SIngle Parent Family

MINISTRY

Single Parent Family Ministry Houston:

St. John's and PCHAS Mission Story



When someone asks me what St. John's Presbyterian Church stands for, I could talk about our worship style or our building or our programs. But I'd rather tell you about the four duplexes sitting across the parking lot from our fellowship hall.


Those buildings represent the most important thing about this church. They show you what happens when a congregation decides that following Jesus means more than keeping everybody comfortable.


They tell the story of faith that stood firm when neighbors got angry, when signs appeared throughout the neighborhood attacking us, when form letters flooded our mailboxes, and when a private investigator tried to dig up dirt on our ministry partners.


Let me tell you what it really costs to serve Houston's most vulnerable families.


What Single Parent Family Ministry Actually Does


Before we get to the drama (and there was plenty), you need to understand what we're actually talking about here.

Single Parent Family Ministry isn't a handout program. It's not emergency housing. It's a comprehensive two-year program that helps single parents and their children move from crisis to stability to genuine independence.

These are families standing on the edge. One missed paycheck from homelessness. One car breakdown from losing a job. One medical bill from complete financial collapse.


Most of them are working. Many work two jobs. But when you're raising kids alone in Houston without family support, without savings, without anyone to fall back on, the math just doesn't work. One crisis and everything falls apart.


The program provides safe housing while teaching real skills. Parenting classes because raising kids alone is hard and nobody gives you a manual. Money management because you can't build stability without understanding how money actually works. Career advancement support because minimum wage jobs won't ever get you out of the cycle.


It's intense. It's demanding. It holds people accountable. And it works.


We have one of the highest success rates in the nation. That's not us bragging. That's Presbyterian Children's Homes and Services (PCHAS), one of the most respected nonprofits in Texas, proving that when you actually invest in people instead of just managing their poverty, lives change.


How the Partnership Started


Around 2013, PCHAS approached us with a proposal. They had a pilot program in Weatherford, Texas that was changing lives. Single parent families who completed the program were moving into stable housing, advancing in careers, breaking generational cycles of poverty.


They needed a Houston partner. They needed property for four duplexes that could house seven single parent families plus a full-time social worker. They would design, build, fund, and staff everything. They just needed a church that believed in the mission enough to provide the land.


We had the land. We had partnered with PCHAS for years, providing office space and supporting various programs. We knew their work. We trusted their track record.


But we didn't fully understand what we were getting into.


When the Neighborhood Went to War


I wish I could tell you that everyone celebrated when they heard we were going to help families escape homelessness. That would make a nice story.


Here's what actually happened.


The Meyerland Civic Improvement Association, our neighborhood organization, lost their minds. Signs went up throughout the neighborhood: "St. John's Presbyterian Church we want you but STOP PCHAS! Love your neighborhood!"


Think about that for a second. They took Jesus' command to love your neighbor and twisted it into a weapon against families in crisis.


Letters flooded our church office. About 80 form letters, some with handwritten messages, telling us to abandon the project because the neighborhood felt so strongly against it. Someone got our church mailing list (we still don't know how) and sent anti-PCHAS materials to members' homes.


Every Sunday, we came to church and found our windshields papered with flyers attacking the ministry. Walking into worship while reading about how your church is supposedly destroying the neighborhood makes for an interesting spiritual preparation.


One neighbor funded a private investigator to examine the "police call record" of the year-old pilot program in Weatherford. They wanted dirt. They wanted proof that single parent families would bring crime and chaos.

The investigator's report backfired. All but one of the police calls came from inside the program, reporting concerns about people and events outside the facility. The families we were supposedly afraid of were the ones calling police about actual neighborhood problems.


That didn't slow down the opposition.


Community meetings got ugly. The Meyerland Civic Improvement Association tried every tactic they could think of. They attempted to involve the mayor. They demanded to be included as overseers of the program. They asked for money. They insisted on security measures.


They called it concern for property values. They called it protecting the neighborhood character. They used every phrase except the ones they actually meant.


