Leaders Guide
This leader’s guide serves as a
brief introduction to the Houston
Project and what the week will look
like for you and your students.
Some items will change as we
continue to improve the Houston
Project for you and your students.
If you have any questions along the
way, please do not hesitate to
contact us.
ThanksHouston Project Team
PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT
The Houston Project exists to field train future leaders in an
urban setting utilizing the local church where Biblical
knowledge, Christ-like character, and ministry skills are
developed in a missional environment.
HISTORY OF THE PROJECT
The Houston Project began from hearts led by the Lord to
begin field training the next generation in discipleship and
missional living through the venues of Vacation Bible
School, service projects, homeless ministry, and other
justice ministries. The first phase of the project began in
1992 in the inner-city of Houston with twenty students.
Since then, the Houston Project has grown to more than
1,000 missionaries every summer including high school and
college students from all over the United States and over
1,500 adult members of Houston’s First Baptist Church.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
SUN-‐5th 1:00p Registration opens Fitness & Recreation Center 2:00p Welcome/Prayer-‐ Fellowship Center 2:30p Ministry Outreach 6:30p Return to HFBC 7:00p Dinner-‐Fellowship Center 7:45 Leadership Meeting-‐ Connection Center 8:00p Session 1-‐ Chapel 9:30p Student Ministry Time 10:30p Snack/Shower-‐ Fitness & Recreation Center 11:30p Lights Out MON-‐6th 8:00a Breakfast-‐Fellowship Center 8:15a Leaders Meeting-‐ Connection Center th
Fitness & Recreation Center 11:00 Lights Out WED-‐8th 8:00a Breakfast-‐Fellowship Center 8:15a Leaders Meeting-‐ Connection Center 2:30p Depart Elijah Rising (11-‐12th boys) 3:00p Arrive @ Elijah & Source 4:00p Depart for Street Church (7th-‐10th Grade) 8:00p Head back HFBC 8:15p Student Ministry Time 10:00p Finals Dodge ball-‐ 11:30p Lights Out TUE-‐7th 8:00a Breakfast Fellowship Hall 8:15 Leaders Meeting: Fitness & Recreation Center Connection Center 9:00a Session 4-‐ Chapel 10:00 Groups Split-‐ (6-‐10 / 11-‐12 ) 10:00a (11 & 12th) Encounter tour dress code & ethics debrief-‐ Fellowship Hall th
(11th-‐12th girls) Fitness & Recreation Center th th
9:00a Session 6-‐ Chapel 11:00a Lunch-‐ Fellowship Center 12:00-‐4p Time Gap (7th-‐10th grade) 2:30p Depart Source for women 9:00a Ice Breaker 9:15a Session 2-‐ Chapel 11:30p Leave for mall -‐Galleria 12:30p Lunch at Food Court 3:30p Head back to HFBC 4:00p Student ministry time 5:30p Dinner-‐ Fellowship hall 6:30p Session 3-‐ Chapel 9:00p Dodge ball-‐ Semi th
10:00 (6-‐10 ) Martin Dale 7 spheres-‐ Chapel 10:15 (11 & 12 ) Depart for Tour 11:15 Lunch-‐ Fellowship Hall 12:00 Depart for 7 spheres 4:00p Head back to HFBC 5:30p Shower at FRC & Rest 6:00p Dinner-‐Fellowship Center 7:00p Session 5-‐ Chapel 8:15p Student Ministry Time 9:00p Late Night Event Dodge ball-‐ th
11:30p Lights Out THU-‐9th 7:00a Pack 7:30a Vans 8:00a Breakfast 8:45am Depart Home Contact Information:
Jerrell Altic
(713) 304. 5330
Kevin Spivey
(832) 882. 1072
Skyler Womack
(832) 330.5692
Helpful Tips.
Please go over these rules with your students and be the primary
enforcers of these rules. Also, as leaders be an example for your
students (encouragement, flexibility, following rules, etc.)
You help to set the tone for their attitudes.
• Cell Phones: We realize parents want their students to be in
contact with them; however we ask for cell phones to be in use
only at appropriate times. We ask that students don’t use their
cell phones in times of ministry, daily sessions, or small group
times.
• Exploring: No student should be outside the lodging site of
HFBC or away from their student ministry unsupervised.
• Dress Code:
o Modest length shorts, t-shirts, etc. (No spaghetti straps,
no revealing shirts) Your students will be asked to
change their clothes if they are found to be inappropriate.
Please explain this and help us enforce this rule. Please
set an example in this area as well.
o Juniors & Seniors students will receive a specific dress
code for Tuesday’s Encounter Tour:
§ Men must wear a shirt with sleeves and long pants.
§ Women must wear a shirt with sleeves (bring something with long
sleeves to wear in the mosque), long pants or long skirt, and a scarf to
cover all your hair (for the mosque)
§
Please do not have any pictures or Christian symbols on your shirts or
jewelry (jewelry is OK – just no Christian symbols)
§
Slip on shoes are recommended (not required) – we will be removing
them at several places.
