This semester we have been led by the Lord to teach about who Jesus is for the entire Spring semester. Each week, students are learning about who Jesus is while engaging with creative visuals to bring the Bible to life.

We have been going on “Adventures with Tiny Jesus” using 3D printed scenes to encourage students to engage with Bible stories such as: Jesus healing the paralyzed man, Jesus’ baptism, Jesus comforting the woman with the blood issue, and many more!

When we started dreaming about this unit, we felt passionate about putting “Adventure Booklets” in the hands of each of our students. We wanted them to be able to take what they were learning and hearing at Backyard Bible Club and engage with it at home.

So, we created booklets with a cartoon version of the scene from the week, and summarized story points! We also gave each student their own “Tiny Jesus” so that they could continue to play out the stories at home!

Watching the students’ faces light up with excitement when they saw their very own “Tiny Jesus” has been so rewarding! In fact, I even had several students bring their “Tiny Jesus” back to club each week so they can take Him on adventures on the playground with their friends, and even during lesson time!

We believe that teaching the students that Jesus is everywhere and wants to be a part of everything we do is key to their foundation of understanding who Jesus is. We believe that as they play with their “Tiny Jesus” figure, they will remember that Jesus is Healer, Comforter, Compassionate, and so many other things we have taught over the semester.

We will continue to give them their own adventure booklets for the remainder of the semester! It is truly an adventure when we choose to go through life with JESUS!

This semester we have been led by the Lord to teach about who Jesus is for the entire Spring semester. Each week, students are learning about who Jesus is while engaging with creative visuals to bring the Bible to life. We have been focusing on John 14:6 where Jesus says “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Each week we have zoomed in to explore Jesus is the Way, Jesus is the Truth, and Jesus is the Life.

We have had the privilege of partnering with a community member who is printing interactive scenes in 3D each week. These scenes allow the students to go on an adventure with Jesus where they read aloud a summary of the day’s Bible teaching and act out the story with a “mini” Jesus figurine.

We have already seen the Lord move in big ways through the teaching as students are memorizing scripture, remembering stories, and feeling led to tell others about Him. We are excited to follow this theme for the rest of the semester as we explore topics like Jesus is Healer, Jesus is Comforter, and Jesus is Compassionate.

We believe whole-heartedly in the life-changing power of Jesus. Please join us in praying for the Truth of God’s Word to minister deeply to the hearts of our children and youth!

We celebrate, giving all glory and honor to the Lord, for 32 years of taking Jesus to neighborhood children, youth, and families in our beautiful community. We are beyond grateful to all who join us to give, pray, and serve fulfilling God’s mission through House of Faith! We love our amazing God, and we love the people He has entrusted us to minister to. Allow the Lord to minister joy and celebration to your heart in hearing the impact He has had and is having through House of Faith.

Family Ministry Testimony
"The HOF Family Bible Study is our weekly reset. It's the weeknight we look forward to every week. We attend our home church on Sundays and adding that additional time in God's Word with our friends, who have become family, is another part of the spiritual food that we need to feed our souls on a more intimate and personal level. All while we get to feed our physical bodies and have fellowship as an added bonus! We are grateful to get to be a part of this group that doesn't just show up for each other on Tuesdays, but every day; with prayer, encouragement, and for anything else that could arise in life at any time. This isn't just a Bible study, but a Bible study with family where you won't do life alone."
- Sunny B.

Testimony of Former Student
"By just loving the hateful, angry, troubled, and lost kid I was, 20+ years ago, the staff at House of Faith earned a trust and built a relationship that allowed them to speak the life of Jesus into me. If God had not used HOF to reach me, I believe I’d be dead or doing life behind bars. HOF was used by the Lord to completely change the trajectory of my life, which in turn also changed the way I’d love others."
- Robert P.

Praise the Lord for His love and faithfulness! We look forward to the next 32 years and how God will continue to build His Kingdom through the life-changing power of Jesus!

 To Dwell: to be near, to be close, to remain.  In our Christmas message at our parties this year, we took a journey about what it means to DWELL and talked about the fact that God’s heart has always been to DWELL with His people. We had a fun skit where the message was simple and clear.  Enter stage left: a couple of realtors helping a family to hopefully find their forever dwelling in a perfect neighborhood.  A dwelling with many rooms, no conflict or crying, and with complete peace and joy.  And so, their journey ensues with the realtors having revelation about a perfect neighborhood and teaching points around how God has DWELLED with His people in the past, the here and now, and will in the future, forever in eternity.

Throughout the Old Testament, God DWELLED with His people in various and miraculous ways as they chose to follow Him.

Then, in the New Testament, the journey led us to Jesus, who is Immanuel, God with us.  The Savior, born as a baby to DWELL among His people. John 14:1 reads,

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The message of Jesus dwelling among us, how He lived a perfect and sinless life and willingly died to take the punishment our sin deserves, leads us to two beautiful realities when we choose to follow Jesus:

The first is, the Holy Spirit comes into our hearts to DWELL with us here and now. He leads, guides, helps, and brings us full life.