Three Heroes Who Weren't Even Members


The opposition came from many directions, but so did the support. Three people I need to tell you about weren't even part of our congregation.


Lisa Gossett and Gerda Gomez, both Meyerland residents, showed up to every civic association meeting and challenged the fearmongering. They asked uncomfortable questions. They pointed out the inconsistencies. They refused to let the narrative go unchallenged. Both have since been elected to the Meyerland Civic Improvement Association board, which tells you something about courage and persistence.


Then there's Debra Tice, a Westbury resident and Catholic mother of a single parent daughter. She heard about one of the "Stop PCHAS" organizing events and decided to attend with her daughter and granddaughter. They carried signs supporting PCHAS.


Other attendees told them, "You might want to leave. There could be trouble."


Someone said, "Well, if all the single parents were like you we wouldn't have a problem. It's 'those people' we don't want."


Debra and her family stood their ground anyway.


(And if you're wondering, yes, that's the same Debra Tice whose son, journalist James Foley, was taken hostage in Syria just two months later while reporting on how war impacts children. Some people just have that kind of courage woven through their whole family.)


The Moment of Decision


I'm Pastor Jon Burnham. I've been serving at St. John's since before this battle began. And I can tell you honestly that this was the hardest decision I've faced in ministry.


Taking the easy path meant backing down. Apologizing to angry neighbors. Finding some way to gracefully withdraw from the partnership. Keeping everyone comfortable.


Taking the hard path meant standing firm for families nobody else wanted. It meant losing members. It meant enduring attacks. It meant trusting that God's mission doesn't depend on neighborhood approval.


I chose the hard path. Our session chose the hard path. Most of our congregation chose the hard path.


Not everyone did. We lost some members over this. People left because they agreed with the opposition. Others left because they didn't want to be part of a church involved in controversy.


Those departures hurt. Every single one. But I'd make the same choice again tomorrow.


Ann Hardy's Story: What It Cost to Stand Firm


Ann Hardy has been a member of St. John's since 1987. She's served as an elder, taught Sunday school, clerked our session, and poured her life into this congregation.


During the PCHAS battle, Ann was clerk of session. That meant she was in the middle of everything. She attended every heated meeting. She read every angry letter. She dealt with the private investigator's nonsense.


In her own words: "We were 'papered' in anti-PCHAS flyers on our windshields on Sunday. Somehow the 'Stop PCHAS' group got our mailing list and we received mail at home admonishing us to give up the project. There were signs throughout the neighborhood. It got very ugly."


But here's what Ann says about pushing forward: "Looking back, I realize we pushed forward in the congregation without having complete information. PCHAS did not give all the details of how the duplexes would look (they had not been designed yet), exactly what the vetting process would be, nor what the rules would be. There was a small group within the congregation that immediately was against it."


That took faith. Real faith. The kind that acts without perfect information because you trust the people you're partnering with and you trust that God's behind the mission.


Ann continues: "I cannot imagine this project turning out any better than it has. There has been very little in the way of problems. We know one of the original participants was not following the rules. When she was showing no progress she was asked to leave."


One family out of dozens who've come through. One. And that family was held accountable and moved out. That's not a failure of the program. That's exactly how good programs work.


What the Opposition Got Wrong About Everything


The people fighting this project made specific predictions. They said property values would drop. They said crime would increase. They said the neighborhood would deteriorate.


They were wrong about all of it.


Property values went up, not down. There's been virtually no increase in police calls related to the duplexes. The families who came through the program either stayed and became part of our church community or moved on to successful, independent lives.


One neighbor who had been particularly opposed came to me a couple years after the duplexes opened. He said, "I was wrong. I'm sorry I fought this."


I appreciated hearing that. But I wonder how many others still believe the fear instead of looking at the reality sitting across our parking lot.


The opposition was never really about property values or crime statistics. It was about fear. Fear of people who are different. Fear of families in crisis. Fear that somehow helping the vulnerable might cost us something.


They were right about that last part. It did cost us something. It cost us some members. It cost us some comfort. It cost us some standing with neighbors who wanted us to be a nice church that stayed in its lane.


