A Morning of Mulch and Service

Every few years, our inclusive playground needs a fresh layer of mulch—not because the old mulch is completely replaced, but because it settles and compacts over time. What looks like a simple maintenance job is actually an important part of keeping the playground safe, usable, and healthy for the trees around it. The mulch helps with drainage, cushions the play area, and keeps the grounds in good condition for the children who use them every day.

This was not ordinary landscaping mulch. It was International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA)-certified mulch, an engineered wood fiber designed specifically for playground use. The job required shovels, wheelbarrows, buckets, organization, and a great deal of labor.

The work became a community effort. Volunteers from the Community Health Awareness for Adolescents and Teens (C.H.A.A.T.) summer day camp program, children and teachers from the BT Early Learning Center summer camp, and several other adults came together to take on the task. C.H.A.A.T. was involved because the group needed a community service project, they were already on the BT campus, and the playground mulch project gave them a practical way to serve.

The amount of mulch was impressive. Several truckloads were delivered, and future work would bring even more—four trucks carrying seven yards each, for a total of twenty-eight yards, or roughly eighteen tons of mulch. In the past, the job had always been done with volunteer labor, creating tremendous savings while also giving people a chance to work together for a shared purpose.

Steve Grinnell began the day working alone, the morning felt a little slow and uncertain. When the children and other volunteers arrived, however, his attitude changed. The work was no longer his burden alone. What he had expected to be a frustrating morning became, in his words, a blessing. Children, teenagers, teachers, and adults moved together across the playground, filling buckets, pushing wheelbarrows, and spreading mulch into play areas.

The children brought an energy that changed the whole atmosphere. Some wanted to shovel. Others preferred carrying buckets. A few of the younger children wanted to push wheelbarrows. The BT Early Learning Center summer day camp children came with smaller buckets and hurried back and forth with excitement. The adults had to remind them to slow down so no one would get hurt, but their enthusiasm made the hard work feel lighter.

The adults were organized and steady and worked alongside the children, helping them stay focused and safe while allowing them to choose jobs they were excited to do. Music played through a small sound system, adding to the sense that this was more than a chore; it was a shared experience.

By 11 o’clock, the work was finished. The enormous piles of mulch had disappeared, and the playground had been renewed. What had seemed at first like a heavy job became manageable because so many hands joined in. The children were hard workers, the adults provided structure, and everyone contributed to something that would benefit the community.

The most memorable part of the day was not just the amount of mulch moved, or the money saved on labor. It was the way the project brought people together. One adult who had started the morning working alone admitted that he was not happy at first. But when the children and volunteers arrived, his attitude changed completely. What he thought might be a difficult morning became a blessing.

In the end, the mulch project showed how ordinary service can become meaningful when a community works together. Buckets of mulch, shovels, wheelbarrows, and a playground became the setting for teamwork, responsibility, and joy. The children learned that they could contribute, the adults saw the power of organized cooperation, and the playground was renewed through everyone’s effort.

Hope in the Heart of the City

An organization that prevails is one that adapts to a changing environment in order to meet the needs of people. It does not rest on past successes, nor does it rage against gathering clouds. Instead, it uses the past as a prelude and presses on to greater heights.

Its leaders understand the times, looking for where God is at work—because God is always at work.

For more than 100 years, we have navigated community change. From pastureland to upscale suburbs to the inner city, we have sought to meet the spiritual and physical needs of our neighbors.

During the Great Depression, a “Tent City” of homeless people formed a mile east of us. We brought blankets, clothing, food, and medicine. At the same time, we operated a soup kitchen a mile to the north.

In the late 1960s, the construction of I-10 and HemisFair ’68 radically changed the neighborhood. Homes were demolished. People and financial resources migrated north. But we stayed.

Sewing classes, ESL instruction, a medical clinic, a methadone program, sports and recreation for all ages, and an early learning center emerged to meet community needs. They were later joined by a food pantry, clothing closet, and counseling ministries.

Today, we serve in a community where life expectancy is ten years lower than in some neighborhoods on the north side of San Antonio.