The second is, when we choose Jesus, we will DWELL with God in our forever dwelling in the perfect neighborhood called Heaven.  The place with many rooms, streets of gold and yes, it’s a “gated community” with pearly gates!  Most of all, we will forever, for all eternity, be with God.  As Revelation 21:3-4 tells us,

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

The message is clear: Choose Jesus and as He DWELLS in our hearts, make the choice to DWELL with Him each day. When we choose to DWELL with God, we experience His presence.

Merry Christmas and thanks to the amazing community of support that makes it possible to bless our families with an amazing Christmas experience, gifts, and the beautiful message of God’s heart to DWELL with His people.

“Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.” (Psalm 105:1-2 NLT)

Three years! Approximately 156 Tuesdays, give or take a few missed for holidays and special events.  That’s how long our House of Faith Family Bible Study group has been meeting! We started out with two couples. A small, but mighty group. Then they started inviting friends. Then those friends came and brought other friends. Now, our group has multiplied! (and we were missing several in this picture!) These families are hungry for change. Hungry for growth. Hungry for the Word of God. And GOD has been showing up and showing off in their lives. Addictions broken. Marriages restored. Families reconciled. Prayers answered.

He has taught us. Encouraged us. Grown us. Made us FAMILY!
 
We recently celebrated our 3rd Anniversary with good food, great fellowship, worship, testimonies, and s’mores. The laughter, tears, encouraging words, sound of people talking and singing, were all perfect reminders of the heart that God has for our families and why we started this Bible study group. God loves families!

But can I just say…a couple of weeks ago at Bible Study was probably one of my all-time favorites! We heard testimonies from 11 different people, all with amazing stories of how God is working in their lives. We heard of children being reunited with fathers after being separated for years and years! Of those who had addictions being freed and now walking in sobriety. Of miraculous healing, the provision of a job, and of salvation. I’m telling you…the excitement in the room as we listened to each testimony couldn’t be contained. We all clapped and gave thanks to GOD!

God is working in the hearts of our families, and I am beyond thankful and grateful for the opportunity He is giving us to come alongside what He is doing, as we witness His goodness, grace, and love.

We believe there is a spiritual battle going on for good and evil, light and darkness, so we battle for the Lord and celebrate the light of Christ each week with our students.

God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1: 5-7)

We are called to be people of light, and I want to share some of the beautiful ways House of Faith is celebrating the Light of God:
· We are meeting weekly with our students and celebrating the fellowship God has given us, His Word that declares truth, and the Good News of Jesus, the Light of the World, who came and died and rose again to save us from our sins.

· We are celebrating three years of Family Bible Study that meets Tuesday nights throughout the year. Over 60 adults have attended and are choosing to be encouraged and built up in the light of the Lord’s Word and truth!

· We are celebrating wonderful partners like you—those we are privileged to fellowship and join arms with for the advancement of God’s Kingdom through generous giving hearts, through selflessly serving as volunteers, mentors, or behind the scenes, and through praying fervently for our children, youth, and families and the ministry God wants to accomplish through House of Faith.

Join me in making this month a Celebration of the Light of God that overcomes the darkness.  Jesus is truly in the life-changing business and seeing God’s people shine His light in this dark world is so encouraging.  You are an integral part of joining us in shining His light to our community!

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.”—1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (NIV)

As we prepare to launch programs for a new school year at House of Faith, we are reminded of how important it is to stand firm on the unchanging truth of Jesus. We live in an ever-changing world where things often feel unsettled or shaken. Life can feel like chaos—but with Jesus, we can stand firm and faithfully choose to live courageously in love.

We are so excited to reconnect with our students through our weekly programs! Our 321 Youth program begins September 29, and our Backyard Bible Club for elementary students starts October 8–9. We have truly missed seeing our children and youth regularly, and we can’t wait to return to the rhythm of weekly gatherings.

To begin the year, we will focus on foundational lessons that center on the gospel and the “why” of House of Faith. Our desire is always to stand firm on the good news of Jesus as our primary message.

After this, we’ll launch a new unit called Stand Firm, based on the life of Daniel, with 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 as our memory verse. We look forward to equipping students with tools to help them stand firm in Jesus throughout their daily lives.

Will you join us in praying for this school year? Please pray that our staff and volunteers would live out these principles first, that we would teach with wisdom and clarity, and that we would truly “do everything in love.” Pray that our students would come with open hearts, ready to learn from God’s Word, that they would come to know Jesus above all, and that they would stand firm in Him within their families and among their peers.

House of Faith depends so much on our stellar team of volunteers! We cannot do anything we do without the amazing men, women, and youth who come alongside to serve Jesus with us in so many ways. There is a place at House of Faith for anyone to get plugged in! The backbone of our volunteer team is our weekly volunteers, and we wanted to introduce you to some of them. Below, three of our valued Backyard Bible Club volunteers share their thoughts.

