Local Missions
Skillman also wants to be known as a place that loves the people of Dallas, our fellow Texans, and those living and working within our national borders. The ministries we are currently involved in focus on spreading the love of Christ through service, kindness, and generosity.
Boles Home
Dallas, TX
Skillman has supported the Boles Home for many years, now part of the Arms of Hope organization. Boles Home provides a safe place for children and teenagers to live and grow in safety while also receiving an education when life circumstances prevent them from being with their families. Boles Home, located in northeast Texas, also has a sister home in Medina, TX, called the Medina Home. Members of Skillman help to sponsor the Boles Home and provide special gifts for the kids who live there, especially around special times of the year such as the start of the school year, Christmas, and birthdays.
Re: Threads
(Skillman Clothing Closet)
Everyday, members of our church and our community generously donate items to gift to those who are less fortunate in our city. Every week, these clothes are collected and then given to members of Grace Place Properties, those who attend Main Street Church of Christ, and others (for example, we will be taking clothes to children in Zimbabwe and Uganda on a short-term mission trips). We especially need donations that match the time of year. In winter, we collect heavy coats, blankets, and hand warmers to distribute. In summer, we collect clothes that men and women can work in and that can be used to replace worn out clothing from previous years.
If you would like more information about what you can donate or how you can get involved in helping to distribute those clothes, please contact our church office to get in touch with this ministry’s leader.
FriendSpeak
Dallas, TX
On May 4, 2018, we placed two signs on our front lawn and invited people to come to Skillman to improve their English. We had our first call twelve days later on May 16. We now have dozens of students reading with our church members and it is continuing to grow. The intent of the program is to make friends with people in our community and help them improve their English conversational skills. In each meeting, we take the opportunity to have them read a few verses from the Bible. We pray that this will spur interest in knowing more about the Scriptures and Christianity and accepting Christ as their Savior. For more information please call the church office or click here.
Global City Missions Initiative (GCMI)
Seth Bouchelle
New York City, New York
Skillman supports Seth Bouchelle, who has been doing mission work in NYC since the summer of 2014. His focus is in planting house churches, within multi-ethnic, secular, and ‘post-Christian” communities in Manhattan and the Bronx. Just some of the ethnicities and nationalities represented in his ministry include Chinese, Korean, Italian, New Zealander, Australian, Bengali, Dominican, Puerto Rican, Jamaican, Fulani, Iranian, Albanian, and Turkish. His work over the last few years has touched over 200 people, started over a dozen group Bible studies, and established over half of them into house churches. What has been even more rewarding and Kingdom building of his work is that some of his disciples end up going back their respective home lands and starting their own church plants there.
Grace Place
Duncanville, TX
Grace Place Properties is located in Duncanville, TX and provides a transitional living opportunity for men and women who are coming out of incarceration, rehabilitation, or other difficult life situations. Grace Place houses approximately 60-70 residents who participate in daily classes that help to build confidence, teach life and job skills, and instill positive lifestyle choices in each individual. Residents who live at Grace Place also participate in a 12-month
rehabilitation and recovery program called Regeneration. This 12-step program uses Scripture to help speak into difficult life situations such as addiction and co-dependency. Skillman helps to financially support Grace Place, serve as volunteers when needed, and to host the recovery meetings on Wednesday nights.
Main Street Church
Dallas, TX
Main Street Church of Christ has been involved in providing meals for disadvantaged and homeless men and women for many years. Currently, they serve meals 6 days a week to their neighbors who are in need. Each Sunday, the Main Street Church provides a fellowship meal where people from the church and community come together for a meal. On the first Sunday of every month, Skillman has committed to helping prepare and serve the meal at Main Street. This local mission provides us an opportunity to join together with Main Street and their mission to help benefit the poor and homeless in our community. For more information on this mission, please contact Shalene Valentine through the church office (214-823-2179) or click here.
Our Father's Children
North Texas
Our Father’s Children exists to create positive, uplifting memories for children of abuse and neglect, ages 6-18, in camp settings, weekend retreats, and in mentoring clubs with age-appropriate curriculum. The vision is to build self-confidence and self-esteem through various activities and establish a mentoring program built on trust and two-way communication. Each year, OFC is able to serve approximately 625 children and teens. Recently, Skillman has begun getting involved with OFC by having members participate in the summer camps and retreats as counselors, as well as having members join the prayer team. To find out more information about this year’s involvement with OFC, click here.
The Bridge
Dallas, TX
The Bridge is a homeless recovery center that provides services for homeless men and women in the Dallas area. Skillman members spend at the Bridge throughout the week regularly, helping to serve meals particularly at dinner time, while also providing a friendly face and encouraging words to these neighbors in Dallas.
Truett Elementary School
Dallas, TX
Over the past several years, Skillman has partnered with Truett Elementary School to provide school supplies and Christmas stockings for students at the school. For more information about how Skillman is involved with Truett Elementary School, please click here.