Yet, in the middle of this so-called under-resourced area, stands this magnificent facility: eighty thousand square feet on three acres. We are located on I-10 near a major exit, close to Interstates 35, 37, and 410, just one block from two bus routes, with ample parking and a dedicated cadre of workers—many from this very community.

Around us stands a growing network of churches, businesses, nonprofits, foundations, and individuals committed to breaking the bonds of generational poverty.

There are many success stories. The hungry are fed. The homeless are housed. Addicts are finding sobriety. But some of the greatest victories are among our youth.

Let me tell you about Coby. He grew up in our children’s and youth ministries, nurtured by caring adults who faithfully brought him and his sister to church. He became one of the 60 percent in our community who graduate from high school and later received a full scholarship to the University of the Incarnate Word… as a saxophone player.

Though he attended a high school often viewed as less competitive than those in more affluent communities, he was given the tools, encouragement, and support needed to succeed at a major university.

Then there is Meosha, who lived in Denver Heights as a child, and went to college om an athletic scholarship.

This month, another of our students, Diego, will graduate from St. Mary's University and be commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Texas Army National Guard. Destiny will also graduate from St. Mary’s this month.

There are many others who have continued their education beyond high school thanks to the John and Mary Ellen Long grants. There is hope.

We have also provided internship opportunities for students from Baylor University, Our Lady of the Lake University, The University of Texas at San Antonio, and Baptist University of the Americas, along with a workforce training program for special-needs students through SAISD.

This summer, we will host the Texas Baptist Deaf Conference for the second time, along with a two-week camp for children with special needs.

Each month we:

    •    provide 623 boxes of groceries,
    •    serve 775 free dinners,
    •    distribute 182 lunch bags,
    •    provide 83 clothing changes for homeless individuals, and
    •    serve 2,620 free school meals.

But we offer more than handouts. We offer friendship and dignity. We provide support groups, counseling, and classes in life skills and health.

From the Early Learning Center to Funeral Caring USA, we care for our community from cradle to grave. In between, we provide respite care, Empower House, Divine Women, ceramics classes, and five churches working together in a multifaceted, holistic approach to loving our neighbors.

We receive generous support from foundations including the Baptist Health Foundation, the Charity Ball Association, the Texas Baptist Missions Foundation, and H-E-B Tournament of Champions. Their support has helped fund major repairs and improvements, including our inclusive playground—where children with disabilities can play alongside their typically abled friends—and our gymnasium, where six youth basketball teams practice. Sports help keep young people healthy, engaged in school, and out of trouble. Children and adults alike use these facilities.

Support also comes from individuals, churches, businesses, and nonprofit organizations. During COVID, a government grant allowed our Early Learning Center to remain open and continue serving the children of essential workers.

As the needs have increased, so have the resources. This year, HP CAN became a Texas nonprofit organization recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3). We are preparing to bring in additional partners, expand our services, and increase the number of people we serve.

Bigger, Better, Stronger

It is time to level up—to provide more services to more people and to break the soul-crushing cycle of generational poverty that plagues our community.

The Highland Park Community Assistance Network has operated for more than ten years as an unincorporated association and a ministry of Baptist Temple. Its most visible expressions have been the services provided at the Brunnemann Building—the thrift store, food pantry, and community garden—along with the many community ministries that operate across the Baptist Temple campus.

This network of churches and service organizations is strengthened by a growing number of off-campus partners who provide essential services and resources. It also includes an expanding base of volunteers and financial supporters who are vital to our mission.

As the needs of our community have grown, so have the resources. We have reached a turning point. We must now build capacity and expand our network. To that end, Highland Park CAN has been formally incorporated as a nonprofit corporation, and we have applied for 501(c)(3) designation with the IRS.

This step will allow us to seek funding from foundations and businesses that do not provide grants to churches. More importantly, it will enable us to expand partnerships to address both the spiritual and material poverty of our neighbors more effectively.