“I started volunteering with House of Faith in February 2025 after I saw a notice in our church bulletin that House of Faith Backyard Bible Club needed volunteers.

At Backyard Bible Club, I provide supervision on the playground, serve snacks, teach Bible verses, sit next to 'wigglers' during story time, and sometimes teach the Bible lesson. I also give and receive hugs, listen to problems, and try to show the love of Jesus to everyone.

Volunteering with House of Faith is important to me because I am being obedient to Jesus Christ. My desire is for these little ones to know Jesus and the joy and comfort of walking with Him each day.” --Jan

“I’ve been volunteering at House of Faith for 10+ years. I had been feeling a tug by the Holy Spirit urging me to "do something!”, ending in prayer on a Saturday night. The next morning at church, an announcement was made requesting volunteers for House of Faith. That was my cue!

My occupation is a Nurse, so I perform in that role when needed at House of Faith camps. My role as a BBC volunteer is simple: I drive a van for transportation home, interact and play with the children, and look over them while we are responsible for them. I facilitate the knowledge of Jesus and His love for them and their families, and pray with them.

Through ministering to children, House of Faith also impacts their families which, in turn, impacts the whole community. House of Faith fills a space in the community with Christ, and I'm certain without this presence the community would falter.” --Mark

“I started going to House of Faith in 5th grade when I heard about it from a friend. I started volunteering in 2019 as a youth because of the impact that was created in my life.

At club I help teach the kids our memory verses for the unit in ways that help them remember it.

I have stayed volunteering at House of Faith because of the impact it made on my life as a kid and youth. I hope to make the same impact on the kids that House of Faith has made in my life.” --SheaLa

Every summer, we hire a team of college-aged interns to help make all our summer programs happen. Each year this team just gets better and better, so it’s no surprise that this was the best team of interns yet! Here is what they have to say about the memories and impact they are carrying away from this summer:

“One of my favorite memories when it comes to my time at House of Faith is being at 712 overnight camp. My group of girls were very shy and reserved at the beginning of camp but as camp went on they all started to grow out of their shells. One night at worship the presence of God was so powerful, and I watched some of my girls fall at the altar and just let their hearts cry out to Him and that was just such a beautiful moment.” —Lily

“This summer was a blast! I loved working with all four of the other interns as we planned, organized, and carried out our programs! I grew a lot in finding joy in God’s word, and trusting in God’s strength, plan, and timing above my own! Very grateful for this internship!”—Jordan

“Something I can take away from this summer is, the Lord can use you and reach you at any age. Looking over during worship, to see my 4th-5th graders worshiping with their eyes closed and hands up was truly so beautiful. The Lord sees them and hears them always, I could only imagine what Heaven sounds like. It’s taught me that worship is so valuable and Jesus hears our cries out to Him.” —Addi

“This summer was very impactful with my walk with Christ. Being able to minister to the youth and seeing heart changes was such a blessing! I learned a lot about myself and doing all this alongside some pretty cool people made it 10x better!” —Josh

“This summer, I’ve grown in confidence not only in my role but also in who I am, learning to trust my instincts and abilities. Most importantly, I have learned to lean on the Lord for guidance and strength in every challenge.” —Dezi

A huge thank you goes to these 5 incredible young men and women for all you did this summer!

Every summer a group of high school students come alongside House of Faith for an unpaid “junior internship.” These students give a LOT of time and energy to helping with summer programs, as well as being discipled by our staff and interns in their own walk with the Lord. We had a fantastic, and large, team this year! They worked hard and had a great time doing it. Some of them shared with us the ways they grew and the memories they are treasuring from this summer:

“Something that I learned was that the Lord gifted me to be me. Like sometimes I get lost in comparing myself to others, beating myself up and forget that I’m supposed to be me. Something that I’m taking is that He gives us the freedom to surrender. My favorite memory was singing silent disco at camp with everyone, it was so much fun since I didn’t do it last year!” –Shyann

“This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to step into a leadership role, and I’ve experienced significant personal and spiritual growth. It challenged me to step out of my comfort zone—especially in moments like preaching in front of my group—which helped strengthen my faith. This experience has also inspired me to serve the Lord more wholeheartedly and dive deeper into His Word.” –Briley

Our theme for this summer has been “Walk Worthy”, and as we wrap up the summer it seems a key part of walking worthy has been unintentionally highlighted: worship.  Worship helps us recognize all that God is and aligns our hearts to His worthiness. We have seen our students of every age grow in this practice at each of our three main summer programs.

At Kid’s Connection, 135 children entering K-5th participated in a daily worship activity time. They sang and danced with all their hearts, and then were led in a time of just sitting in God’s presence with quiet worship music playing. They were encouraged to talk to the Lord and listen for Him to speak to their hearts. Even some of our youngest students shared how much they loved learning to be still with the Lord!

