Go: Hands-On Ministries

Power of the Cross Music Festival - October 21st

What:	An interdenominational Contemporary Christian Music festival and resource fair
Date:	Saturday, October 21, 2006
Time:	NOON- 10pm
Location:	Auditorium Shores
Cost:	A FREE gift to our city, supported by local area churches, corporations and compassion ministries.

Worship Music played by some of His most gifted musicians

Compassion Ministries and City of Austin resources that offer solutions for spiritual, physical and emotional needs and volunteer opportunities to help restore family values and promote healthy lifestyles

Activities for Children and Youth encourage younger participants to worship and get involved in programs designed especially for them

Get involved in producing this powerful testimonial to God’s love and grace!  Learn more at our upcoming volunteer information meetings.

HBC member contact:

Cheryl Selby

Acuna Ministries

The Acuna ministries help relieve poverty conditions in the Acuna, Mexico area (near the Texas border).  HBC missions teams directly support two efforts in Acuna:

• Building houses for families
• Helping families complete houses they have started but can't finish

As funds accumulate, we can organize teams to make weekend or weeklong trips to Acuna to work on housing projects.

HBC member contact:

Craig Johnson

Austin Baptist Chapel - Soup Kitchen

The soup kitchen helps to feed the homeless population in the downtown Austin area.

Hillcrest has committed to send a team to serve food on the "5th Sunday" of the month (once every four months).  The upcoming dates are:

• October 29
• December 31

HBC member contact:

Craig Johnson

Network for Life of Austin

Network for Life of Austin is a  501(c)3 Christian corporation that assists ex-offendersand those in recovery from chemical dependency. The vision is to have small offices all over the Austin, Texas area. These will be resource offices and our first opened January 3rd, 2005. This office is on Ben White Blvd and is in the same complex as the south Austin Parole office and housing for men (South Austin Marketplace). Network for Life is manned by volunteers that understand what incarceration and the struggles with addictions are like. 

Network for Life requires money to operate, we're a non-profit organization depending on donations from local churches, Christians and the community to be able to provide the services we offer.  More Information...

One place you can serve is Maggie’s House, a place where women suffering from incarceration or a background of drug use can come to rest and heal. There are opportunities for Christians to bring Bible Studies, cooking classes, parenting, computer skills or give testimonies to these precious women wanting to become more like HIM.

HBC member contact:

Cheryl Selby

Jail Visitation Ministry

Jail visitation is a very rewarding and important ministry. Jesus said in Matthew 25:36 "I was in prison and your visited me." This is a rewarding ministry for those who have the gift of evangelism because so many of the prisoners feel a deep need for God and for spiritual help. They are down and very open to hear the good news that God is always ready to help and to forgive us when we cry out to Him. 

Chaplain Tommy MacIntosh teaches orientation classes for volunteer workers. They are usually held at the Del Vale Correctional Facility but sometimes downtown at the Travis County Jail. They are only about two hours long but are required for obtaining a badge that allows you access to enter the jail. The orientation class gives specific information about the visitation hours at each institution and gives the rules that are to be followed. The most common format for visitation is one-on-one contact with inmates when you give Bibles and Christian literature and evangelize or encourage them in their spiritual walk. Leading services is also a possibility.

HBC member contacts:	David Miller
	Shirley and Selby Hulett
	Cheryl Selby

West Austin Caregivers

West Austin Caregivers is a coalition of congregations with the goal of offering services at no charge to the recipients. These services help older adults in maintaining and improving their quality of life. With the assistance of volunteer caregivers and program staff, clients can maximize their ability to meet their own needs and to continue living independently.

You can volunteer as little or as much time as you have to help provide the following services:

• Transportation to medical appointments, shopping, volunteer work and other destinations
• Errands - Picking up and delivering groceries, prescriptions, and other needed items
• Social contact - Involving clients through personal visits, telephone calls, and social programs to avoid isolation and loneliness
• Minor home repair - Doing minor household repairs and maintenance
• Case management - Helping to find needed community resources and services

More information ...

HBC member contact:

Tom Goodman

Breath of Life Maternity Ministries (Sarah's House)

Sarah's House Maternity Home is a Christian home environment for women 18 years and older who are pregnant and in need of housing in the Austin metro area.

Sarah's house is part of Breath of Life Maternity Ministries, whose focus and goal is to establish support, both finansially and emotionally, for women in crisis pregnancy and the Christian maternity homes that provide aid to them.

When a woman chooses life, it requires more than supporting them through the 9 months of pregnancy. This is only the beginning!

Breath of Life Maternity Ministries is committed to a long term vision of walking hand-in-hand with these courageous women through the healing and heartache, allowing God's grace to completely transform their liveds and create a new future for these women, their children and supporting families.

more information on how to donate or get involved...

HBC member contact:

Michele Roberts

Austin LifeCare

Austin LifeCare offers friendship, counsel, instruction and practical help to men and women facing an unexpected pregnancy, making decisions about sexual activity, and dealing with post-abortion stress.  All services are confidential and free of charge. For more information, please visit our client website at www.austinlifecare.com or confidentially call 512-732-2970.

LifeGuard, a subset of LifeCare, provides character and sexuality education to empower Austin’s teens with accurate information and practical tools to help them make healthy decisions, build healthy relationships, and postpone sexual involvement until marriage.  Currently LifeGuard is in twelve school districts in the Austin area.  For more information see www.austinlifeguard.com.

To support this ministry, either financially or as a volunteer, see www.friendsoflifecare.com

HBC member contact:

Judi Raymund