This ministry outpost is strategically positioned near the heart of San Antonio, with access to four interstates and two bus routes. It sits in a zip code where life expectancy is lower than in much of the city. It encompasses 80,000 square feet of ministry space and rests on a long history of faithful service, supported by a strong and growing base.

It is vital that this work continue—and that it remains what it has long been: an oasis of hope in a desert of need. 

Baptist Temple’s Witness in Changing Times

Researchers estimated that 15,000 churches would close in the United States in 2025, the highest single-year total on record. Most closures were expected among mainline Protestant denominations—Methodists, Presbyterians, and Lutherans—churches that had been shrinking for years.

Among evangelical churches, the picture was more complex. Large congregations, particularly those with regional or digital reach, remained stable. Some even grew. However, many small evangelical churches closed. These closures reflected demographic shifts, changing patterns of participation, and the long shadow of the pandemic.

Some churches sold property and relocated; others gave birth to new churches before disbanding. Some created community spaces, partnered with other ministries, or repurposed facilities to serve broader needs. It was a year of honest questions about mission, stewardship, and presence.

Baptist Temple remained, committed to presence over numbers and content to be smaller if it meant staying rooted. Old memories—revivals, full choirs, packed Sunday schools—no longer defined the present reality. Yet they remained witnesses, reminding the congregation that faithfulness is measured in obedience rather than numbers. BT’s story is about a sanctuary that remained open, a congregation that refused to surrender its calling, and ministries that adapted rather than disappeared—a story of resilience.

The neighborhood changed, attendance dipped, and the pandemic disrupted familiar rhythms. What emerged was not retreat but resolve. The church learned new ways to serve the community, simplified programs, leaned into relationships, and reclaimed the basics of worship, teaching, and care. BT learned that strength is not measured in size but in presence.

Attendance did not return to former highs, but engagement deepened and baptisms followed. New leaders emerged. The church remembered that it did not exist to preserve a building or a legacy but to bear witness to the gospel in this place and time.
BT remained faithful in a neighborhood shaped by poverty, transition, and displacement. Success came to be measured in food served, prayers offered, and doors kept open—a place of continuity in a continually changing neighborhood. Victory looked like persistence: a church still gathering, a pastor still preaching, a congregation still praying for its neighborhood.

Baptist Temple’s story is not one of decline but of survival shaped by faith—a church that weathered cultural change, economic pressure, and seasons of uncertainty and still remains. Still worshiping. Still serving. Still standing.

When the Church Becomes the Community

The Brunnemann Building at Baptist Temple carries more than a name. It carries a story. 

Kay Richardson remembers why it matters.

The building was named for her father, Max—someone who grew up in the church and spent his life helping it search for ways to connect with the surrounding neighborhood.

Once a store owned by her grandfather, the structure went through numerous changes before becoming a center of activity where food and fellowship, clothing and care, and haircuts and hugs are shared.

By the time Richardson’s father was honored with the building that bears his name, he was already deep into his illness. He never lived to see what would finally emerge there.

“I think about how thrilled he would be to see what’s happening now,” Richardson said. “The thrift store. The food pantry. The Tuesday night meals. They’re bringing in the community the way it always should have been.”

On Tuesday evenings, the church cafeteria is filled with people enjoying a free meal. For some it’s the only hot meal they get all week, for others it is a chance to sit with their family. For one working mother with five small children, it ‘s a welcome break. Volunteers bring the meals and help with the kids.

Volunteers prepare food and greet guests, but the room itself belongs to the community. On a recent Tuesday night, Richardson looked around the room and noticed something striking.

“Almost everyone there was from the community,” she said. “Not church members—except the volunteers. Just people. Some homeless. Some not. But all enjoying the food, the fellowship, and the space.”

And sometimes, something deeper happens.

That same night, a man who had suffered a stroke—unable to speak—kept pointing across the room. Richardson followed his gaze and approached the other man.

“I think this man knows you,” she said.

The recognition was immediate. The two men had been patients in the same rehabilitation facility, both recovering from strokes. They were reunited unexpectedly over a shared meal.

“These little connections keep happening,” Richardson said. “That’s when you realize what this space really is.”