We took 90 students entering 7th-12th grade to overnight camp this year. Amid all the fun, sweat, laughter, and adventures, a sweet spot of every day was the evening time spent in worship. We saw breakthrough moments happen in the lives of our students as they allowed their hearts to be softened and opened in the presence of God! Staff member Brandon Berry preached God’s Word each night, challenging students to live their everyday lives in ways that are worthy and point the world around them to Jesus.

Our 4th-6th grade day camp hosted 80 excited students, enjoying a fun camp experience while getting to go home every night. The worship times with the big group were precious, with local children’s pastor Mike Schmitz bringing God’s word each day. We offered several elective activities for students on two of the afternoons, and a handful of students chose to participate in a worship class. The teachers of this class felt challenged by the Lord to facilitate writing a spontaneous worship song with these students, and it was a time clearly marked by the leading and presence of the Holy Spirit!

We have been reminded in so many ways this summer that the Holy Spirit speaks to and works through ALL believers, regardless of their age, training, or level of experience! Please join us in praying that the moments our students encountered His presence in worship will stay with them, helping them Walk Worthy as they live out Psalm 29:2—“Honor the Lord for the glory of his name. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.” (NLT‬‬)

This summer at House of Faith, we’re lacing up our spiritual sneakers and stepping into something powerful—our calling! Our theme is “Walk Worthy,” based on Ephesians 4:1—“Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.” Our focus is clear: “My Calling = Follow Him.”

We are teaching this verse as a challenge to step out with purpose, love, and obedience as followers of Jesus. With everything we do, whether with children, youth, or families, every moment this summer is about taking steps that reflect who we are in Him.

At every program this summer, we are starting with the Gospel and the message that Walking Worthy starts by accepting Jesus’ free gift of salvation and entering into a relationship with Him.  At Kid’s Connection a couple of weeks ago, we taught our K-5th students more about Walking Worthy from the stories of Samson and Ruth. At Overnight Camp this weekend, and our Day Camp in July, we are teaching our 4th-12th graders from the life of David.

We’re asking big questions like: What does it look like to follow Jesus in my everyday life? How do I walk in a way that honors God? Am I letting anything other than Jesus define who I am?

There have been, and will be, games, songs, lessons, and lots of laughs—but underneath it all, our prayer is that every child, youth, and family will discover that their calling isn’t complicated: it’s simply to follow Jesus. And as we walk worthy of that calling, our lives will shine with His love and truth.

Will you step into the rest of summer with House of Faith, joining us in prayer, serving, or giving, as we follow Him together?

As the school year comes to a close, House of Faith is celebrating another amazing season of ministry through our weekly Backyard Bible Clubs, 321 youth program, and family Bible study. Every week, we’ve had the privilege of showing up on school campuses and in neighborhoods across San Angelo to share the love of Jesus with neighborhood children, youth, and families. From engaging Bible lessons and games to meaningful conversations and prayer, each gathering has planted seeds of faith that we know God will continue to grow.

This semester, our weekly programs have reached:
· 850 elementary students in Backyard Bible Clubs
· 120 youth students in the 321 youth program
· 48 community service students
· 60 adults in our family Bible study

As we wrap up our school-year programs, we are filled with gratitude for our amazing volunteers and faithful supporters. It takes a village, and we are thankful for each person who helped make this year such a success! We are also so grateful for the partnership with the San Angelo ISD working together with House of Faith throughout the year to benefit the children of San Angelo. Backyard Bible Clubs meet on the gated playgrounds of the elementary schools, which are safe and convenient locations for students and families. House of Faith’s Backyard Bible Clubs are free, after school, and outdoors. All children are welcome to join.

But the ministry doesn’t stop at the end of the school year—summer at House of Faith is just getting started! We’re gearing up for a full schedule, including camps, family pool parties, and youth gatherings, all with special activities designed to keep children, youth, and families connected and growing in their faith all summer long.

As we close out our school-year season, we’re filled with both gratitude and anticipation. The seeds planted during our weekly programs will continue to grow, and the relationships built will carry on into the summer months.

We stand on the promise of Philippians 1:6: “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Family Camp 2025 was AMAZING! We took a total of 296 people, which included families, staff, and volunteers to the H.E.Butt Foundation Camp in Leakey, TX. The weather was chilly, but it didn’t hinder 14 from getting baptized in the Frio River!

In our small groups after worship time, from the youngest campers to the oldest, we looked at the life of Joseph, and discovered that God was with him, even in the hardest circumstances, and that God was working in unexpected ways to accomplish His good plans for Joseph and his family.

We were able to find comfort in knowing that God sees The Big Picture, start to finish, and that He is working all things together for the good of those of us who love Him and have been called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

In our sessions, we talked about the importance of forgiveness and reconciliation between us and God and between us and others, and that this is ONLY made possible through Christ!

