What is "Go" Ministry

Go is how our church serves others

Through funding, volunteering, and partnerships, Go ministries help people in need – locally and globally – by supporting organizations that provide housing, education, jobs, and disaster relief. It’s about putting our faith into action.

Why It Matters

This ministry is about putting faith into action — helping those in need, supporting meaningful initiatives, and making a tangible difference both locally and globally. Through financial support and hands-on service, the ministry ensures that the church remains a beacon of love, generosity, and hope.
What is the Go Ministry?
The Go Ministry at St. John the Divine is about “going out” to serve our community! Whether you’re passionate about helping the homeless, reading to children, mentoring youth, or something else close to your heart, we help connect you with local non-profits that need volunteers.

Are You Ready? It’s Go Time!

Email Madeline Spector, director of Go Ministries, or check out the opportunities below!

Go Serve in the City

Casa Mateo 

Casa Mateo welcomes displaced immigrants and asylum seekers by offering hope, hospitality, and support services to promote self-sufficiency. Our organization provides temporary emergency shelter in a safe, welcoming environment where vulnerable people, specifically women and children, who lack access to housing and necessities, can resolve their immediate crises and begin rebuilding their lives.

The topic of immigration is complex and shaped by evolving policies and differing perspectives. Casa Mateo’s supporters come from diverse backgrounds and viewpoints but are united by a shared commitment to treat every person with compassion, dignity, and respect. Despite the shifting landscape of policies, the need to serve immigrants in our community remains. Our work is guided by Jesus’s call in Matthew 25:35 to welcome the stranger, teaching that whatever we do for the least of our brothers and sisters we do for Him.

To volunteer at Casa Mateo, email mholtkamp@casamateo.org or call 713.409.4614.

Strong Start
Building Faith, Friendship, and Futures

Strong Start partners with Nabor House Community, which invests in the growth and development of low-income children and their families. Nabor House enables parents to pursue employment or education by providing quality, affordable early childhood education in a Christian environment.  
At Strong Start, we are dedicated to helping Nabor House cultivate children’s hearts, minds, and spirits through their Early Childhood Learning Centers. Volunteers can support the teachers who embrace the potential of every child from two months through four years of age by creating an environment of hands-on discovery, age-appropriate academics, and Christ-centered encouragement for children to thrive.

To volunteer with Strong Start, please email Jane Rucker.

Christian Community Service Center (CCSC)

CCSC’s mission is to serve the poor, hungry, disabled, and otherwise needy while respecting their religious, ethnic, or cultural differences.  
The original vision of the founding churches was to create an organization to fulfill the Church’s call to meet the immediate needs of people in crisis. By banding together, churches could maximize community resources and prevent duplication of services. CCSC then became the local outreach office of its member churches, and today it is a coalition of 40 unique Christian churches.

To volunteer at CCSC, please contact Beth Robertson at 346.446.5235 or email volunteer@ccschouston.org.

Go Serve on a Mission Trip

2025 Youth Summer Mission Trips

Costa Rica | June 21- 29, 2025 | TRIP NOW FULL

High school students will go on mission in partnership with Diocese of Costa Rica.

San Antonio | June 15-20 | $550/person

Youth are invited to partner with Blueprint Ministries in San Antonio. Download the registration form, then email a completed copy to the Rev. Sutton Lowe.

2025 Adult Mission Trips

Bolivia | June 12 – 21, 2025

Minister with mission partner, Mission Amistad. If interested, email the Rev. Libby Garfield.

Nepal | October 21 – November 2, 2025 | $3,000/person

Minister with our mission partners Abba House Children’s Home, Crossway Church new starts, Stepping Stone transitional house, and Higher Ground micro-enterprises. Cost includes airfare (scholarships available). If interested, email Barbara Strobel or call 713.248.0147.

Tanzania | June 1 – 13, 2025

This exploratory trip with the Rev. Dr. R. Leigh Spruill will help better acquaint St. John the Divine with the Diocese of Kondoa. To learn more, email Erin Kirk.