The mission of the Center for Renewal is to transform individuals and communities by equipping people to serve those in need: the least, the lost and the left behind.  

The Center for Renewal is a resource for:

1. Individuals seeking deeper meaning in life, who are willing to serve others and want to know how.
   

2. Civic leaders who want to learn about transformational models to serve effectively.
   

3. Policy makers, journalists, and analysts who are interested in effective social entrepreneurial solutions to poverty.  
   

4. Donors seeking insights on how to invest wisely in effective organizations. 
   

Our goals are to:

1. Plant and nurture effective social entrepreneurial models worthy of replication.
   

2. Communicate the vision: Share inspiring examples of people living faith and virtue in ways that transform their workplaces, their families, and the culture. 
   

3. Connect people of good will to opportunities to serve in or support effective organizations in their community.
   

To accomplish these goals, we offer consulting services organizations to help them grow, equipping ministries to churches to equip their members for outreach, and philanthropic advisory services to donors to assist them in giving wisely. We offer workshops and seminars to leaders of nonprofit organizations to enhance their effectiveness. 

To further the mission, we often work in collaboration with other organizations. 

NEWS: To serve urban youngsters, Barbara Elliott just completed writing the curriculum for Vocational Beginners’ School, the six-week summer program of the Forge for Families.  VoBS  offers 10-15-year-olds in Houston’s Third Ward the opportunity to work half of each day -- and in the other half learn Economic Literacy, Biblically Based Character, and Principles of the U.S. Constitution.

To serve at-risk children, we collaborate with Kids Hope USA, which links one church congregation with one public elementary school and one adult with one young child.  We are fostering  mentoring partnerships throughout Houston and beyond.  Founded in 1995, Kids Hope USA now provides more than 9000 mentors in 29 states, and 350 in Houston.  See more here:  www.kidshopeusa.org

To serve adults living in poverty, transitioning out of homelessness, prison, or unemployment, we founded the WorkFaith Connection in Houston  Since 2007, the WorkFaith Connection has graduated nearly 900 people, equipping them for the job search and connecting them to more than 330 employers. See more here. www.workfaithconnection.org

To help adults discern their vocations, we collaborate with the Catherine of Siena Institute to give seminars and workshops throughout the nation.  Since 1997, the institute has trained more than 60,000 people in discerning spiritual gifts and in making disciples.  See more here. www.siena.org

NEWS: Mission Houston presented the 2010 Nehemiah Award to Barbara Elliott.

See broadcasts by the founder of the Center for Renewal, Barbara J. Elliott:

For a broadcast on PBS click here.

For a broadcast on EWTN’s Faith and Culture, click here.

For a broadcast on the Hour of Power from the Crystal Cathedral, click here. 

For Barbara Elliott speaking on Unconditional Love, click here.

See Street Saints: Renewing America’s Cities, (Templeton Foundation Press) 2004.

See Equipping the Saints:  A Guide for Giving to Faith-Based Organizations, (Templeton Foundation Press) 2004.

Center for Renewal:  9525 Katy Freeway Suite 303, Houston, TX 77024

Telephone 713.984.0645   Fax 713.984.0409  belliott@centerforrenewal.org