We were reminded that we may or may not ever see or understand the reasons things happen in our lives. God doesn’t promise us that we will. However, He does promise to stick with us through the good and the bad, and we know that we can TRUST Him with our lives because He sees The Big Picture.

A few of our families shared their thoughts on the teaching, and here is what they said:
“What God did for me was He filled my heart with love and peace, and I know that I had to forgive those whom have hurt me and my girls and to trust His way and to trust His process.”

“Speaking on forgiveness was helpful, that's something we all forget to do & not only that, it’s something we DON’T always want to do. The way it was explained made so much sense.”
 
Romans 15:13 NLT
 I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

House of Faith’s 2025 Family Camp was made possible thanks to the generosity of these sponsors and volunteers. We are so grateful for each one!
Sponsors:
* Karen Pattillo
* Allen & Tanis Price
* H.E. Butt Foundation Camps
* Glen Meadows Baptist Church
* Northridge Baptist Church
* Dr. & Mrs. Che Ornelas
* Celestial Throne Church
* Dr. and Mrs. John Cargile III
* Tommy Hiebert & Carol Rigby-Hiebert
* Harris Ave. Baptist WMU
* Dr. & Mrs. Fred Homeyer
* Mr. and Mrs. Mike Ingram
* Mr. and Mrs. Mark Lee
* Mr. and Mrs. Gary Joyce
* Mr. and Mrs. Bill Holubec
* Mr. & Mrs. Wilbur Mengers
* Resa Tyree
* Conchita Rios

Special thanks to:
We are grateful to these businesses for their In-Kind Sponsorship of Family Camp this year.
* Welch Transfer & Storage
* ASCO Rentals

Volunteers:
* Gay Adams
* Daniela & Jason Adcock
* Jordan, Josiah, & Julia Arias
* Alyssa Bailey
* SheaLa Barnas
* Linda Benavides
* Cathy Brown
* McKenna Cunningham
* Chloe Davidson
* Joel, Monica, Cabo, & Christian DelaGarza
* Grace DeLaughter
* Victoria DePass
* Di'Ajney Ellis
* Isai Galvan
* Shyann Gonzalez
* Mallory Govea
* Aly Greebon
* Katelyn Guzman
* Jewelya Huertas
* Bruce & Jan Leibert
* Alex Lemus
* Alyssa Leyva
* Debbie Lopez
* Denise Loya
* Gloria Mata
* Cathy Menchaca
* Rylie Moon
* Ryan & Hope Moran
* LaTrinda Murphy
* Vivian & Xavi Orduno
* Che & Anahi Ornelas
* Silverio & Leonor Ornelas
* Halea Roach
* Kassidy Ruiz
* Tiana Samarripa
* Kaleb Sanders
* Briley Sandor
* Mike Schmitz
* Mark Sites
* Damian Valadez
* Danielle Vega
* Mandy Villarreal
* Alyah Williams
* Roy, Michael, & Stella Zesch

Community impact happens in so many ways through House of Faith. One of the amazing ways that we believe God has called us to have a large and strong Community Impact is by removing barriers that prevent families from the opportunity to be involved. We see this in our ability to provide free programs, food and transportation. We are so grateful to the Lord for His provision through His people that makes this possible.

We believe that removing the barrier of cost allows any student and family to come and enjoy our after school and family outreach programs. We are so grateful to be able to provide snacks and a meal, and we are grateful for our fleet of vans and buses that transport kids each week. I was touched deeply that out of 292 people that went to our recent Family Camp, 170 of those people requested to ride with us on our vans to camp and back. The massive role you play as a supporter of House of Faith allows us, together, to have the ability to remove these barriers that might prevent people from hearing the life-changing message of hope found in Jesus. The amazing thing is that the removal of these barriers goes so much deeper than just a free program or a free ride.

I was struck again this week, as I sat in my House of Faith van waiting for the “thumbs up” to depart to take kids home after our 321 Youth program. I looked to my left at the kids sitting waiting in the van next to me, and my heart was full, yet again, that God allows us to provide transportation and door-to-door service for our students and their families. I turned to the kids in my van and asked them what it means to them that we give them rides:
Aaliyah immediately said, “I feel so special!”
Hannah said, “A lot of kids’ parents might not have cars or a way to get them there.”
Madison said, “It makes me feel like you care for us so much that you would pick us up.”

Your continued partnership through monthly support and special donations helps House of Faith meet our financial needs, remove barriers and most importantly send a beautiful message to our families of how valued they are to God and to us. It is an honor to call you partner in this amazing ministry of taking Jesus to neighborhood children, youth, and families.

We praise God for you! Your partnership and support are an answer to our prayers! Thank you for helping us make an eternal impact for Jesus in the lives of our children, youth, and families!

