Programs and Activities

Our Daily Ministry
Part of Christ’s command to be “salt and light” requires those who have the light to be present in dark places. Mission Brenham is a permanent fixture in the neighborhood, encouraging followers of Jesus Christ to shine.

The Mission Brenham programs below provide structure for relationships to be built upon the teachings of Christ.

Kid Works − September-May
During the school term, a weekly tutoring program is provided by Mission Brenham to help boost children’s reading skills and performance in the classroom. Twice a week, up to 20 children receive one-on-one attention from encouraging tutors.

Soul Training
Junior high and high school students meet weekly with Mission Brenham leaders for discipleship and fun. They learn a perspective that is different than the streets. After an initial big group meeting, they divide into age groups and go to various sponsors’ homes. There, group leaders develop relationships with the young me and personally apply the teachings of the evenings.

Each summer, over twenty of these youth visit Branson, Missouri for a week at an inner-city Christian sports camp, Kids Across America.

During the school year, these students also enjoy team-building activities like flag football tournaments and Open Gym and First Baptist church.

JFLY (Jobs For Life - Youth)
Each summer, junior high students participate in a comprehensive job-preparation program where they learn interviewing skills and work ethic, and create vocational plans for themselves.

The classroom curriculum is based on Junior Achievement mixed with lessons from Jobs for Life. Each week, the teenagers do community service at places like Higgins Branch and Brenham Parks Department, and they also visit various businesses for tours and personal contact with owners and administrators.

Those who complete the summer program are awarded scholarships for future education, which accrue interest in bank accounts until the students graduate from high school.

Higher Tech
Computer training, including skills for website and graphic design.

Triple Play
Mentor work with 5-7 year olds from the neighborhood who, because of finances and transportation, wouldn’t be able to participate in organized sports.

Honor Roll Academy
Tutoring for junior high and high school students.

Senior Ladies Bible Study
For the last eleven years, senior ladies have met weekly for dedicated Bible study and peer support. These ladies stay in touch and active through their meetings and day-trips to interesting destinations in the area.

Man Laws
Young men who are transitioning to manhood (ages 18-25) meet weekly in a Mission Brenham leader’s home. Most of these young men, if not all, do not have fathers at home to serve as role models − so their lives have included little direction on how to be a man of responsibility and character.

This Bible study group provides a “rite of passage” that gives young men understanding and guidance on what to do with their lives. A wide range of topics is offered, such as how to treat a woman, how to buy a car, etc.

Jobs for Life − September-December
In partnership with area businesses and churches, Mission Brenham trains, motivates and mentors unemployed and underemployed adults, to help them get and retain jobs.

Over a ten-week period, students learn how to become good employees. From the churches, they learn the appropriate framework for personal quality, integrity and taking responsibility. Our business partners give students the job-related training they need.

Over 80% of Jobs for Life graduates go forward to get jobs or get better jobs.

Jesus and Me (JAM) − June & July
JAM is an eight-week summer camp for about 220 low-income children. Each day, they receive breakfast and lunch, thanks to BISD and the State of Texas.

At JAM, children participate daily in BISD-sponsored reading, science, and sports activities. The group has fun through games, songs and Bible stories, which help them stay focused on life’s positive side.

Each JAM child receives plenty of love and attention from caring community volunteers. Neighborhood high school students, who have demonstrated maturity and good judgment, serve as junior counselors in each group. Senior counselors are typically college students with a passion for ministering to low-income children.

After working with their children’s groups in the mornings, volunteers often spend 3-4 days each week visiting the children’s homes and “hanging out” in low-income neighborhoods to connect with parents and the larger community.

Stuff the Bus (August)
At the beginning of each school year, many children start off behind their peers because their parents can’t afford their school supplies. In order to eliminate this unnecessary obstacle for students, Mission Brenham staff and volunteers conduct a before-school drive to collect much-needed supplies for low-income children.

Brenham-area banks collect backpacks each year for the children to use, and Stuff the Bus fills those backpacks. Before school starts, each child who participated in JAM that summer gets to pick-out a brand new backpack full of supplies.

Camp Hobitzelle
The Salvation Army sponsors this Christian camp for older children near Dallas. Each year, ten to twenty Mission Brenham children attend the camp for a week.