Outreach
Welcome and Ministries

For more information, contact: Jacque Roberts Outreach robertsjacqueline@att.net Christ Church supports a variety of Christian organizations whose missions are to minister to those in different need circumstances. While each organization targets a different group - elderly, homeless, special needs children, women just released from prison, etc. - the unifying factor is to follow Jesus‚ example and share what we have with others. The face of Christ Church is known in our community by our support of reaching out to others, to help where we can find ways to help. We see living Christ as well as preaching Christ to be our Christian imperative. Christ Episcopal Outreach Ministries welcomes volunteers, but be prepared to receive a much greater joy, purpose and satisfaction in your life!

Outreach Photo Gallery

Outreach Ministries Supported by Christ Episcopal Church

ALPHA HOME – To provide spiritually-based substance abuse treatment and support to women and their families in order to prepare tem to become more productive members of society. They offer spirituality, counseling, prevention resources and interactive education in a safe, compassionate home environment by a team of dedicated staff and volunteers. www.alphahome.org

ANY BABY CAN – To serve families with children facing serious health or developmental challenges. Donation by CEC will be used for the crisis fund that provides prescription medication assistance. www.anybabycansa.org

BEXAR COUNTY DETENTION MINISTRIES - To strengthen families and promote a safer community by providing educational, social and religious services including pastoral care and counseling; to facilitate the transformation of incarcerated adult and juvenile offenders into productive individuals with new direction and meaning to their lives; to assist in the successful reintegration from incarceration back into society; and to empower families of at-risk neighbors in the Five Points area with life skills necessary for lawful existence. www.bcdm.org

CASA (Child Advocates San Antonio) - To improve the lives of abused and neglected children through court-appointed volunteers advocating for services and placement in safe and permanent homes by recruiting and training community volunteers who complete 33 hours of initial training and are sworn in by a judge to become court-appointed advocates for children who have been removed from their homes.
www.casa-satx.org

CEC HOSPITALITY PANTRY - To serve those in need that live within a 2-mile radius of our church campus. Groceries are distributed on Saturday mornings to hundreds of families each month.

CHRIST HEALING CENTER – To provide a safe environment for people to receive God’s healing through Jesus Christ in mind, body, and spirit. It is an inter-denominational ministry composed of volunteer lay and ordained ministers dedicated to the healing of hurting people in San Antonio and the surrounding area through healing prayer, training, and pastoral support. www.christhealingcenter.org

CHRISTIAN ASSISTANCE MINISTRY – To organize and to operate exclusively for the charitable purpose of maintaining for the religious community of Bexar County, a cooperative ministry of assistance to those in crisis situations. Request for funds will be used for photo ID cards, birth certificates, medical, utility assistance, rental assistance, bus tickets, and work supplies. www.christianassistanceministry.org

DAILY BREAD MINISTRIES- Is the catalyst that mobilizes the community to share resources and training to assist those in poverty and need through direct and effective personal assistance that attacks the underlying problems of generational poverty. www.dailybreadministries.org

GOD’S HOUSE MINISTRY – To befriend and love the people of the “front lines” and let them know we care, to gain trust and teach the people biblical principles, to help them become productive members of society and enjoy life the way God intended. www.MomentOfTruthMinistry.org

GOOD SAMARITAN CENTER – To effect positive change in the lives of individuals and families through quality services focused on prevention and intervention. Serves as the primary social service resource for residents of the near west side of San Antonio, one of the city’s most impoverished areas. www.goodsamaritancommunityservices.org

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY – Is an ecumenical, Christian organization working in partnership with God’s people in need to build simple, decent and affordable homes without interest or profit, there by witnessing God’s love in action. www.habitatsa.org

INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP – To see students and faculty transformed, campuses renewed and world changers developed. The specific campus is Trinity University. The goal for the year is to increase the depth of discipleship and mentoring. www.ivcf.org

KATHLEEN WHITTEN MINISTRIES - To bring God’s Word to as many people as they can using every means available, i.e. Bible studies, conferences, Internet and radio. www.kathleenwhitten.org

