Sharing Hope – Christmas on Campus
As 2021 begins, we at STCH Ministries are excited to see how God is going to move through our ministries this year. Sharing Hope will be a way for you to stay connected to all that God is doing through STCH Ministries. We want to say THANK YOU for your continued prayers and support and look forward to sharing these stories with you.
Christmas at Homes for Children
Due to COVID-19, Christmas looked and felt a little different on our Homes for Children campus. Groups that would normally come out and host a party for the children had to get creative. One group from The Church at Creek’s End in Spring, Texas loaded up a charter bus with gifts, donations and youth ready to share the love of Christ. Cottages sat on their front porch and watched as the group sang carols, acted out the Christmas Story and delivered gifts.
Homes for Children was blessed by many different Christmas sponsors this year including Cedar Grove Baptist Church, the VFW and many others. We could not do what we do without the support from all of the amazing sponsors that make Christmas special for the children.
Homes for Families Christmas
Christmas is always full of fun, laughter and excitement for the mothers and children on our Homes for Families campus. In December, the Cub Scouts Pack 226 from Yorktown Christian Academy blessed our families with Christmas gifts and the children enjoyed the opportunity to open the gifts and show off their new toys. Three members of Danbury Baptist Church also brought gifts for our families and enjoyed some time of fellowship with our Phase I and Phase II moms. The moms enjoyed the fellowship as much as their children enjoyed the gifts.
They were also blessed by gifts from Marathon Oil and the Blanco Baptist Association. We are thankful for all of our Christmas sponsors for making Christmas a special time for these families.
Homes for Families Childcare
During the day, the younger children whose moms are in Phase I or Phase II, attend childcare on the campus. Recently, two volunteers took time out of their day to put together an activity table for the children. The children couldn’t wait to try it out and to start working on their motor skills by working with whisks and pompoms and learning about healthy snacks. “We learned apples are fruit, some apples are red, apples are good for us and apples taste good!” explains Kathy, the Homes for Families Child Care Assistant.
The new activity table is a great addition to their daily schedule. It provides a productive learning space while keeping the toddlers in one safe spot. “They can focus on the activity and we can focus on them collectively”.
We are thankful for an amazing staff at Homes for Families that love to see the children grow just as much as they love to see the mothers grow.
Want to get involved? Our website has a great list of opportunities for you – click to see where God leads you: Connect Me!
During the varied ministries, appropriate COVID-precautions were observed—pre-screening, limited group size, masks and outdoor activities. The team delivered groceries from Texas Baptist Hunger Offering to needy families. Construction of desks and cubbies for the Villa Altagracia school took place in the open-air workshop on site. At Villa Altagracia they participated in an Evangelism walk through the neighborhoods, distributing tracts and rejoicing with those who responded. Children’s ministries included singing, games and the Jonah story shared through drama. After presenting the drama, participants switched places with Dominican children and coached them through the same drama, making the story and the lessons doubly impactful.
During the day at the Higuey orphanage, the team rotated between painting walls and building relationships–singing, playing games, baking and frosting cupcakes, blowing bubbles, holding them, loving as Jesus’ disciples. While fitting them with new shoes, they also shared the Gospel with each boy.
