakfast cereal (low sugar), peanut butter and jelly. Please leave your donations in the Food Pantry basket downstairs by the Children’s lower lobby doors or in the Food Pantry cabinet located outside the Parlor near the library.
Mission 911 is a faith-based ministry that serves the homeless community of Corpus Christi, Texas. Mission 911 provides apartment housing, spiritual support, and hope for the homeless. The apartment model allows for a family feeling, often missing among the homeless. Mission 911 provides basic material needs, transportation, and opportunities to learn and use a skill. It also provides a positive Christian environment that develops self worth and teaches about God's grace. Daily Bible studies, 12 step groups, and an on-site chapel put the focus on God as the agent of change and growth.
WHPC youth and adults have participated annually in short term mission trips to Mission 911 and with spiritual programs.
Volunteer Opportunities: pray for the residents and those who are dedicated to helping them change their lives, financial support, and short term mission trips to Mission 911 to provide clothing, supplies, technical assistance, building or maintenance skills, or short-term Bible studies for the residents.
Contact:
Multicultural Refugee Coalition www.mrcaustin.org
A ministry from refugee families to serve other refugees, Multicultural Refugee Coalition’s mission is to empower refugees towards self-sufficiency through education, community and reconciliation. Our current programs include driver’s education, computer literacy, job skills and sewing.
Contact: Sarah Stranahan,
sstranahan@austin.rr.com
PFR is a validated mission agency of the Presbyterian Church USA. Its mission is to seek to conform lives and beliefs to the Word of God and to participate in God’s renewing, transforming work in the Presbyterian Church.
Through our congregation’s support, WHPC provides scholarships in two significant areas.
The PFR Youth ministry seeks to introduce young people to Jesus Christ and help them to become faithful disciples. This is accomplished by camps, conferences, mission trips, and a variety of other programs.
WHPC’s scholarship giving provides funding for youth attending Fun in the Son and Great Escape events.
The Wee Kirk Ministry is to renew pastors and elders of our smallest PC(USA) churches. These leaders are provided scholarships to attend regional conferences.
Each year, WHPC provides two pastoral scholarships to the Mid America Wee Kirk Conference.
PCHAS began in 1903 as a Presbyterian orphanage in Dallas. Since then it has been providing Christ-centered services to children and families in need who have no place else to turn. Over the years, this legacy of hope and healing has expanded to meet the changing needs of children and families in crisis. Today it provides foster group homes, therapeutic foster homes, foster family support, and other services to children as well as family preservation programs to help families in need. They have homes and program locations throughout Texas. Two foster group homes are located in Austin--one for girls and one for boys. PCHAS’ central office is located on Bee Caves Road.
Volunteer Opportunities: mentoring children (a current need is for young professional women as mentors), tutoring in school subjects or on a musical instrument, transportation to special programs, houseparent support, office help in the main office on Bee Caves Road, providing parties, or invitations to any family-type activity that you think the girls might enjoy!
Contact:
The Presbyterian Pan American School is a fully accredited residential college-preparatory school, grounded in Christian principles, for young people from the Americas and beyond. The school is located 5 miles south of Kingsville, Texas. The 670 acre campus is located on land originally given by Mrs. Henrietta King, wife of the founder of the King Ranch. Presbyterian Pan American School was formed in 1956 when the Texas-Mexican Industrial Institute for young men (founded in Kingsville in 1912) and the Presbyterian School for Mexican Girls (founded 1924 in Taft, TX) became a coeducational school on the present campus.
Volunteer opportunities: sponsoring students, financial donations to the school, and Mission Work Groups which perform various tasks on the campus for a weekend or longer.
Contact:
Prison Fellowship partners with local churches across the country to minister to a group that society often neglects: prisoners, ex-prisoners, and their families. Prison Fellowship believes that crime is primarily rooted in moral and spiritual brokenness; therefore, the best solution to crime begins with changing people’s hearts. The Prison Fellowship Mission is to exhort, equip, and assist the Church in its ministry to prisoners, ex-prisoners, victims, and their families and in its promotion of biblical standards of justice in the criminal justice system.
