News and Information

Austin Street Centre: Where God’s love changes lives
by the Revs. “Bubba” and Harry Dailey, executive directors, Austin Street Centre

e are deeply grateful for the prayers and support provided by the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas over the past years. Because of your continued faith in our ministry, we never have to ask for money from any of the 400 souls who come to us each day seeking shelter, food, showers, medicines, clothing, and pastoral care.

Next year will mark our 25th year, and we will continue with the same mission:

"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me" (Matt. 25:35-36).

We look at all of our clients as "works in progress," offering them the basics of a roof over their heads and a hot shower — and to those who want more, substance abuse and work readiness programs and pastoral and life management counseling.

You may think our job is to "help the homeless," but because of God's Love, our ministry is greater than just "helping." We care for the whole person — body and soul.

This past year, we:
• Graduated 102 men and women from our work readiness program
• Established "The Austin Street Pilgrims," a traveling choir that, in addition to singing hymns during our prayer services here, travel to nursing homes, schools, and church groups
• Expanded our psychiatric program for our mentally ill clients
• Continued our partnership with UT Southwestern Medical School and the SMU Graduate School of Psychology by offering psychosocial therapy sessions and one-on-one psychotherapy sessions for our clients
• To the 200 children who stayed with us, provided school supplies, school clothes, and transportation to area schools
• Continued offering Anglican prayer services three times each week in Austin Street Chapel

Some things you may not know about us:
• Twenty-five percent of our residents have full-time employment - working in area restaurants, hotels, theaters, manufacturing plants, construction companies, and business offices. These individuals are here because of a personal catastrophe in their lives that caused them to lose their homes.
• Sixty percent of our clients, who do not have a full time employment or participate in the work program, obtain paid day-labor jobs from the local labor halls at least three days per week.
• Our clients perform the tasks that keep Austin Street Centre functioning - cleaning cots, working in the kitchen, doing the laundry, cleaning offices, trimming shrubs and planting flowers, answering phones, processing client check-in, handling building maintenance and providing overall security.

Thank you for your prayers and support. Please come visit us and see first hand how God's love
changes lives.

Rural Church Commission — the year in review

by RCMC committee members: Rebecca Wellborn,
St. Paul, Waxahachie; the Rev. Jerry Morriss, vicar,
St. James, Kemp; and the Rev. Jerry Hill, supply,
Our Merciful Saviour, Kaufman

ne-third of the parishes and missions in this diocese are rural. In early 2006, Bishop Stanton formed the Rural Church Ministry Commission (RCMC) and appointed a group of people who are committed to church growth and bringing sacramental ministry into the rural churches.

The RCMC began by listening to small groups of rural clergy and lay leaders. First hand, they heard the cares, concerns, frustrations, and successes of those who serve in the outlying areas of the diocese. The information they gathered identified the common challenges of rural churches that differ from those of urban churches. They are vital and enthusiastic, but they do not have sufficient resources and trained leadership. The congregations and annual budgets are small. Several churches must function with a part-time priest who is available only for Sunday morning worship. Some do not have a priest at all and find it extremely difficult to locate supply clergy. The goal of the RCMC is to provide resident clergy for rural churches.

To do this, they have introduced a new ministry that Bishop Stanton has named "The Titus Project." The program is designed to identify, train, and ordain people to serve in rural churches.

Last year, the RCMC invited small-town church leaders to gather at convention in order to become better acquainted with each other. The meeting was so successful that, at the attendees' requests, the RCMC sponsored a rural church gathering in Feb. 2007.

They will hold a second meeting Feb. 9, 2008, at St. Philip's in Sulphur Springs. These gatherings will provide information and resources so that lay leaders can remain effective and enthusiastic in their ability to provide programs for their communities.

The commission encourages the diocese's urban churches to become aware of this opportunity for mission in their own backyard. Why should they get involved? Because one-third of the diocese's parishes and missions have long remained unnoticed and struggling for their own sacramental ministry. The Rev. Jerry Hill, RCMC chair, explains, "Rural churches represent the 'life-blood' of the church. At a time when our diocese is committed to growth, ignoring rural needs is shameful and does no justice to our evangelism goals. Evangelism is not just words; it is work to be done."

RCMC member, the Rev. Jerry Morriss, adds, "It would be a mutual blessing for city folks to get involved with their country cousins and offer support where needed. The diocese's rural churches represent a true mission field, and city and rural churches need to form partnerships in order to gather in the harvest."

The work is just beginning, and the RCMC remains eager and excited to assist rural churches in every way possible.

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