The question of whether these relationships lead people to church—or to faith—is never far from the surface. Richardson speaks about it candidly.

“Yes, it matters,” Richardson said. “But we also know this is a slow process.”

The priority, she explained, is trust. For now, the work is simple and steady: Listening, trust-building, and offering unconditional love.

“We ask how we can pray for them. We read a short scripture. We invite them to services,” she said. “Sometimes they come. Some people from the community have even joined the church this year. But mostly, we’re focused on showing love—one week at a time.”

Vernon Liverette sees it from another angle. People may not realize how many hands it takes to make the ministry work: unloading food trucks, organizing shelves, sorting clothes, helping families shop, brewing coffee, welcoming strangers.
“It takes all of us,” he said. “And when we work together, that’s when we make an impact.”

For many who come through the pantry doors, Baptist Temple is not simply a church—it is the church.

“Some of them tell us, ‘You’re the only ones who care. You’re like my family,’” Liverette said. “And for some, we may be the only church they have contact with at all.”

Those served include grandparents raising grandchildren, families under financial strain, and people just needing a place to sit for a while. Everyone is met the same way—with dignity, food, and presence.

“That doesn’t happen without volunteers. No matter your role, your contribution matters. It makes a real difference,” said Liverette addressing a group at the annual volunteer Christmas party.

He paused, then smiled.

“And you should all give yourselves a round of applause.”
After years of uncertainty, Baptist Temple did not reinvent itself through strategy alone. It changed by showing up consistently—feeding people, learning names, listening to stories, and allowing the church to become part of the community it had long hoped to serve.

And in the Brunnemann Building, a legacy finally found its fulfillment.

Your contributions to our ministry helps us feed the hungry. 

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The Community Ministry Era

 

 

Rose Flynn helps a person seeking groceries.

 

 

 

Community ministry is part of Baptist Temple’s DNA. The church’s involvement dates to the Great Depression when food, clothes and medications were brought to the homeless camp near the church. Even before then, the Women’s Missionary Union (WMU) had always been active in local ministry actions. Furthermore, Community ministry ran parallel to the recreation ministries of the Church Recreation Era. The medical clinical and methadone program stand out prominently during these years.

As church attendance declined and the community changed, staff reductions became necessary. Ministries that focused on recreation and life stages were reduced to part time or combined with core staff positions such as Associate Pastor or Minister of Music.

What marks the Community Ministry Era as distinct, is the way it dominated the conversation and the budget of Baptist Temple from 1995 to 2020. Beginning with the pastorate of Mark Newton, in 1995, there was a marked decline in the interest of sports. Subsequently, the ballpark and Pipe Creek properties went up for sale. Although, Young in Heart was still active, the numbers were down and most of the seniors that were “coming of age” were more interested in serving opportunities than in sightseeing.

There had always been a struggle between those who looked at the church to provide member services and those who wanted to reach out to the community. Early victories by the “member services group” were gained with the closure of the TOUCH methadone clinic (1974-1984) and Fighting Back (1991-98) but the community ministry voices were growing stronger.

In 1998, Newton launched the Going Beyond These Walls campaign; an effort to encourage church members to engage with ministry in the community. Among the highlighted ministries at the time were the Christian Women’s Job Corps, Community Homeless Street Ministry, Habitat for Humanity, and the Prison Ministry. One lasting result was that two Habitat for Humanity homes were built in 2000 and 2001.

Community Ministry received another boost in 2006, when ten percent of the money received from the Pipe Creek property sale was set aside for missions. Suddenly, the Community Ministry Committee seemed to be continually at work with projects that included Highland Park Elementary School, Southeast food pantry, Grace House, Fall Festival, the Christian Women’s Job Corps, and more. People would rally whenever a community ministry event was announced.

However, most of these efforts took place off campus. Our centrally located, 80,000 square foot campus on nearly three acres, was eerily quiet during the week. I wondered, “If the church buildings were to disappear overnight, who would miss them?” 

I also wondered, “How can we make this campus an asset to the community? A lighthouse shining God’s light to our neighbors?”

