Who should come

You, and any of your friends who are interested in a ministry that is making a difference here in Austin and the state of Texas. We will have graduates from TGOHM that will share their experience with you. There will be volunteers, friends, God of Hope staff, Board of Directors and staff members from the prison that will share their experiences.

We want you to leave understanding what The God Of Hope accomplishes, and how you fit into it.

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What you can expect

You can enjoy a tour of the game ranch spotting exotic and endangered animals in a free range environment that will make you wonder if you are in the Serengeti, although you are only 20 minutes south of downtown Austin. Texas Disposal Systems is home to over 2,000 animals from over 100 species. Most of the animals are not indigenous to Texas or North America.

Do you like to shoot skeet? Come out to the skeet shooting area and see what you’ve got! Compete against your friends!

Take a look around the new Pavilion, which is both comfortable and beautiful, and has much to see.

After that, we will sit down to some of Texas’ finest BBQ, share engaging God stories from people whose lives have been impacted by what God is doing through TGOHM, and conclude with a celebration and reveal of the final funding amount God has provided through the event.

Get the event on your calendar now! We do not do an annual event, so when we have one, it is purposeful and designed to be both informative and fun.

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You can do a one time donation in any amount, or sign up to do a monthly donation. We will have envelopes on the dinner table for you to sign up on the evening of the event, or you can go to our website and sign up today.

The God of Hope Ministries provides Christian care and discipleship to men and women incarcerated in Austin and in the Central Texas area.

With funding exclusively provided by private donations, a paid staff of four and 91 active volunteers, the Austin based prison ministry currently serves over 300 inmates. We are excited to share that over 400 of our graduates have been released back into society, with hope and a new direction in life.

The “God of Hope Hoedown” is a casual and relaxed gathering of friends and supporters of the ministry, celebrating the lives in our community which have been impacted by TGOHM. As with any successful ministry, not only are those that are ministered to affected, our staff and volunteers are changed as a result of being in the midst of the things God does in our local prisons.

You will have a chance to hear personal stories from several different perspectives, and see why all who are involved in the ministry feel it is a privilege to work hand in hand with God as lives are transformed.

What we hope to accomplish with prayer support:

Our goal is to have the year covered and are asking for 365 volunteers to pray for our ministry throughout the year. Will you add TGOHM to your prayer list today?

What we hope to accomplish with our volunteer base:

We are looking to grow our current volunteer base of 91 to 260 volunteers. Are you interested in volunteering? Do you know someone who might be? Please help us find 90 additional volunteers by spreading the word. Our future growth at the Travis State Jail and the Lockhart Correctional unit requires additional brothers and sisters in Christ to volunteer and share the love of Christ. We are also looking for volunteers to serve in other supporting roles outside of the units.

What we hope to accomplish financially:

We held our last fundraiser in 2009. At that time, we knew we would need to host another fundraiser in the next 3-5 years to fund and grow the Ministry. That is where we are now—needing to secure future funding.

After much prayer and consideration, we believe our funding strategy needs to be more calculated with a dedicated group of monthly givers, along with large donors, sponsors, companies and churches sharing the journey with us.

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Our goal is to get in place $20,000 in recurring monthly donations, and to build a $100,000 reserve.

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The best way for TGOHM to receive donations is through monthly bank drafts. This does two things: it makes it easy for donors, and the ministry doesn’t incur the expense of credit card charges. Other available options include a monthly credit card debit or a one-time check or cash donation that the ministry can either use to build the reserve account or amortize over the year.

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We believe that together, we can reach our goal. It will give us a healthy, sustainable approach to funding the ministry.

The “God of Hope Hoedown” is a casual and relaxed gathering of friends and supporters of the ministry, celebrating the lives in our community which have been impacted by The God of Hope Ministry (TGOHM).

As with any successful ministry, not only are those that are ministered to affected, our staff and volunteers are changed as a result of being in the midst of the things God does in our local prisons.

As Christians, we are called to love and serve those in prison. As citizens of the Austin community, this program works!

Lives are changed, and people come out of prison with new hope and life skills that make for productive and healthy lives. The recidivism rate for TGOHM graduates falls far below that of the general released population.

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"...it's all for the glory of God!!!
I love how He has changed my life!!!" Laura Jones, TGOHM graduate

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Prison ministry is based in scripture

Here are some bible verses that help express the vision of our ministry.

Matthew 25:36

I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to see me.

Matthew 25:40

And the King will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”

Hebrews 13:3a

Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them.

Isaiah 42:6-7

“I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.”

Luke 12:48b

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded, and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

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“The first time I visited the prison, I saw faces of women that could have easily been my neighbors, someone I might run into in my workplace, or that could be a member of my family. It was then that it occurred to me that ‘by the grace of God, there go I.’ It isn’t that I live on the edge, but truthfully, I think we are all one mistake away from being in prison ourselves.” Teri Brown, God of Hope Volunteer

What are we up to

To recap, our celebration is not your ordinary fundraiser/volunteer raiser. We have an approach and vision that we believe reflects everything we do as a ministry.

The ranch is incredible, and a must visit location, but they also generously provide their building, tables, tours, skeet shooting (except for the price of ammo), chairs, table decorations, staff members, use of their catering kitchen, and much more at no expense to the ministry.

Second, one of our board members has donated the catering for our dinner. You will be quite impressed by it! Third, all of the God of Hope staff at the event, with the exception of our four staff members, are volunteers. This event is accomplished at no expense to the ministry, and yet, we believe you will find it to be one of the best fundraisers you will ever attend.

This ministry is 100% funded by private donations.

Perhaps surprisingly, the Texas prison system is eager for more faith-based programs. To meet the increasing demand, TGOHM is growing and is in need of more volunteers, prayer and support. We need you!

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We will be celebrating all that God is doing through The God of Hope Ministries and showing you where you fit in. Please spread the word, bring your friends and join the party.

Are you interested in more information about The God of Hope Ministries and how you can get involved now? Visit our main website.

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Legal Information: We are a registered 501(C)(3) non-profit charity that is entirely dependent on voluntary donations for it’s operation. Please consult your tax professional for more information on how that applies to your personal situation.