Texas A&M students to unveil architectural concepts for faith-based drug rehab center

Texas A&M architecture students will unveil designs for a new facility to house the Victory Family Recovery Center, an inner city faith-based drug treatment program in Houston, during a public presentation set for 5 p.m. Nov. 19 at Victory Family Church, 712 Llano St. in Pasadena.

Five alternative architectural designs for the 14-year-old center will be presented in models and sketches developed by students in a fourth-year healthcare architecture studio led by George J. Mann, holder of the Skaggs-Sprague Endowed Chair in Health Facilities Design at Texas A&M University.

“The students were challenged to create a facility that better portrays the transformative mission of the Victory Family, which has been hampered by the run-down, dilapidated buildings currently in use,” said Steve Treviño, the center director.

The nonprofit Victory Family Recovery Center currently provides a no-cost, Christian faith-based six-month residential recovery program for men and women with substance abuse problems.

“Our mission is to bring Jesus to hurting people, restore families, change lives and provide a safe haven for people where their addictive natures can be overcome through the power of Jesus Christ,” said Treviño.

Located at 222 Royder St. in Houston, the center is mostly housed in a two-story apartment building that was donated to Victory Family Church in 1992. At the time, Treviño said, the building had become a magnet for drug and criminal activity.

The recovery center opened in 1994 as a registered 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization in the rehabilitated apartment building and it has since expanded to included two adjacent homes.

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The Message of the Cross- 1Corinthians 1:18

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

Every pastor should be preaching this. The reality is that they are not. Churches today have deviated from the gospel of the Cross and drifted into a gospel of self.

This is not a recent phenomenon. The church in the New Testament was already dealing with this problem. The apostle Paul addressed the Galatians as *“Stupid” because of it! *Foolish in most translations

“You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?”- Galatians 3:1-3

The flesh exalts human-effort, the Cross extinguishes it. This is why the message of the Cross is “foolishness” to the one perishing spiritually. The Cross attacks the best of mans efforts in order to reveal the best of God; which is Christ.

More Dying not Doing.

The death and burial of Christ is the only death and burial, which leads to resurrection. It is the only environment that we can cling to, which leads to life. If we cling to the world or to self, (which is natural life) we will experience spiritual death. If we cling to the death and burial of Christ, (which is a crucified life) it leads to resurrected circumstances or experiences.

If we descend daily into the crucified life, we will ascend daily into the resurrected life. The key to changing our situations is not more DOING but more DYING.


"For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. " Luke 9:24

Try explaining "breve latte" to a Chinese in Starbuck- Success!

MAN vs. CITY

In the photo above: Steve is enjoying a serving of dove. Yum!

Attention readers of Press The Kingdom, this is Julie, Steve's tai tai (wife) posting today.

Steve has a favorite show on t.v. that he likes to watch it is called Man vs. Wild. On this show Bear Grylls the host is dropped off in the middle of no where and must hunt for food, find shelter and learn to adapt to his environment in order to survive as he finds his way back to civilization.

Many of you know that we are in ShenZen China and we are currently coming to the end of our third day. We have had an adventure to remember thus far. We have arrived at a place where no one speaks more than a few words of English, the food is not items that we would find on our American Chinese buffets and we don't blend in very well with the locals. The people of China have welcomed us and are being great host to the Trevinos. We are greatful to our new family in China.
I must say that Steve is the man to travel with. Steve has managed to adapt and survive in the environment God has brought us to. Within a few hours he was able to get online to update his blog, text home to see if all was well and download his pictures using a converter for all his electronics. He got me an iron and ironing board from the front desk of our hotel using hand signals. He turned the t.v. on in our room with the remote of strange Chinese writing on it and not to mention we discovered only 1 of 78 channels are in English. We bravely adventured out without our guide the other day and was able to eat, shop and find our way back home. Even after our taxi driver took us to the wrong place first. But Steve once again saved the day! I have enjoyed watching him use hand signals to communicate and learn to speak phrases in mandarin. It has been a fun and exciting adventure with Steve and his parents in China. I feel safe and secure knowing that Pastor Panda is leading the way. (Pastor Panda is the nick-name given to him because of his dark eyes) Let us see what tomorrow holds for us all.
Good night and God bless from ShenZen!

Audrie and Alyssa are the best!

