Marble Falls ministry plants seed for homeless shelter, needs help

CONNIE SWINNEY • PICAYUNE STAFF

MARBLE FALLS — The spiritual leaders of Mustard Seed Ministries concentrate their efforts on doing God’s work and following Biblical tenets.

“The church is called to take care of the widows and the orphans,” Pastor Dennis Cornelison said. “That’s what we’re bringing to the community. That follows what the Bible says the church is supposed to be doing.”

To that end, the ministry has launched Our Father’s House homeless shelter on the grounds of their church, located on Starhorn Road north of Marble Falls, just off U.S. 281.

“Financial needs are our greatest need,” he said.

Cornelison outlined the Christmas wish list for the ministry with the new project in mind. Needs include:

• Identify and assist families in need
• Find volunteers to help build more houses
• Secure donations and/or construction materials
• Combine efforts with other churches and nonprofits
• Develop a centralized database to identify those in need

“We have so many churches, and we tend to look at our differences instead of those things we agree on,” he said.

Property managers Christopher and Dianna Teasdale said they are working to forge collabortions with nonprofit organizations to eventually create a self-sustaining property complete with a garden area and facilities for counseling and some education.

“We would like to provide (residents) with ways to get on their feet, so they’re not needing care long term,” Dianna Teasdale said.

Crews have completed one house, which will offer shelter and food for a 30-day period, as volunteers provide work resources, business, gardening and life skills as well as counseling referrals.

The first house, which has three beds, an efficiency kitchen and living quarters can accomodate six people.

“We’re looking for single moms with children who are destitute who don’t have a place to stay,” Christopher Teasdale said. “We’re looking for people who have found themselves without a home. With today’s economy that’s pretty regular.”

The shelter is the first of its kind in the Highland Lakes, Cornelison said.

“Our counties, Llano and Burnet counties, don’t have a place for families to go if their house burns down, or they break down or maybe they get evicted,” he said. “We want to help those families.”

To find out more, volunteer or donate to Our Father’s House, operated by Mustard Seed Ministries, call (830) 612-1080. Make donations at First State Bank of Central Texas. To recommend a potential resident, email the ministries at ourfathershouse118@gmail.com

connie@thepicayune