MORNINGSIDE MINISTRIES – Was created with the specific mission of caring for those who cared for us. Founded in 1961 by SW TX Conf of United Methodists, and five years later joined by First Pres and the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas. Includes three distinctly different and gracious retirement communities. Chandler Center is closest to our campus. www.morningsidemin.org

NAMI-SA (National Alliance of Mental Illness) – To eradicate mental illnesses and to improve the quality of life of all who are affected by these diseases. It is the largest grassroots mental health organization. Current office is at CEC. www.nami-sat.org

NESA (North East San Antonio Faith in Action) – To actively reflect God’s love by assisting persons 60 years or beyond living in northeast San Antonio who lack adequate social support. Volunteers provide services such as medical appointment transportation, grocery delivery services, minor home repairs, and telephone reassurance to help clients live independently in their own homes.

RESPITE CARE – To enhance the stability and the nurturing capabilities and opportunities of families caring for a loved one with developmental disabilities through the provision of residential and site-based respite services. The full-time daycare is located in the Family Ministry Center at CEC. www.respitecaresa.org

SAMM Transitional Center – To help the homeless and those at risk of becoming homeless attain self-sufficiency by offering, with dignity and compassion, shelter, housing and services. www.SAMM.org

ST JUDES RANCH FOR CHILDREN - A nationally recognized and fiscally responsible community focused on the individual needs of abused, abandoned and neglected children of all races and faith. The programs are designed to break the vicious cycles of abuse but also seek to create a work ethic through the “Learn to Earn” program. Two campuses are in Texas – one in New Braunfels and the other in Bulverde. www.stjudesranch.org

UNICORN CENTER – A community-based, church sponsored agency with a call from God to minister to persons with mental retardation by developing job and life skills and integrating individuals into supported employment by creating natural community supports. www.mrmsat.org

VICTORY FELLOWSHIP – To transform crime and drug infested neighborhoods through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. More than 100 men and women live at the Victory House in west San Antonio. They offer a 90-day program that does not use chemicals to break the cycle of addiction.

WOMAN AT THE WELL – To develop the spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and physical health of formerly incarcerated women so they may make a successful transition back into the community. Provides transitional housing and a rehabilitation program. www.womanatthewellhouse.org

YOUTH FOR CHRIST – To communicate the life-changing message of Jesus Christ to every young person, participate in the responsible evangelism of youth, presenting them with the person, work, and teachings of Jesus Christ, discipling them, and leading them into the life and fellowship of local churches. www.sayouthforchrist.org

The Good Samaritan Center
The Good Samaritan Center was founded in 1951 on San Antonio’s near west side by the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas. The Good Samaritan Center is a non-profit neighborhood center that provides comprehensive services to over 3,000 low-income individuals and 1800 families. The Good Samaritan Center’s commitment is to improve the quality of life in this high-risk area through its mission to effect positive change in the lives of individuals and families through quality services focused on prevention and intervention. For more information about the Good Samaritan Center visit www.goodsamcenter.org.

Habitat for Humanity
Christ Church has joined join with Habitat in a 5 year multi-house construction partnership. The commitment is called "Building on Faith Partner Sponsor Program". Success in this program will require a community of support from our entire parish. Gifts of time will be needed in many areas including construction teams, food prep & delivery, advertising, scheduling, fundraising and of course, much prayer. We will also get to know the family moving into the home as we work side by side with them during construction. This family and the four to follow will know that their homes were provided through a partnership of faith and love, in the name of Jesus, from their friends at Christ Church. Contact Melissa Carroll for more information. Visit Habitat for Humanity online at http://www.habitat.org.

Hunger Ministry
The Hospitality Pantry is a great ministry for the entire family. Each Saturday, Christ Church volunteers serve those in need living within a two-mile radius of the Church. Groceries from the San Antonio Food Bank are distributed at Christ Church between 10 am and Noon, feeding hundreds of families each month. No age limit and no experience is required. Contact Melissa Carroll for more information.