But it bought us something far more valuable.


What We Gained by Standing Firm


The duplexes opened. Seven single parent families plus a full-time social worker moved in. And then the real work began.


Some of us volunteer to watch the children when moms are in parenting classes or Bible study. Lynne Parsons leads a weekly Bible study for the residents. We see these families at church events. We know their names. We watch their kids grow and settle and become calmer as stability gives them safety.


Ann Hardy says it beautifully: "It has been interesting to watch the children become better adjusted and calmer as being in a stable situation made them feel safe. What a joy to have been part of seeing the project from the beginning through to fully operational."


That's what we gained. We gained relationships with families we would never have known otherwise. We gained the privilege of watching lives transform right in front of us. We gained credibility with our own children and grandchildren who now see that church isn't just about Sunday morning performances.


We also gained something unexpected. The fierce opposition brought the rest of us closer together. Ann explains: "While we lost some members because of this, we gained some new ones because of it and the fierce opposition brought the rest of us closer together than we had been in a long time."


Fighting together for something that matters bonds people in ways potluck dinners never will.


Why Most Churches Would Have Backed Down


Let me be honest about why this is rare.


Most churches would have pulled the plug the minute opposition showed up. Not because they're bad churches or don't care about vulnerable families. But because avoiding conflict feels like wisdom and keeping peace looks like faithfulness.


Churches live in fear of losing members. We need those offering checks to pay the mortgage and the staff salaries. Upsetting members means risking the budget. So we learn to soften everything, to avoid anything controversial, to keep everyone comfortable.


We also fear neighborhood conflict. We want to be liked. We want our neighbors to think well of us. We want to maintain good relationships with community organizations. Standing firm against neighborhood opposition feels risky.


And honestly, many churches aren't sure enough about their mission to stand up under pressure. When you're not clear about why you exist beyond keeping current members happy, you'll fold the minute things get difficult.

St. John's stood firm because we knew what we were about. We're here to glorify God by making disciples and meeting human needs. That's not just words on our website. That's our actual mission.


Meeting human needs sometimes means making people uncomfortable. Making disciples sometimes means showing people what faithfulness looks like even when it costs something.


What This Teaches You About Choosing a Church


If you're looking for a church in Houston, this story should tell you more than any statement of beliefs or description of programs.


You need to ask different questions than most church shoppers ask.


Don't just ask what programs they offer. Ask what they've stood up for when it cost them something. Every church will tell you they care about justice and mercy and following Jesus. But which ones have actually paid a price for it?


Don't just ask how friendly they are to visitors. Ask who they're willing to fight for. It's easy to be welcoming when welcoming fits your comfort level. It's much harder to extend welcome when neighbors throw fits about it.

Don't just ask about their worship style or their preaching. Ask about their mission beyond their walls. Many churches do charity work that makes members feel good. Few churches do justice work that changes systems and transforms lives.


Look for evidence of real faith. Real faith takes risks. Real faith makes people uncomfortable sometimes. Real faith costs something.


How This Changes Your Understanding of Presbyterian Ministry


The Presbyterian Church (USA) gets criticized from multiple directions. Some people think we're too liberal. Others think we're not progressive enough. Everyone has opinions about our positions on various issues.

But here's what Presbyterian ministry actually looks like when you strip away the stereotypes and the debates.

We believe in doing things well. That's why we partnered with PCHAS instead of trying to run a program ourselves. They have expertise. They have systems. They have proven results. We provided the land and the community support. That's smart stewardship.


We believe in accountability. The program isn't just free housing. It's a demanding two-year commitment with clear expectations and real consequences for not meeting them. That's not mean. That's treating people like adults who are capable of growth and change.


We believe in addressing root causes, not just symptoms. Giving someone a place to sleep for a night helps, but it doesn't change anything. Teaching skills, building support systems, creating pathways to stability... that changes everything.


We believe the whole community shares responsibility. Our session made this decision together after extensive discussion and prayer. We didn't leave it to the pastor or a few key leaders. That's Presbyterian governance at work.