We were able to make some easy changes right away. We had a three-story education building that lay dormant all week. Jubilee Academy quickly filled it with a charter school. Soon, our daycare was accepting vouchers so that children from our neighborhood could attend one of the best daycares in the Southside. Plus, we added after school care. The gym was another underutilized asset but now, the school uses it during the day and a growing number of community recreation groups use it at night.

Taking advantage of a grant offered by the Baptist General Convention of Texas, we hired Wesley Craig to be Baptist Temple’s first Minister of Missions in 2009. His job was to organize the many great ideas that were floating around, channel the tremendous energy generated by the zeal for community ministries, and liaison with the many local, state and national organizations with whom we could partner.

Craig arranged for the San Antonio Food Bank mobile food pantry to come to Baptist Temple once a month and provide shopping cart loads of groceries to over 200 people. We also became among the first San Antonio churches to become a Summer Feeding site for the Food Bank. Summer ministry interns and mission teams would provide a free summer day camp that was organized around the free lunch.

The building at 850 E. Drexel had been unused since 1998. It had been considered for ministry use from time to time, but the cost seemed too high. In 2011, God laid it on the hearts of Baptist Temple’s members to remodel the property for ministry use. Money, labor and material were donated by young and old, and the Max Brunnemann Building was dedicated that Fall. It would house the thrift store, food pantry and community garden.

Sharing space was another way for Baptist Temple to serve the community. Sixteen churches have worshiped on the Baptist Temple Campus over the past decade. Along with churches a variety of organizations have delivered needed services as well. From school supplies, to parenting classes, to funerals, the Baptist Temple Campus has become a support hub, providing for the physical and spiritual needs of our under-resourced community.

When the need to replace the playground arose, we decided to make it inclusive. That way children with disabilities would be able to play with children of typical abilities, helping them to overcome the isolation that can be more painful than the physical limitations. We were able to create a playground worth a quarter million dollars with the help of our partners and friends.

Partners and friends helped us to purchase and remodel a house adjacent to the church. Short-term mission volunteers stay at the house and serve the community in a variety of ways, usually working with children.

We are currently in the process of overhauling the gym. It remains an important resource to our community, teaching youth to develop a lifestyle that embraces healthy habits and helping adults fight obesity and its related diseases. Once again, our partners and friends have helped us to be a blessing to our neighbors.

Prior to the disruption of the pandemic, we had over 1000 folks on the campus each day. If the buildings were to disappear overnight, they would be missed by many. By God’s grace Baptist Temple entered the 21^st Century as a beacon to this community. Jesus said, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

 

BAPTIST TEMPLE STATEMENT ON COVID-19

Archangel Michael slays Satan

For God has not given us a spirit of fear,
but of power and of love 
and of a sound mind. 
2 Timothy 1:7 

We face a serious crisis. This is a time for the church to step up to take the lead in caring and fighting fear. We are either an important part of society or we are irrelevant.

Last week, many churches canceled public worship. Some moved to a video model. Yet, people still crowded into restaurants, bars, stores and theaters.

This week, many more churches are canceling events and public worship indefinitely. We have been told that this emergency will last until August. The CDC recommended bans on all groups over ten. San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg has declared a state of emergency and prohibits gatherings over 50. Churches are exempt from this prohibition; as are restaurants, stores, the airport, hospitals, shelters and the jail. These are considered necessary gatherings.

There are some churches who don't consider public worship necessary in this emergency. Baptist Temple is not one of them. I received a call last week from a friend who attended a megachurch that had opted for online worship only. He is not comfortable with that and asked if we were having public worship. We were. He came with his family. He is in an at-risk category but he was going to worship somewhere.

We decided to close our early learning center out an “abundance of caution.” It was a mistake. I received an email from a colleague the day we closed asking about open child-care centers. There was a looming crisis in our hospitals due to the absence of essential staff who had to stay home to care for their children. We decided to reopen after a few days of training, cleaning and new protocols. We are accepting new children and will be at full capacity. Our early learning center decided to step up and serve in this time of need.

