News

Community Action Network Meeting

Would you like to know more about effective mentoring? Or how other churches, businesses and organizations across Houston are partnering with schools? Come learn more about Mission Houston and their Whole and Healthy Children Initiative at the upcoming CAN meeting.

Book Recommendation

This month we’d like to refer back to a book we recommended several months ago entitled When Helping Hurts. Have you ever wondered if what you’re doing is really helping? Is our outreach doing more harm than good?  To ourselves as much as to those we want to help? This book moves from foundational concepts about poverty (Who are the poor?), to principles (Should we do relief, rehabilitation, or development?), to strategies (How can we help the poor domestically?) When Helping Hurts guides you toward a true understanding of poverty and a plan to make a difference.

The Bridge/El Puente After-School Program

There are two amazing ways to get involved with MCF's after-school program. One is sharing your profession, talents or passion on Fridays and we can  always use more volunteers from 3:30 to 5pm for snack, praise & worship, and recreation time. Or from 5:00 to 6:30 for homework help. The time commitment for homework help could be for as long as 1.5 hours or as short as 30 minutes. If interested, please contact Carmen Donaldson at 281.798.5876 carmen.donaldson@missioncyfair.org.

THANK YOU!

To all of you who participated with us at this year’s Winter Wonderland! It was a huge success with 200 plus residents of The Lake and Timberwalk apartment complexes who enjoyed face painting, snow, crafts, a toy raffle, and pictures with Santa. It could not have happened without the help and support of our volunteers and local businesses. You have been a big part of showing Jesus to our neighbors.

ESL Classes

Our classes are gaining momentum and in October we added a 30-minute Bible study component to the end of the classes. 

This is a great opportunity for students to gain community service hours or a small group to get involved. Anyone interested in helping with the ESL classes, bible study, or helping with students children during classes should contact Rita Ross at 281.855.0151 or rita.ross@missioncyfair.org 

Community Prayer Group

The weekly Cy-Fair area community prayer group has changed its meeting location and would love to have you attend. We spend time each week praying for the Cy-Fair community.

Loving Your Neighbor Prayer Tours

A Prayer Tour is a means of introducing small groups, businesses or organizations to see several specific needs of the Cy-Fair and how they can connect to the community. Through extensive research, we have identified 5 specific areas of need and we drive your group to sites representative of each of those needs. We discuss each area with you and how your group can get involved. This is a great experience for all ages especially youth! If you are interested in scheduling a prayer tour contact Stan Stevenson at 713.826.6816 or stan.stevenson@missioncyfair.org.

MCF Ministry Collaborators Upcoming Events

Redeemed Ministries Upcoming Orientations for New and Returning Volunteers The next orientation meetings are scheduled for Saturday, January 14: 8:00am-10:00am  New Volunteers Orientation 9:00am-10:00am  Individual Team Meetings 10:00am-11:00am  All Volunteers General Meeting The meeting location is First Baptist Church, Room 143;  7401 Katy Freeway;  Houston 77024 For additional information please contact Laura Gedeon at laura.gedeon@missioncyfair.org.

Cy-Fair ISD Mentoring Training Schedule
A  mentor is a suitable role model committed to serve as a guide and  a friend while helping a student with his/her educational and personal development. CFISD asks for a commitment of approximately one hour a week for a school year. You’ll meet only on campus and only during school hours. To reserve your seat and materials, please send an email with your name and the date of the training to  vipsrsvp@cfisd.net. Reservations are required.

IFI Prison Mentoring Ministry

Over the next several months a number of inmates that Daniel De Jesus is currently mentoring are due to be released from the Carol Vance and Jester 3 Units and will be reentering society. They have been involved in an 18-month program designed to help their re-entry into society be as seamless as possible. However, there are ways we can help them in this process. These guys will be staying in a half-way house and will be trying to find employment. They will need work clothes, shoes, underwear, toiletries, and canned food among other items. Daniel has suggested donations be in the form of a Walmart gift card. This will allow the men to purchase items that they need in the proper size and appropriate for their specific need. Please keep these men in your prayers as they transition. If you are a member of a small group that would like to partner with one or more of these men in their journey you can contact Daniel De Jesus at 281.352.2894 or onlyonelovejc@gmail.com.

Islamic Awareness Seminar
Do you have a Muslim co-worker or neighbor? How do we share the Gospel with those in the Islamic Community? The Muslim  Awareness Seminar is designed to give a background understanding of Islam and to begin the training process of sharing Christ with our Muslim neighbors.

This seminar will be held Saturday, January 21 from 8:00am-3:00pm at Sugar Creek Baptist Church, 13333 Southwest Freeway, Sugar Land, TX 77478. Cost for the Seminar is $20 which includes materials, a resource guide, and lunch. The seminar will be lead by Dr. Todd Bradley, a retired colonel from the USAF and current Associate Professor of World Missions and Intercultural Studies for Dallas Theological Seminary-Houston Campus. The following topics will be covered:

• Islam 101
• Honor & Shame cultures
• How  to engage with the Gospel

Registration will only be taken on-line. Click here to register. Space is limited to 75 participants.

Free the Captives
Free the Captives is a Houston organization working to fight human trafficking in the Houston area.  They are accepting volunteer applications until January 31 for an intensive spring training for women interested in volunteering to work with victims of human trafficking.  For more information and to register for the training, and for an application please email info@freethecaptiveshouston.com.

Free the Captives 2nd Annual Houston Human Trafficking Conference will be held February 18, Saturday, at Houston First Baptist Church, 7401 Katy Freeway, Houston, 77024. Early registration is available online until February 1 for $20.00. Come and hear this year’s new conference speakers discuss the latest anti-human trafficking work that is being done in Houston and around the world.  Space is limited, so reserve your space today, info@freethecaptiveshouston.com.

Shield Bearer
This area counseling service is offering the following services in January.

Crucible Project Men’s Weekend: The January event is scheduled for the 26th-28th, but is already full so please call 281.894.7222 for future weekends.

In addition, their Christian Growth Family Ministries outreach,  is hosting a free event on January 21 from 8:30am-5:30pm at 17440 FM 529, Ste 111A, Houston, 77095.  “Arguing about money, parenting, in-laws, chores, sex, etc.?  Invest a day for the marriage of a lifetime.”  Registration is required and space is limited so call 713.867.7764. For more information, visit www.FightingForHearts.org.