Fondren Church Aims For 100 Students at School

MISSOURI CITY, TEX. – In February, the Fondren Southwest Seventh-day Adventist Worship Center set a bold, faith-filled goal of having 100 students enrolled at Excel Adventist Academy for the 2026-2027 school year.

The initiative to meet this goal began with 40 days of fasting and prayer. Members gathered for prayer each day at 6 a.m. and 12 p.m., and also prayed during the congregation’s weekly Recharge meetings on Tuesdays. The church’s communications ministry produced a devotional booklet and daily videos to guide the journey. Prayer walks covered neighborhoods, and members knocked on doors. 

Then faith met action. Pastors from the Southwest Region Conference Houston Ministerial Association and the Fondren church mobilized around the goal of enrolling 100 students, leveraging opportunities made possible in part by the Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) program.

Designed as bridge-building efforts, several outreach events helped connect families to both the church and its school. A sneaker giveaway registered 300 individuals, each served with dignity and personally followed up with. Families could request prayer or Bible study during the giveaway’s registration, leading to ongoing spiritual care from elders. A diaper giveaway and free taco truck—held in conjunction with a Souls to the Polls civic engagement event—created additional points of connection, while volunteers guided interested parents through the enrollment process. 

In addition, the hundreds of families who come through the church’s community service food distribution outreach received not only groceries but prayer and personal connection, opening doors to invite them into Adventist education.

Through social media ads, printed flyers and visits to local churches and daycare centers, the invitation for potential students has been extended broadly throughout the community. 

“This vision is bigger than enrollment numbers,” said John T. Boston II, pastor of Fondren church. “It is about 100 families—fathers, mothers, caregivers, Adventurers and Pathfinders—becoming part of Sabbath School and the life of the church. We may not reach all of Houston, but by God’s grace, we can intentionally disciple 100 families. What we are doing is evangelism—and one of the most powerful tools for evangelism we have is Adventist education.”

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