We believe in staying connected to the wider church. We're part of a denomination with resources and expertise and partners. PCHAS is a Presbyterian ministry. This partnership flows from our denominational commitments, not despite them.


The Families You're Not Seeing Everywhere Else


Here's something most people don't understand about single parent families in crisis.


They're often invisible.


The mom working two jobs to keep things together. The kids trying to do homework in a car because they're between housing. The family staying in different places each week because relatives can only help so much.

They're not on street corners. They're not in homeless shelters yet. They're in that terrifying space between barely making it and complete collapse.


Middle class people don't usually encounter them. We drive past them without seeing them. They're invisible because they're trying so hard to appear normal, to keep their kids in school, to maintain some dignity while everything falls apart.


Churches should be seeing these families. But most churches are designed to serve people who already have it together. Clean buildings. Programs that require reliable transportation. Expectations that everyone shows up looking put together and acting fine.


So these families stay invisible. They don't fit the picture of "our kind of people."


That's why this ministry matters so much. PCHAS finds families on the edge and gives them a path forward. St. John's provides the space and the community support. Together, we make invisible families visible and help them build lives that work.


What Success Actually Looks Like


PCHAS tracks outcomes. They know exactly how many families complete the program, how many maintain stable housing afterward, how many advance in their careers.


The numbers are remarkable. Most of the families who complete the program stay housed. Most continue advancing. Most break the cycle that trapped them.

But numbers don't tell you what success feels like.


Success is watching a mom walk across the stage at community college graduation while her kids cheer. It's seeing children relax because they finally feel safe. It's hearing a woman say, "I never thought I could do this" after she lands a better job.


Success is families who came through the program years ago still staying connected with our church. It's kids who grew up in those duplexes now doing well in school. It's watching generational patterns change right in front of you.


Success is also seeing our own members grow in faith and compassion. Volunteering with these families changes you. It breaks down the walls we build between "us" and "them." It makes Jesus' teachings about the least of these feel real instead of theoretical.


The Cost of Real Mission


Let me tell you what this ministry cost us beyond the controversy.


It cost us the illusion that we could follow Jesus without anybody getting upset. It cost us the comfortable assumption that mission means doing nice things that everyone approves of.


It cost us some relationships with neighbors who decided we were the problem. It cost us some members who couldn't handle the conflict.


But it gave us something irreplaceable. It gave us a ministry that matters. It gave us credibility with people who watch churches carefully to see if we actually mean what we say.


It gave us families who never would have known St. John's otherwise. Some stayed and became members. Others moved on but stayed connected. All of them know that at least one church in Houston actually cares about single parents in crisis.


Most importantly, it gave us a deeper faith. It's one thing to believe God calls us to serve the vulnerable when serving the vulnerable feels safe and popular. It's completely different to hold onto that conviction when half the neighborhood is calling you names and members are walking out.


That kind of faith gets tested and refined and proven. That kind of faith changes you.


Why Small Churches Can Do This Better


St. John's is not a mega church. We have about 200 active members. That's small by Houston standards.

But our size became an advantage in this situation.


In a church of 200, everybody knows about major decisions. You can't hide controversy. You can't let the staff handle difficult things while members stay blissfully unaware. Everyone's involved because everyone knows what's happening.


When we decided to move forward with PCHAS despite opposition, it wasn't just the pastor or session making that choice. It was the whole congregation wrestling with what faithfulness looks like and deciding together.

Our size also means we can actually form real relationships with PCHAS families. In a church of thousands, these seven families would get lost in the crowd. In a church of 200, we know their names. We watch their kids. We're part of their lives.


And our size means mission has to be intentional. We don't have huge budgets or large staffs. We can't throw money at problems. We have to be strategic about what we commit to and then follow through with actual relationship and presence.


That makes mission real instead of institutional.


What This Reveals About Your Church Search Priorities


If you're looking for a church in Houston and this story resonates with you, pay attention to that resonance.

Maybe you're tired of churches that talk about following Jesus but avoid anything risky. Maybe you've noticed how churches often serve people who already have it together while ignoring people in crisis. Maybe you're looking for a congregation that takes mission seriously enough to pay real costs for it.