Baptist Temple will step up and serve in this time of need. We will gather together for worship this Sunday as will many other churches. If you are sick, please stay home. If you are at risk do as you feel appropriate. You will not be judged either way. Invite people without a place of worship. They can visit with us until their churches reopen.

We will be serving a free community meal on Wednesday nights at five. The thrift store and food pantry will remain open. There will be ceramics on Monday. Sunday School will also continue.

Baptist Temple has weathered the Spanish Flu and the Great Depression. We laid the cornerstone of our sanctuary days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. God put us here for a time like this. 

No evil shall befall you,

Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling. 
Psalm 91:10

Reaching people on the margins

Ribbon cutting ceremony for the
San Antonio Clubhouse site on the BT Campus.

San Antonio Clubhouse is the newest member of the Baptist Temple Campus family of churches and service organizations that meet the spiritual and physical needs of our community. SA Clubhouse is a self-help program where adults with mental health conditions can volunteer, learn, and grow. The Baptist Temple site is a satellite of the main campus and will be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Founded in 2003, The SA Clubhouse serves as a model of success for people living with mental illness by promoting life skills, job skills, employment, wellness, recreation, connections to resources and healthy meals. Executive Director Mark Stoeltje reports, “Ninety one percent of clubhouse members reported a reduced need for psychiatric intervention and 84 percent reported fewer run-ins with law enforcement.”

Baptist Temple's efforts at serving people with special needs began in 2009 when a Texas Baptist representative called Pastor Jorge Zayasbazan and asked if they would host a Deaf congregation. Pastor Zayasbazan enthusiastically answered, “Yes! It's an answer to our prayers.”

The result of that call has been FamilyDeaf Church worshiping in American Sign Language on the Baptist Temple Campus for ten years. They not only serve the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community but, also, their hearing family members. Family Deaf Church is the only Baptist church in San Antonio that is centered around Deaf Culture.

John Richey, pastor of Family Deaf Church said, “The Deaf are a distinct culture with its own challenges. They have common needs that are best understood in their own context. That requires more than an interpreted service.”

Baptist Temple continues to find ways to provide services to people on the margins. They are now in the process of developing an inclusive playground so children with disabilities can play with their friends of typical abilities. Play is an important part of every child's development. It helps develop social, physical and problem solving skills. However, children with disabilities often lack places to play. This is especially true in the Southside of San Antonio; an area declared to be a very low opportunity area for children (according to DiversityDataKids.org.)

Inclusive playgrounds allow children of different ability levels to play together. They can inspire mutual understanding, friendships, and a real sense of community. Children who learn to play with children of all ability levels will be better prepared for a diverse work environment. This will be the first inclusive playground on the Southside open to the community.

Baptist Temple has already raised 80% of their funding goal through a combination of donations, fund-raisers and grants from the Baptist Health Foundation and the Charity Ball Association. They seek to raise another $24,000 this Fall. Donations can be made online at www.mybtsa.org or mailed to Baptist Temple, 901 E. Drexel, San Antonio, TX 78210.

Baptist Temple recognized as Compassionate San Antonians

Billy Palmer, Karen Newman, Robert Newman, Jonathan Clark, Melissa Baxter, Councilwoman Rebecca Villagran, Pastor Jorge Zayasbazan, Mayor Ron Nirenberg, Clinton Blumberg, Cathy Blumberg, Louise Stutteville, Ann Helmke

San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg presented Baptist Temple Church of San Antonio the Compassionate San Antonian Award on March 20. The award recognizes individuals who serve our community through acts of kindness and compassion, making a difference in the lives of others. Baptist Temple was nominated along with several District 3 churches by the City of San Antonio's Faith Based Initiative Liaison, Ann Helmke. 

Baptist Temple was recognized for the innovative ways it has used its large inner-city city campus to serve the spiritual and physical needs of the community. These services include a PK4 through 8^th grade charter school, an infant through 5 years early learning center, a thrift store and food pantry, a prison ministry, a performing arts ministry, crafts classes, support groups, counseling and more. On Sundays, six independent churches conduct worship from 9 AM to 3 PM. These include a congregation that worships in Spanish and one in American Sign Language. To complete our cradle to grave services, our campus offers funeral services that are dignified and affordable.