Often overlooked among the innocent victims of crime are the two million children of prisoners who suffer loneliness, shame, ridicule, and financial deprivation when mom or dad is in prison. WHPC also is an annual participant in the Prison Fellowship Angel Tree Christmas Gift program for children of incarcerated parents.
Angel Tree Contact:
WHPC is fortunate to have an enriching connection with international refugees arriving and living in Austin. Begun as a class to prepare for the GED and advancement through schooling and better employment, the ministry has grown to affording help and counseling around issues of daily life in the United States.
Contact:
Reyes, Tony—missionary at Mission 911
The Reyes family founded Mission 911 and continues to direct its activities.
The Samaritan Center for Pastoral Counseling and Care is an ecumenical center associated with the Samaritan Institute. Funds and volunteer efforts directed to the center support the availability of quality mental health services and spiritual direction for clients, regardless of their ability to pay.
South Austin Pregnancy Resource Center www.saprc.org
SAPRC exists to build personal relationships and change lives in Jesus’ name. At Austin PRC, all of our services are free, completely confidential and designed with a mother in mind. We offer many opportunities for expecting mothers to prepare themselves physically, emotionally and spiritually for the birth of a child. At the same time, mothers receive the encouragement, friendship and support that is needed during this difficult time! Special care and support is available for women considering the loving option of adoption. Other services include: Childbirth Classes, Newborn Care and Parenting Classes, Life Skills Classes, Financial Planning Classes, Computer Skills Classes, and Bible Studies.
Volunteer Opportunities: Opportunities for WHPC members include, but not limited to: Prayer, volunteering (myriad of opportunities from working with clients, conducting bible study, answering the phone, organizing, maintaining the building, maintain landscaping, etc.), fundraising, material donations.
TROM provides Christian transitional housing for former inmates. TROM strives to provide a structured and Christ-centered living environment that promotes spiritual growth and discipleship for Christian ex-offenders; an environment where the love of Jesus Christ abounds. By applying Biblical truths to address real-life challenges, residents learn to address their problems through relationships with mentors. Residents attend two structured meetings each week on topics such as Life Application Bible studies, Life Skills Management, Improving Communication Skills, Job Readiness Training, and Problem Solving. All residents are required to attend a church of their choice weekly.
Donation needs: clothing for residents, household articles, and financial donations.
Contact:
Volunteer Opportunities: one-to-one mentoring/ befriending of residents, leading Bible Studies, training in job skills or job-search skills, office help, handyman help, transportation, and prayer support.
A non-profit 501(c)(3) organization established to provide support services that enhance the independence and quality of life for older adults in the Southwest Austin area. Southwest Austin Caregivers is part of a coalition of interfaith congregations with the goal to offer a wide range of volunteer services to ambulatory older adults (60+) within the community. Southwest Austin Caregivers is one of ten Faith in Action Caregivers programs within the greater Austin and the surrounding community areas that serve older adults. Home-based and community-based services to older adults, many with long-term health needs and challenges that limit their mobility, are provided at no charge. No one is excluded from services for financial reasons. Southwest Austin Caregivers provides support care to seniors living within a geographical area circumscribed by ZIP codes 78746, 78733, 78735, and only partial coverage at this time within the 78738 ZIP code.
Volunteer Opportunities: Drivers, Office Assistant/Support, Handyman Services, Friendly Visitors and Telephone Reassurance.
The Gathering is a once a week respite program for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other similar dementias who are being cared for at home by family members. It is designed to provide the person with Alzheimer’s a chance to socialize in a warm and loving atmosphere and to offer the care-giver four hours a week of time for other things. Activities are designed to keep the participants busy in meaningful and dignified ways.
Contact:
Young Life is a Christian outreach program to youth. Young Life works to come alongside a teenager in a unique and adventurous way in the hopes of joining that teen in taking an honest look at Jesus Christ.
