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Aug 18, 2011 | Shirley Barr

Juanita Rasmus Tapped as Spiritual Quest Keynoter at St. Francis

Juanita Rasmus, a spiritual director who leads one of the most culturally diverse congregations in the country and has helped turn her church into a refuge for the hungry and homeless, will lead the annual Spiritual Quest weekend of lectures and workshops at St. Francis, Houston, at 345 Piney Point Road. The theme for 2011 is “Conforming to the Image of Christ: Living our lives for others.”

 

Juanita Rasmus is co-pastor with her husband Rudy Rasmus of St. John’s Downtown in Houston. They founded Bread of Life, Inc. in 1992 and began serving dinners to the homeless. St. John’s now serves meals monthly to 12,000 children and 8,000 adults through collaboration with the Houston Food Bank and provides overnight lodging for homeless men and women.

 

The Rasmus’ also developed the Knowles-Temenos Place Apartments providing apartments to formerly homeless residents and has begun a therapeutic art program for homeless and transitioning individuals. Called The Art Project, it is a program of Bread of Life. Pastor Juanita is a member of the board of directors of Renovaré Inc, a spiritual renewal ministry.

 

Spiritual Quest was conceived and is chaired and underwritten by St. Francis parishioner Mary Beth Wurts to honor the late Dr. Richard Austin. The popular weekend will open with registration and a lecture on Friday, Sept. 30, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. 

 

Saturday’s conference will open at 8:30 a.m. with second-day registration followed by Pastor Juanita’s talk at 9 a.m. and break-out sessions at 10:45.  The conference fee is $45 with the Saturday luncheon included.

 

“Dr. Richard Austin’s work within the church and out was an inspiration to parishioners as well as patients of the revered family counselor and psychologist,” said Father Stuart Bates, rector of St. Francis, and a great supporter of the Spiritual Quest.  Several hundred people have attended the event each year since its inception in 2008.

 

To register or for more information, visit www.sfch.org or contact Mary Beth Wurts , 713-464-2532 or co-chair Leiselle Sadler, 713-898-2014 or  .