Inner Varsity Christian Fellowship
InterVarsity is an interdenominational collegiate fellowship that serves more than 35,000 students across the country, including more than 100 at Trinity University. The fall is always a critical time to reach college students. They arrive on campus asking very real questions about what they believe and how they are going to live.

This year is no exception. InterVarsity is sponsoring three student-led Bible studies targeted for first years. We gather students of faith and challenge them to live out the cost and glory of the gospel during their years at Trinity. We reach out to students who are spiritually thirsty. We invite them to drink deeply at the well of Christian community - to hear about and experience the transforming power of our risen Lord.

Please join us in praying that our 35 student leaders at Trinity would have soft hearts and wise words for their campus. We are praying that our small group Bible studies will truly be a place where students experience the power of God‚s word. Please also pray that we would continue to work urgently and patiently as we make the most of every opportunity this fall to proclaim the gospel on campus.

Andrew Smith is an InterVarsity Staff Member at Trinity University. If you have any questions, you can reach him at 416-8719 or Leon Fillyaw, Associate Regional Director for InterVarsity, at 736-3132 x149. Visit InterVarsity online at http://www.intervarsity.org.

National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
Sharing Christ Church’s facility is the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. NAMI provides support for families of individuals that are dealing with a mental illness. Locating health providers, peer groups, and counseling are a few of the services that NAMI offers. Volunteers are welcome! Call 734-3349 for more information.

San Antonio Metropolitan Ministry (SAMM Shelter)
Christ Church volunteers are needed each month to staff the main SAMM shelter on West Commerce. Our duties include processing guests, answering phones, Bible studies, checking in personal belongings and overseeing the dorms. Six to ten volunteers are needed each month. Please contact Melissa Carroll if interested. Visit SAMM online at http://www.samm.org.

Respite Care
Davidson Respite
Christ Church has opened its Family Ministry Center to Respite Care during the week. As a daycare facility for children with special needs, parents are given an opportunity to attend school, to go to work, or just take a rest while being assured that their children are being taken care of in a loving and caring environment. Volunteers are welcome. Respite Care's Davidson House is the only Emergency Children's Shelter in the state that can accept children with special needs. They provide qualified, 24-hour care for children with special needs to allow parents time to deal with other family issues, go out of town, or just have a break from the difficulties of raising children with special needs. Visit them online at http://www.respitecaresa.org/

Unicorn Centers
Unicorn Centers, Inc. is a member of Mission Road Ministries, which is a community-based, church-sponsored organization with a Call from God to minister to persons with mental retardation by challenging them to achieve their full potential for independence, productivity, and inclusion into the community. The mission of Unicorn Centers is to provide vocational training for adults with moderate to severe mental retardation. Our goal is to integrate our clients into supported employment with natural community supports around them. Unicorn will strive for our clients' highest level of functioning. For more information, contact John Schwab at (210) 737-3355 or email at .

Woman at the Well House Ministries
Former resident Lara has told us, “When I left prison, if I hadn’t found the Well House, I wonder if I would have made it.” The mission of the Well House is to promote the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual health of formerly-incarcerated women so that they may make a successful transition to the larger community. Lara has. She is now working full time, supporting herself and volunteering her time in the community.

The women who come to the Well House have few resources, released from prison with no identification and $50. They have no place to live, no clothes and few job skills. Woman at the Well provides these women a warm and save home environment, food, clothing, individual and group counseling and access to resources in the community for health care, education and job training.

Woman at the Well has helped over 400 women since its inception 10 years ago. With the help of generous benefactors, the ministry was able to purchase its present location on Post Avenue in 1997, a two-story home capable of housing 10 women, with plan to renovate the upper floor to accommodate 10 more.

The original small staff has grown to include a full-time executive director and a part time licensed counselor, a part time development director, a house manager and 5 full and part time house parents. The board of directors has increased to over 13 members; over 350 volunteers regularly contribute time, talents and financial support. Learn more at www.womanatthewellhouse.org