A Host congregation is a congregation that houses people at their facility as well as supports with like kind donations, volunteers and also financial support to whatever degree is available.

The following congregations are hosting congregations:

Christ the Servant

Christ UMC

Creekwood UMC

Custer Road UMC

First Christian

First UMC

Forest Grove Christian

Friendship Baptist

Grace Presbyterian

Redeemer PCA

Rockbridge

Stonebridge UMC

Trinity Presbyterian

West Plano Presbyterian

Become a Part of Family Promise and Help Those in Our community

Family Promise is setting up a network in Collin County. The people of our community need our help. Family Promise provides a Day Center facility where the guests reside during the day and transportation to/from the Day Center. It is staffed with a full-time social worker who works with the families to secure housing. They need host congregations to house the guests and provide meals for the night for one week every three months. The size of the group of guests is limited to fourteen people (usually three to four families) and their stay in the program is limited to 60 days.

What is required to become a host church?

Space for up to 5 families, 14 individuals, to stay for a week at a time, once every 3 months. The space used can be classrooms, offices or a large hall with dividers. Since a host congregation is providing hospitality to families for the week, the guests' areas are not broken down during the day. (Usually, congregations host 2 to 4 families at a time.

•     A common area for meals, homework, relaxation and fellowship.
•     Two bathrooms: one for women; one for men. (The day center provides showers.)
•     Space for volunteers to sleepover (any available space at the congregation can be used, e.g: offices, hallway, etc.)
•     A kitchen for meal preparation (dinners may be cooked at the congregation or brought in and heated there), a refrigerator, food staples and necessary clean up items.
•     The congregation is responsible for all meals (nutritious cooked dinners, simple breakfasts and supplies for sack lunches), utilities (heat/cooling, water and electricity), linens, and variousbasic items such as toys, soap, etc. The network supplies the beds.
•     Volunteers: A congregation should always have at least 2 volunteers present and generally notmore than 4 at a time. Volunteers can come from other congregations and organizations; allvolunteers undergo orientation before they begin.

How can you get involved in this new ministry?

Currently, a pool of volunteers is being formed to help with specific tasks in becoming a host church. Volunteers are needed in the following ways:

•     Dinner and evening volunteer (5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.)
•     Overnight volunteer (8:30 p.m. – 6:00 a.m.)
•     Breakfast volunteer (6:00 a.m. – 7:30 a.m.)
•     Meal preparation (for evening meal, served at 6:30 p.m.)
•     Sunday afternoon setup (beds, tables, room dividers)
•     Sunday cleanup (7:00 a.m. – beds ready for pickup)
•     Help with weekly laundry (sheets, towels)
•     Doctor on call
•     Nurse on call
•     Donate needed items, such as food supplies, paper goods
•     Family mentor
•     Organize recreational activities