Mission Houston was birthed in 1997 by dreamers. They believed that the One who taught us to pray “Your Kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” and who Himself prayed “Father, I ask that they would be one, even as You and I are one” would answer those prayers. And so they dreamed of the day when …
- the members of the Body of Christ in Houston would be united, in spite of and across racial and cultural differences and theological distinctives
- our city would experience widespread spiritual and social and economic vitality because the healing, liberating presence and power of God they were asking for in prayer would be intertwined with the selfless and sustained works of Christ-followers on behalf of Houston and its residents.
LaShondra is a third grader living with her great aunt. She’s never known her mother or father, and has only distant memories of a grandmother who was a crack addict before she died. LaShondra revealed recently that she has become a dreamer – not of becoming the next Beyonce or J Lo, but of becoming a teacher, and a youth league basketball coach. She has the courage to dream, she said, because “my mentor told me she would be there at my high school and college graduation.”
Five years ago the Mission Houston staff and Board spoke of a dream we sensed originated in the heart of God, where every neighborhood, school and community of greater Houston was producing whole and healthy children. In 2006 we gave our word, in launching the Whole & Healthy Children Initiative, that we would put on work clothes in order to follow and cooperate with Him in making that dream come true. We invited fellow dreamers to join us as volunteers in the public schools – specifically as mentors and tutors, as work crews providing campus revitalizations, and as friends of local schools where our love for the staff and hopes for the students would compel us to fervent prayer on their behalf.
Today in 8 public school districts there are multiple congregations collaborating in mentoring and tutoring investments in schools and in kids like LaShondra. There are also multiple congregations sharing in after-school efforts in 6 neighborhoods, and in 7 schools. These are simply the collaborative ministries with kids and schools. In addition, there are dozens of congregations who though not yet partnering with other congregations caught the vision and have adopted local schools. Just this year, in June we helped birth a brand new expression of our “work clothes on” commitment. For Houston’s Kids is a growing collaborative network of organizations (including Mission Houston) and individuals who already provide much needed services to kids from age 0 to 19. The goals include fostering a movement that greatly multiplies the number of volunteers who are changing the trajectory of the lives of at-risk kids. For Houston’s Kids is almost ready to launch a website that provides a one-stop location for volunteers all over the city to find serving opportunities that fit their passion and schedule, and will enrich the lives of kids in desperately needed ways.
Four years ago we had a dream of hundreds of teams in neighborhoods and workplaces at work to restore shalom to every segment of our city. The dream led the Mission Houston staff to launch Faithwalking in October 2007. Faithwalking is a multi-tiered process for creating disciples of Jesus who effectively connect Christ-followers to be on mission together in neighborhoods and workplaces. From 13 participants at the initial Faithwalking 101 retreat, there are now 341 persons who have completed Faithwalking 101, and 155 who have completed Faithwalking 201, and 43 who have completed Faithwalking 301, and 13 will complete our first Faithwalking 401 seminar series in December. Of these “graduates,” over 40 have made commitments to help birth “missional communities.” And there are now over 25 missional community teams that include over 100 others who have engaged the Faithwalking process that are in various stages of development and are making a difference serving in and through schools and neighborhoods and corporate offices.
Your prayers, encouragement, and financial support have made possible this verifiable evidence of changed lives, of a Church moving towards unity, and of a city experiencing Life. Thank you for standing with us in the past. And thank you, on behalf of myself and our staff and Board, for prayerfully and financially standing with us in 2012 and into a future filled with hope.
Willing to dream God’s dreams for His Church and our city,
Steve Capper
Managing Director
Mission Houston