This Christmas House of Faith had the privilege of gifting each of our 610 families with The Biggest Story Family Devotional by Douglas O’Donnell. Inspired by the devotion we decided to match our curriculum writing with the Scriptures families were being invited to read each week.

We are currently teaching a unit called “Chosen” over the book of Genesis. Each week we focus on our theme verse, 1 Peter 2:9, and have highlighted the fact that God chooses and has a plan for each of our lives.
"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." -1 Peter 2:9 NIV

As we have taught the stories of Genesis and watched the students internalize this Scripture, we have been able to help them understand that we can do nothing apart from God. We have laid a foundation for understanding that God’s plan and purpose for all our lives is better than anything we could imagine or strive for without Him. We have also invited them to choose to follow God with their own lives.
 
Continuing to follow the Scriptures covered in the devotional we will be walking through the books of Exodus, Leviticus & Numbers with our next unit called “Lead Me.” In this unit we will take 8 weeks to cover several stories that focus on the fact that God is (Yahweh) I AM. He is, has always been, and will be God forever. We will teach the stories about how God leads us, teaches us, and saves us! We will highlight the fact that God is where our hope comes from, and again invite them to choose to follow God with their own lives.

As we have walked out each week of programming, we have invited families to do so with us. We send our students home with a handout that engages the whole family by giving them Scripture to read, activities to complete, and a craft they can work on together! We believe that God has called us to minister to the entire family and consider it an honor to teach and help lay Scriptural foundations for these children, youth, and their whole families on a weekly basis.

The year 2025 has made its entrance and House of Faith’s mission to take Jesus to neighborhood children, youth, and families is STILL at the heart of our ministry as we continue to lead our families to PURSUE the LORD every day!

At our family Christmas parties, each family that attended received a book called The Biggest Story Family Devotional, along with a BIG CHALLENGE: to make reading through the Bible at home as a FAMILY a priority this year. The families were encouraged to INVEST time in the important work of building strong, healthy, and godly families by reading the devotional and working through the Bible together, daily.

To further reinforce the work that is being done at home, our teams are incorporating those same materials and stories that the families are focusing on each week, into the curriculum for our elementary through high school students attending Backyard Bible Clubs and House of Faith’s 321 youth program! We are also posting encouragement on our social media platforms, to include as many as possible to join in this challenge.

 We understand the importance of the ENTIRE family PURSUING the Lord TOGETHER, and we are working hard to remove as many obstacles as possible by providing resources and encouragement as we help our families grow in their faith.

Here is what one family has to say about their experience with this family devotional: “We love it!! … They [the kids] love the short videos and the questions. It is going very well….They love that it's relatable and it makes the Bible easier for them to understand.”

It is our hope and prayer that the LORD will use this combined effort to encourage the children, youth, and families to PURSUE the Lord and, in so doing, make a positive impact in their lives and in our communities.

We look forward with great anticipation and the expectation of what God will continue to do in our families this year as we all strive to make CHRIST the center of our lives and homes, daily.

Family. This is the most important unit that God put in place from the beginning of creation. It is our joy at Christmas to reach the whole family with the message of hope found in Jesus and the charge to bring Jesus into their everyday family life and conversations! Where does family life and conversation come together? The table. It has been heartwarming to see families coming in droves to take time for their family and take a seat at the table for our annual Family Christmas Celebration.

Christmas is a time of hope and wonder, celebrating our Savior humbly born to bring reconciliation for all mankind to God our Father. He is our hope, and He offers the greatest invitation to His table! Our message this year, based in Matthew 22:1-10, is that just as our families accepted the invitation to THIS table, we all have to accept the Lord’s invitation to take a seat at HIS table. His invitation gives us the opportunity to see our hope fulfilled and become family with the Lord. What does accepting His invitation to the table give us? In Isaiah 9:6, God teaches us that Jesus is the fulfillment of the promised hope of a Savior. At His table, we are given wise counsel, strength, and peace from the everlasting Father who sent His Son to die for our sins and reign in victory over death as King of Kings forever.

Praise God for 2000 people coming to celebrate with family, worship our King Jesus and be encouraged to take a seat at His table to build their family’s house of faith. This year we have given all our families a beautiful family devotional book with which we are challenging them to do this very thing. And, they are not alone as we will all be doing this and will study the same Bible stories together each week of this coming year! Pray with us that families will choose to take a seat at the table of the Lord together and make Jesus part of their family conversations around the table every day in 2025!

For the last 30 years, taking Jesus to neighborhood children, youth, and FAMILIES has been the heartbeat of House of Faith!

While meeting with children and youth has been a weekly part of the ministry for years, we have also tried to reach as many of our (650+) families as possible each year through various avenues such as pool parties, family camps, Christmas parties, and other activities.

But there has ALWAYS been a desire to impact FAMILIES on a more personal and ongoing level; to really walk through life with families by encouraging, equipping, growing together, and teaching them how to make Jesus a priority in their own family.