St. John's isn't perfect. We're a messy collection of imperfect people trying to follow Jesus in a city that doesn't always make it easy. We make mistakes. We have conflicts. We disappoint each other and ourselves regularly.

But we know what we're about. We're here to glorify God by making disciples and meeting human needs. We take both parts of that mission seriously.


That means our worship is substantive, not entertainment. Our teaching tackles real issues, not just comfortable topics. Our community includes people from different backgrounds, different politics, different life situations. Our mission actually helps people instead of just making us feel good about ourselves.


It also means we're not for everyone. If you want a church where nobody ever gets upset, we're probably not your fit. If you need constant affirmation that you're doing great, you'll find us challenging. If you prefer mission that feels safe and looks impressive, our approach might frustrate you.


But if you're looking for authentic Christian community that's willing to live out what we say we believe, even when neighbors attack us and members leave and the easy path looks awfully tempting... then maybe you should visit us.


The Questions You Should Ask Your Next Church


Before you visit anywhere (including St. John's), think about these questions. Ask them directly if you get the chance. But mostly, watch and listen for the answers.


What has this church done that cost them something? Every church will tell you about their mission work. But have they ever done something that made members angry? Have they ever lost standing in the community for standing up for something? Have they ever risked their budget for a conviction?


Who does this church actually serve? Look past the mission statement. Who shows up? Who's missing? If everyone looks like they already have it together, that tells you something. If you see people from different backgrounds and life situations, that tells you something different.


What do members talk about when they explain why they stay? Do they talk about programs and services they receive? Or do they talk about how the church changed them, challenged them, gave them opportunities to serve that mattered?


How does this church handle conflict? Every church has conflict. But do they pretend everything's always fine? Do they avoid difficult topics? Or do they work through disagreements honestly while staying committed to each other?


What evidence do you see of real transformation? Are people growing in faith? Are lives changing? Is the community around the church being affected? Or is everyone just maintaining comfortable spiritual lives?


Where We Go From Here


The duplexes opened several years ago now. The initial controversy has faded. Most of our neighbors have either come around or at least stopped actively fighting us.


Dozens of families have come through the program. Most have succeeded. A few haven't made it, which happens with any program that holds people accountable.


We continue partnering with PCHAS on other initiatives. We continue supporting single parent families. We continue believing that this is exactly what churches should be doing.


The ministry has become normal for us now. It's just part of who we are. We volunteer with PCHAS families. We invite them to church events. We celebrate their victories and support them through setbacks.


That's what mission looks like when it becomes woven into congregational life instead of being an occasional project or special program.


But I don't want the normalization to make us forget what this cost or what it taught us.


It taught us that following Jesus sometimes means making people uncomfortable, including ourselves. It taught us that God's mission doesn't depend on neighborhood approval or member comfort. It taught us that standing firm through opposition bonds a community in ways nothing else can.


Most importantly, it taught us that we're capable of more faithfulness than we thought we were.


An Invitation to Something Real


If you're reading this and thinking "this is the kind of church I'm looking for," then come visit us.

St. John's Presbyterian Church sits at 5020 West Bellfort Avenue in Houston. We're in the Meyerland area, right in the middle of the city.


Our worship service is Sunday mornings at 11:00. It's traditional Presbyterian worship with hymns, piano, organ, and volunteer choir. We follow the lectionary. We celebrate communion regularly. We take worship seriously without taking ourselves too seriously.


After worship, people actually hang around and talk. We serve coffee and snacks in our fellowship hall. You can meet the pastor and some members and get a feel for the community.


If you want to see the PCHAS duplexes, just look across the parking lot. Those four buildings represent everything I've been telling you about who we are and what we care about.


You can also check out our Bible studies, our mission partnerships, our community garden, our support for single parent families, our work with seafarers and refugees and orphans in Uganda. We're involved in our community and the world in ways that matter.


But mostly, come see if this is a place where your faith can deepen and your gifts can matter and your questions are welcome.