• General Info: Students will receive a free Houston Project shirt
upon arrival. But other new and old Houston Project shirts will
be available for purchase throughout the week, so tell your
students to bring money if they want to buy HP merchandise.
• Flexibility : Welcome to missions! One phrase that is spoken a
lot in the mission field and on our team is “be flexible”. There
will be times where things on the schedule will change that are
out of anyone’s control. When this happens help us make the
transition a smooth one.
• Be watchful: Flee from the appearance of evil this week. Any
time The Lord does a great work in the hearts of students, you
better believe the enemy will try to get involved. Do not
underestimate the enemy and his plan to mess up all that God
has for you and your students.
• Be wise: When you and one other person are praying alone,
please pray with the same sex.
• Do not leave things unattended
• Be careful driving: Always have someone clear the way while
you are backing up, especially in a parking lot full of children.
• Never be alone with a child : During a counseling session,
during restroom use, or while driving in a van.
• HOUSTON PROJECT YOUTH ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE
FITNESS & RECREATION AREA UNTIL DESIGNATED
TIMES EACH NIGHT.
LEADER’S LOUNGE.
We have created an environment for you as leaders to catch
a breather, gather your thoughts, experience a few minutes
of silence, and reflect on a day.
This area is located in the Connection Center; room 144
across from worship center. Every morning Starbucks will
be provided along with drinks, snacks, and WiFi for you to
enjoy through out the day.
Feel free to enjoy the Leader’s Lounge anytime that you
have some free time. However, we encourage you to not
spend every free moment here. We want you to spend
quality time with your students as well. Also, this area is for
leaders only. No students will be allowed.
DAILY REMINDERS.
Before you even arrive…
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If possible, please pack in a way that distinguishes the
girl’s luggage from the guys.
Make sure we have the final & total number of students
you are bringing, and their shirt sizes. Have a check
and all student permission slips ready & complete
upon arrival for registration.
We are going to have our famous dodge ball
tournament. Communicate this to your students so that
they can be thinking through their battle strategies,
team names, team colors, and extreme exercise attrite.
Each team will consist of 8 people, with at least 3 girls
on each team. Teams also will be split into Middle
School and High School (unless you have a small
student ministry, then your Middles School students
will play up with the High School students).
[Sunday]
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Arrive at Houston’s First as close to 1:00 pm as
possible, because we will not wait on you to start the
welcome time. A team of interns will be present to help
the welcome, registration, and settle in process
smooth for you and your group.
Do not let your students out of the vans until you have
registered with us and we have given the “okay”.
You will want to stop and get lunch for your youth
group, because dinner will not be served until 7pm that
evening.
There will a special window of time each day dedicated
for leaders and their youth to process and share their
experiences that day in a small group setting. Each
youth group will be assigned a specific room on the
third floor of our west wing. The leaders roles in these
times are to facilitate and create group discussions.
[Monday]
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Leader’s Meeting in the Leader’s Lounge will be at
8:15am each day.
By dinner we will need the following: all dodge ball
teams and release forms for the week.
Each leader will be handed a gift card(s) for the lunch
that day for their students to be used the Galleria food
court.
Small group times will start upon arrival, back from
ministry at mall. Leaders during these times will
facilitate discussions and a time for their students to
share testimonies about what God had them
experience and the conversations they had. (If there
are any students in your group with great stories,
please let HP leadership team know. We would like
several students go up on stage and share for the next
session.)
[Tuesday]
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Keep in mind ministry this day will be split up into two
age groups; lower classmen (6th-10th) will be
experiencing the Seven Spheres, while the upper
classmen (11th–12th) will be experiencing the Encounter
Tour. So if you have multiple leaders it would be wise
to let one go with each group.
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For the leaders going with the upper classmen in the
Encounter Tour, before departing for the day make
sure everyone meets the specific dress code.
Small group ministry time will be at 8:15pm.
[Wednesday]
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Ministry will be similar like the day before as in age
groups will be split up again between lower classmen
(6th-10th) and upper classmen (11th–12th). Lower
classmen will be ministering to the homeless at Street
Church, while the upper classmen; will be split up by
gender to experience two unique Houston ministries.
The girls will have the chance to meet the Source for
Women team and boys will be in action with Elijah
Rising. So it would be wise for upper class leaders to
go with their gender for the day.
Small group ministry time will be 8:15pm.
A special night of recreation event will be on that night.
After the interns host the championship dodge ball
tournament for the middle & high school brackets. The
leaders will get an opportunity to play in some dodge
ball games; 2015 HP champions, and the 2015
internship team.
[Thursday]
Thursday is a free day and a little bit different from years past.
The day is intended to give your team a whole spontaneous
day to go out and have fun in the city of Houston. Whether
groups want to have a beach day or go to sporting event is
entirely up to the leaders. After breakfast Thursday morning,
groups will be on their own for meals. Lodging will be provided
Thursday night, so your team has the option to leave Thursday
or Friday morning. HFBC facility door’s will be closed until 8pm
that Thursday night, so enjoy a night out in our city.