Two years ago, we decided to try something we had never done before. Instead of trying to start with the more than 650 families we serve, we started with 2 families and 3 staff members and met in 1 home (reminiscent of the very first House of Faith backyard Bible club, starting with 1 school meeting in 1 backyard).

These 2 families committed to meeting together EVERY Tuesday night to share a meal and study God’s Word, and to make their relationship with Christ a priority. We have seen MUCH fruit in the lives of these families.

Fast forward 2 incredible YEARS later! Those 2 couples have now multiplied, and we have turned into a mighty group of between 25-30 who meet weekly! The family photo was from our Thanksgiving potluck meal we shared together last week. The smiles say it all! We ARE FAMILY! And we are walking out this thing called LIFE together, because TOGETHER with JESUS is BETTER!

We have yet another opportunity to reach our FAMILIES in December at our Family Christmas parties, where we will have nearly 2,000 people, lots of food, gifts, and the message of HOPE all of our families need to hear! We CANNOT wait to see what the LORD will do in the lives of our families in the upcoming year(s)! He has done GREAT things! We pray that He will send even MORE families to join our weekly Bible study group, and that the Lord will continue to work in the lives of our children, youth, AND families. It is good to celebrate and give thanks for ALL He is doing!

And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. (Colossians 2:6-7, NLT)

God is raising up the next generation of Christian leaders and it is exciting to witness.  An integral part of our mission and our prayer for our students is that they will honor God with their lives and will offer themselves in service to Him. Our 321 Youth program meets every Monday night and our kids share in a meal and have a time of hanging out, worship, small groups and teaching.  A prayer of our heart for the youth is that many will feel the call of God to step into leading through serving and praying. We are having consistently 8-10 students who choose to come for our pre-service prayer time, praying to see God move in their peers during teaching and worship time.  We currently have 7 students who have applied to be Jr Leaders, experiencing a time of discipleship, mentoring, and service.  A few of our youth are also coming to Backyard Bible Clubs to help hand out snacks and encourage our elementary school kids.  It is beautiful to see our students stepping into these places of leading and praying for their friends and those younger than them.

This week at 321 was super special as two of our students stepped up to lead in our worship and teaching time.  Polly is growing in serving the Lord through worship and she joined the worship team this week.  When asked why she feels called to serve, Polly shared, “Whenever I volunteer and help out, that’s one of the ways I feel closest to God.”  Another student, Jordan, felt God was calling him to speak to the students at 321.  He came and met with our team, prepared for a couple of weeks, and this week taught a very powerful message to his peers.  Jordan shared, “One of the main reasons I love to step up and lead at House of Faith is because, I have found Jesus personally in my life, and I want all my friends to know that same kind of love.”

God beautifully brought this verse to mind as we are witnessing our students rise up and lead for God’s glory:
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.  (1 Timothy 4:12)

Join us in praising the Lord for how He is raising up our next generation of Christian leaders!

We are so thrilled to be back in action with our weekly programs! The excitement of our students on the first day back to House of Faith is always so precious. They truly love being there! At one of my Backyard Bible Clubs this week a student asked during playtime, “Are we still going to learn about Jesus?” When I said yes, she exclaimed, “Good! Jesus is my favorite!”

We are kicking off this semester with a unit called “The Beginning and the End.” Our theme verse is Revelation 21:6–“He said to me, ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.’” We want our students to grow in understanding our Creator God and to know that He created everything for a purpose, including each one of them.

As we introduced the unit this week with the concepts that God created everything and He made us for relationship with Him, it was pretty sweet to see our students really taking it all in and processing it. One little one asked how God could make all of that by Himself, blown away by how powerful God is. They were also amazed to think that God Himself wants to be their friend. Their child-like faith is so precious!

Will you please join us in praying for this semester? Pray that our team would have wisdom as they develop lessons, for more volunteers, and for our students and families to have open hearts for the Word of God.

Thank you so much for your continued support of House of Faith in so many ways! We are all in this together!

Community Partners are so important to help House of Faith be strong in fulfilling our mission to take Jesus to neighborhood children, youth, and families. This summer, we saw the spirit of community collaboration come together through local organizations, House of Faith donors and indispensable volunteers, to provide a memorable camp experience for House of Faith’s 4th - 6th graders.

Summer camps are deeply meaningful to our students. Two years ago, we re-vamped the 4th-6th grade camp to be a day camp held in San Angelo. We embarked on finding a location and looked at several options. We were praying for a location that would allow for us to give our campers  an immersive in-town camp experience. We needed fields, a place to cook meals, indoor spaces that could accommodate our 75-100 campers for eating and teaching time and a room we could hold all of our active events.

We are humbled and grateful for a strong partnership with the San Angelo ISD and specifically Lake View High School for allowing us to use their campus to host our weeklong camp. “Thank you” to the amazing Lake View staff for being so hospitable in all departments.