All of these services are made possible by collaborating with others who share our desire to make our community and world a better place. One such collaboration brought a solar array to the roofs of the Baptist Temple Campus. A venture capital firm sells the solar energy collected to CPS Energy. For the use of our roof space, Baptist Temple receives a credit on our utility bill. While the credit is good thing, we are most excited about being a part of the effort to become less dependent on imported fossil fuels; an effort that is both earth-friendly and may keep us out of future wars. 

Recently, Baptist Temple has launched two cutting-edge efforts designed to bring lasting change to our community. The first involves breaking the bonds of generational poverty. We believe our best chance of bring lasting change is to reach children between the ages of 9-14. This is when their world view is forming. 

Baptist Temple seeks to help these children to stay in school and move on to college, trade school or the military. A world of success awaits them. All of our high schools have the resources to make our students succeed if they take advantage of the opportunities provided.

A second endeavor is an inclusive playground that will enable special needs children and children with typical abilities play together. This will foster mutual understanding, friendships, and a real sense of community. Baptist Temple is always looking for ways to be a positive impact on the community.

Partners multiply our impact while dividing our overhead costs.

Healing our children

The Gospel of Luke tells us of a father who brought his son to Jesus' followers, seeking healing for his son's seizures. The disciples had failed and a mocking crowd had gathered when Jesus enters the scene. The father called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.” (Luke 9:38-40, NIV)

The Apostle Paul wrote that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12,NIV)

This boy and his father were battling forces beyond their control. People, often, find themselves in terrible plight due to the powers that make decisions that impact all of our lives.

These decisions include deed restrictions that insured some neighborhoods would remain “white.” Unrestricted neighborhoods would have smaller lots, poorly built homes, inferior roads, sewage and other municipal services. These deed restrictions were struck down by the US Supreme Court in 1948 (Shelley v. Kraemer) but the damage was done. When you realize that the majority of most American's wealth is invested in their homes, you can see the long-lasting implications of this policy.

Another such decision occurred when the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) was created in 1934 to encourage home ownership during the Great Depression by guaranteeing bank loans. They green lined (approved) mortgages for new construction in the suburbs and red lined (declined) mortgages in inner-city areas with high crime rates, poor housing stock, and poor infrastructure. Those who could, moved out. Only the poorest remained. A lower tax base impacted the quality of schools trapping families into generational poverty.

In 2012, Pew Research named San Antonio the most economically segregated city in America. The south side has high unemployment, low high school graduation, few job opportunities, lack of nearby fresh food markets and healthcare, large numbers of people receiving government assistance. DiversityDataKids.org has declared the south side a low opportunity area for children, increasing vulnerability to human trafficking and drug addiction. A child born and raised in 78210 has a life expectancy 20 years shorter than one born & raised in the north side.

Like Jesus' disciples, non-profits, government agencies and churches want to help but seem to fall short. Donor contributions and tax dollars fund programs that show promise but generational poverty continues.

It is possible to overcome these unseen forces. Two Baptist Temple youth, who grew up on the south side and graduated from south side high schools, each received full scholarships to private universities in San Antonio. The resources to succeed are available on the south side. The key is to encourage more kids to take advantage of them.

Jesus succeeded where the disciples failed. Later, he would tell them that “This kind can come out only by prayer.” (Mark 9:29, NIV)

Spiritual weapons are required to fight spiritual battles. Jesus did three things in this passage:

1. He REBUKED the spirit. We need to speak out against injustices that bring harm to vulnerable people.
2. He HEALED the boy. We need to bring healing to the people of our communities through mentoring relationships that minister to physical and spiritual needs.
3. He RETURNED the boy to his father. We need to restore families, not replace them.

The crowd that had gathered to mock the disciples for their failure, now were amazed at God's greatness. The church is at its best when it brings healing to our fallen world.