Hospitality

Jennifer Ivey (left) and Carolyn Weaver relax together at the Family Reconciliation Guest House in Nashville, Tenn. The ministry provides a comfortable, safe and free place for friends and families of inmates to stay while visiting loved ones who are incarcerated. The painting on the table was created by Gary Wayne Sutton, a death row inmate whom Weaver visits regularly. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Guest house offers hope, community for inmates’ families

Visiting those who are incarcerated, especially on death row, is a complicated and stressful endeavor. Family Reconciliation Guest House in Nashville provides a comfortable, safe and free place for friends and families to stay.

Local Church

Unhoused women wait for the doors to open on the morning of March 28 at First United Methodist Church of Austin, Texas. Each Friday, the women are able to get showers, pick out new clothing from donations the church has collected, have a meal or enjoy the luxury of sleeping in a safe environment. Once a month, they can get their hair washed, cut and styled. Photo by Andrea Turner, UM News.

Church provides pampering for unhoused women

Each Friday is a special day for 30-40 women without housing in Austin, Texas. That’s when they are treated to a spa day ministry hosted by First United Methodist Church.

Local Church

Billie Jean Baker has an apartment now but for about three years had no home of her own and often slept outside Dallas’ Oaklawn United Methodist Church. She recently received a Harry Denman Evangelism Award for helping the church expand its ministry with the homeless. Photo by Sam Hodges, UM News.

Evangelism award winner slept outside church

Billy Jean Baker is honored for using her personal experience with homelessness to help Dallas’ Oak Lawn United Methodist Church open its doors wider.

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