We won't promise you comfortable Christianity or entertainment-focused worship or programs that meet your every need. We're not trying to be a one-stop religious shopping center.


We will promise you authentic community with people who take faith seriously. We'll promise you worship that focuses on God instead of making you feel good. We'll promise you opportunities to serve that actually change lives. We'll promise you teaching that challenges you to grow instead of affirming where you already are.


And we'll promise you a congregation that knows what it costs to stand firm for the vulnerable and is willing to pay that cost again.


What This Story Says About Houston Church Culture


Houston has hundreds of churches. Some have thousands of members and campuses that look like shopping malls. Others meet in storefronts or homes. There's every possible style and approach.


But most Houston churches, regardless of size, avoid real controversy. They stick with mission work that makes everyone feel good. They don't challenge their members or their communities in ways that might cause conflict.

I understand why. Churches need offerings to survive. Making members uncomfortable risks losing members. Making neighbors angry risks community opposition. Playing it safe feels like wisdom.

But playing it safe isn't faithful. And it's not what Houston needs.


This city has massive needs. Hundreds of thousands of people struggling in ways most of us never see. Single parent families on the edge. Refugees trying to rebuild. Kids with nobody to care about them. Elderly people isolated and alone.


Those needs won't be met by churches that only do comfortable mission work. They need churches willing to take risks, make people uncomfortable, and stand firm when opposition shows up.


St. John's isn't the only church in Houston doing this kind of work. But we're part of a minority that believes mission matters more than institutional comfort.


That minority needs to grow. Houston needs more churches willing to serve the vulnerable even when neighbors complain. More churches willing to partner with effective ministries even when the work looks messy. More churches willing to stand firm even when members walk out.


If you're looking for a church that represents that kind of faithfulness, come see us. We're not perfect, but we're trying to follow Jesus in ways that actually cost something.


And those four duplexes across the parking lot will remind you every Sunday why that matters.


Related Resources

If this article resonated with you, you might also find these helpful:


Visit St. John's Presbyterian Church

Address: 5020 West Bellfort Avenue, Houston, TX 77035
 Worship Service: Sundays at 11:00 AM
 Phone: 713-723-6262
 Email: office.sjpc@gmail.com

Come see what authentic mission-focused community looks like. Those four duplexes tell a story about faith that costs something and transforms everything.

We'll be glad to meet you.


Join Us in Ministry

Administration & Personnel

Reviews performance, compensation needs and development of staff. It also oversees the purchase and use of supplies and computer-related needs.

Caring & Fellowship

Provides for the personal needs of the members in our church family. Members of the committee regularly visit the home-bound and hospitalized members and act as lay caregivers to the bereaved. The committee plans and carries out social events and activities which bring church members and friends together. They also assimilate new members and maintains contact with college students and inactive members.

Christian Education

Seeks to provide Christian nurture in order that St. John-ers of all ages grow toward maturity in Christ by providing a full program of Christian education and nurture for members from nursery to maturity. These programs include Sunday church school classes, vacation church school, youth programs, confirmation & commissioning class, adult education groups, academies, lecture series, and work trips.

Faith in Action

Leads the congregation in serving those outside the four walls of the church, through ministries of service, compassion and social justice, and through the sharing of our faith stories and witness to the unchurched. Faith in Action sponsors an annual Holiday Gift Market that offers ways to buy alternative gifts and support local and international ministries.

Finance & Stewardship

Provides oversight, advice, and counsel to the Session and pastor on the day-to-day and long-term finances of the church. The Committee is directed to challenge the people of God with the duty and the privilege of sharing their money, time, and talents. It plans and directs the annual stewardship pledge drive and related activities, as well as maintains the volunteer opportunity sheets.

Property

Responsible for keeping all of the church buildings, space, equipment, and grounds repaired and maintained throughout the year, as well as reviewing new proposals to improve the property.

Worship

Responsible for the order of worship, the scheduling of the Sacraments, and the worship music program. Worship oversees the use of the sanctuary; provides ushers and lay leaders for each service; prepares the table for the Lord’s Supper; and makes recommendations for worship materials.