Meet Howard and Alyssa Thomas of Third Ward Oikos Church in Third Ward Houston

Today we’d like to introduce you to Howard Thomas.

So, before we jump into specific questions about your work, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Oikos Church is stationed in Independence Heights, North Loop, North Lindale Park area and Oikos church has been a major blessing in helping prepare me and my wife Alyssa as ministers, missionaries, and church planters in another region of Houston that presented a strong heart tug and spiritual tug to us when we began to engage that region. That area is Third Ward Houston, nestled in an ever compacting area of the southeast section of the inner 610 Loop. I say “ever compacting” because this region used to span much of the southern sections of Houston but has been swallowed up by business migration, white flight, and now reverse white flight in recent years, also known as “gentrification.”

But for my wife and I, we have grown to love and become proud of this area after unsuspectingly taking a detour through it almost five years ago. What we saw was a part of the city that was in many ways seemingly forgotten by the more developed areas of Houston. Many buildings were rundown, roads were riddled with potholes, there were little to no venues for entertainment for fine or quality dining to and hardly a grocery story aside from an overrun HEB on Scott and OST streets. And what broke our hearts the most was the look of the people. I look of distress and pain seem to be fixed on the faces that walked the streets, and along with the obvious high level of poverty and homelessness. This place depressed us to see as we drove through that one day unsuspectingly, and yet it ignited a desire in us to do something, to be something, to be a blessing here.

And so, we began to seek a way to move away from the comforts of our upscale apartment just across the 610 loops to Third Ward, and to whatever adventures, uncertainties, and even potential perils may await us. It took us a few months to completely decide because we, like most humans, were completely scared to move and follow through. I in that time would drive through Third Ward a number of times to pray and see if my heart would be reaffirmed, and it was. And so, we made the decision final and sought to find a way to live in Third Ward. In no time, we were able to actually build a house, something we did not ever dream we could do when we sought to move. And the most awesome part was that the mortgage cost was equal to our rent. We knew once we moved into the first house that we had to make our home the center of our ministry or whatever it was going to be, it had to be. It was a miracle that we were able to afford a home so we knew it was God. We began to just invite friends that we knew and neighbors that we began to know in our new community to our house for food, prayer, and just hang out time.

Over time, we began to see trust continue to build in amazing ways. We began to see prayers answered from neighbors and friends that would open up and share what their anxieties and needs were. We began to notice that people were leaving our house better than when they first entered our dinner hang out nights. SO, we began to call these nights S.O.O.N. for Something Out Of Nothing. And even started a community outreach ministry called Operation Love where we help kids and families in Third Ward through a local elementary school in the area. It has been four years and now we are a church that meets in our house. We started T.W.O. (Third Ward Oikos Church) two and a half months ago and it has been a fun journey. In four years, we have seen friends gain legal status, one deported because they could not, people gain jobs, gain hope, gain faith. It has been a full life and journey and we are eager to see what the next four years has for us as a new church that meets every Wednesday night in our living room for the past 2.5 months and counting! WE have so many dreams and yet we surrender them all to whatever God has ahead, knowing it will be full of blessings.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has not been easy in the past four years. Our fears of being broken into, robbed, or worse were present when we first moved but God has been a blessing in protecting us in many ways. We are a centerpiece of service and help to a good number of our main church attenders, and neighbors that come over for ministry and worship. That means, oftentimes we have to put our self second. We have to be prepared to pick up friends if we want them to come over for church because they do not drive. We have to be prepared to house them if they need help. We have to be prepared to provide food or money if the need is there. We have done all of these things at least once or a number of times and it has always left us feeling more full than before we gave. It is amazing how that works. We came to this community expecting to be a source of grace and blessing and God has allowed us to be just that, but we have gotten so much back in the community, friendship and support our community here has given us. The bumpy roads and spiritual bumpy roads at times can feel like a burden instead of a blessing since the community is always in a state of need, but when we focus on what we are allowed to do in being a blessing to others in a real way it turns that burden into a joy and full soul.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Oikos Church – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
T.W.O. The church is a church plant that focuses on bringing sustainable opportunity to the third ward in five areas Spiritually, Relationally, Physically, Intellectually, and Financially. We desire to love the whole person in our community with all that God can offer with the Gospel as the vehicle and foundation. We look to find ways for people to meet to worship, seek financial, emotional, and even educational guidance and support via other connections or means we have attained as a community. We seek overall to collectively as a community build up the community and to do so ultimately via the love of Jesus. An existential reality of this is Operation Love, a ministry that we raise support and awareness for months leading up to a one day Christmas event hosted at Blackshear Elementary School. We create partnerships with other churches, non-profits, businesses, and financial institutions to provide books, toys, food, clothes, and any form of support and guidance to children, their parents, and anyone that attends. This event has grown from 300 to 500 people in two years. We seek to only grow from here.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We desire to grow as a church and as an Organization to one day have a parish that meets in a location outside our home as well as has Operation Love become it’s own non-profit. The big change was becoming a church plant and from there we have a growth plan to one day meet those goals. With prayer, boldness, and dreaming, we hope to meet these goals and beyond since God is full of surprises.

Pricing:

• The cost to run our programs is around $23,000 a year. We prayerfully raise support to meet these needs.

Contact Info:

• Address: 5410 Milart St. Houston TX. 77021 (house church)
  522 Lindale St. Houston, Tx 77022 (Oikos Church)
• Website: www.oikoschurch.org
• Phone: 9314725999
• Email: howard@oikoschurch.org
• Instagram: @howardlee58, @thirdwardoikos
• Facebook: @twochurch
• Twitter: @howardlee58, @thirdwardoikos

Image Credit:
Howard Thomas, Oikos Church

Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.