We are blessed by additional partnerships with Brown’s Pool, ASU Basketball, Angelo Bible Church, Oasis Baptist Church, Team Chip Martial Arts, and countless volunteers making this an amazing week for our students, full of fun, growth, being well taken care of and well fed. Our campers had a wonderful week of new experiences, team challenges, and a powerful time growing in their faith and learning about being Strong in the Lord. We are so grateful for our partnerships that make such an impactful experience possible!

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:10-12 ESV)

We are so excited to be teaching the children, youth, and families of House of Faith about being Strong in the Lord this summer! Now, more than ever, students and families need to be aware of the spiritual battle we are in and be equipped to stand against a scheming enemy.

We had a great time at Kid’s Connection with 130 students going in to K-5th grade! Students enjoyed 3 full days with crafts, outside activities, a worship class and Bible stories. They came each morning filled with excited anticipation, and parents reported that they went home each day thrilled to share about what they learned. What a joy to witness our youngest students learning to stand firm in God’s mighty strength!

Kid’s Connection this year wrapped up with our first ever Family Celebration Night. Families gathered for a powerful evening as the students recited their verses and sang the worship songs they learned throughout the week. This was our second successful family event of the summer, with the first being a family pool party; both events have been loved by the families who attended!

Our summer is off to a great start, and we still have a lot ahead! Please continue to pray for us as we keep taking Jesus to neighborhood children, youth, and families this summer. Your prayers and support are so valuable to us!

“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NLT)

The end of our school year programs always seems a little bittersweet. We are excited for summer, and we need that little break to get ready for all the summer events, but we also miss seeing our students every week!

This year there is an extra layer to this bittersweet feeling as changes in the school district mean two of our Backyard Bible Club locations won’t be back next year. Austin and Alta Loma Elementary are closing, combining with other schools, and although we hope to see those students at the BBC locations on their new campuses, it is definitely a big change! We praise God for our 18 years of House of Faith at Austin and our 15 years of House of Faith at Alta Loma!

However, as Ecclesiastes says, “For everything there is a season,” and we look forward to all that God will do as we walk into our busy summer season, and then into a new season with Backyard Bible Clubs and the 321 youth program in the fall! He is faithful in every season, and we are blessed by the privilege of experiencing His faithfulness through each of you. Thank you for your support! Please continue to pray for us, and for the children, youth, and families we serve!

“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.”
Psalm 127:1

Every spring, we take around 50 families to HEB Foundation Camps for a free weekend retreat called Family Camp. The goal of Family Camp is to bring the family together away from their everyday influences and allow them to dedicate their weekend to the Lord.

This year, our theme was Welcome Home! We wanted to encourage families to invite Jesus into their homes through small changes to their everyday habits. We started the weekend with the story of Zacchaeus to emphasize how welcoming Jesus into our homes brings salvation to them (Luke 19:6, 9).

Our teaching plans were interrupted by heavy rain, but the Lord’s plans were not thwarted! We instead spent an extra hour worshiping God as families. It was a powerful time of praise, with adults and children worshiping and praying together. Staff and volunteers were available throughout the service to pray with, and for, families as needed. It was an incredibly powerful scene of our families welcoming Jesus into their lives and homes! Some attendees were even baptized as a sign of their new life and freedom in Christ.

On the final morning, the adults spent some time making plans for their homes. They talked about ways to welcome Jesus into their everyday habits and routines, such as praying before meals and reading the Bible together. Many of them even got to practice praying together to start developing spiritual habits right away!

Since Family Camp ended, we have seen several families get connected to their local church and small group communities. We have also heard testimony of family members being blessed by the weekend’s events and wanting to get more involved in community.

We are praising God for the work He did at camp, and are eagerly anticipating seeing and hearing even more testimony of His life-changing power!

At the most recent gathering of our 321 Youth program for 6th-12th grade students, we asked a few students to tell us about their House of Faith experience. Here are some of their responses!

Does House of Faith make a difference in your life?
“House of Faith brings a big change to my life because I was in my sad moments and they made me open up more.” —12th grade boy
“Oh, for sure! When I’m going through something, I know I can come here and have a place to pray and give things to God. It gives me peace.” —9th grade girl

How does House of Faith help you grow closer to Jesus?
“By them teaching us more things because since we’re still young, we still need to know about God.” —7th grade girl
“It helps me grow closer to God by being able to talk to people who are close to Him.” —8th grade girl
“Probably worship. I love singing!” —12th grade girl

What is your favorite House of Faith memory?
(talking about growing up at House of Faith programs since elementary) “It’s the best, making new friends and that kind of stuff. New leaders every year, it’s kind of fun.” —9th grade girl
“Camp! Learning about Jesus at night, but also shooting arrows is fun!” —10th grade girl

Thank you for the ways you support us through prayer and financial donations, making this kind of impact possible! Please continue to pray for our youth to be drawn closer to Jesus through House of Faith!