To our wonderful girls,

You amaze us with your ability to adjust and continue in all situations. Our minds are at peace because you are going above and beyond everything being asked of you. You girls may not realize it but you are being used of God right now. Because you have given us the permission and peace to follow where God leads us. We miss you so much. We Miss hearing your voice and laughter. We love you forever and think about you every minute. We hope one day to bring you both to Hong Kong, you would love it here!

Sunday Morning in Hong Kong

We walked from the church Sunday morning in Hong Kong to a mission house for more Bible study time. The all women congregation of mostly Filipinos work here in Hong Kong as domestic workers (house keepers). Sunday is their only day off so they spend all day at church. Since the space they rent for Sunday morning worship is paid hourly, as soon as service is dismissed they tear down all their equipment and decorations and hurry over to the mission house for lunch and more teaching. Their spirit is hungry for more of God's word and their hearts are very humble. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch and Julie shared a great teaching about the Garden of Gethsemane experience of Christ as well as the believer.

20/20 Vision for Schools

My friend Jeremy Del Rio speaks here on the 20/20 vision for schools. This could be the single most transforming initiative for public education ever. Let this vision stir you and your church to action. This could change everything!

Somebody Cares Ike Report

Workers Affected by Hurricane Ike Have 30 Days to Apply For Assistance

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) has announced that as a result of Presidential Disaster Declaration FEMA-1791-DR, TWC is accepting applications for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) from individuals whose employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted due to Hurricane Ike starting September 7, 2008, and continuing. Applications for DUA must be filed by Wednesday, October 15, 2008.
Texas counties included in the disaster declaration are Angelina, Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Cherokee, Fort Bend, Galveston, Grimes, Hardin, Harris, Houston, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Madison, Matagorda, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Trinity, Tyler, Walker, Waller, and Washington.
DUA is available to individuals who:
worked or were self-employed in or were scheduled to begin work or self-employment,
can no longer work or perform services because of physical damage or destruction to the place of employment as a direct result of the disaster,
establish that the work or self-employment they can no longer perform was their primary source of income,
do not qualify for regular unemployment benefits from any state,
cannot perform work or self-employment because of an injury as a direct result of the disaster, or
who became the breadwinner or major support of a household because of the death of the head of household.
Applications filed after Wednesday, October 15, 2008, will be considered untimely, unless the individual provides good cause for filing after the deadline.
Individuals will need their Social Security number, a copy of their most recent federal income tax forms or check stubs, or documentation to support they were working or self-employed when the disaster occurred. To receive DUA benefits, all required documentation must be submitted within 21 days from the day the DUA application is filed.


To file for disaster-related unemployment assistance, click here
or call the nearest TWC Tele-Center from Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time at (800) 939-6631 Houston local: (281) 983-1100

Overcoming Ike

After Ike

Dear friends and family,

Would you prayerfully consider sending us a financial donation to help us in this critical time. As you know the Texas gulf coast is suffering the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. Victory Family has been affected by this storm. We have suspended all our fundraising efforts indefinitely and our current resources are limited.

The Church has become an overnight shelter for families who have no power. Thanks to Doug Stringer and Somebody Cares America for supplying two emergency generators to our Men's Recovery Center which is currently without electricity. We have had to cancel four church services and will resume worship this week. There are reports that power may take up to four weeks to be restored in some places! As you can imagine our needs are growing daily. Please pray and give as the Lord leads to help us during this time.

Through the Cross,
Pastor Steve Trevino
Cell: 713-291-9625
Off: 713-699-4357


Make checks payable to: VICTORY FAMILY

PO Box 205
South Houston, TX 77587

more photos

Before IKE

Well Ike is about 200 miles away and we are bracing ourselves. It’s only during times like this that words such as “20’ storm surge”, “Mandatory evacuation”, “Shelter in place”, or my personal favorite, “Hunker down” used in casual conversation. Besides standing in line at Home Depot for two hours to buy plywood and chasing down grocery carts at Wal-Mart, it has been uneventful. We will be riding out the storm at my parents home on the far north side of Houston.

Check out the live cams of Galveston here.

Track Ike live here

31 Candles for me!

I finally crossed over to the darkside. They say it's all down hill from here.

A Royal Fellowship of Death pt.1

What we know of death in the natural realm can be applied to dying to self in the spiritual realm. We understand death to be the climatic conclusion of weakness in the body carried out in its matured form. The highest manifestation of weakness in the body is death. His strength (life) is perfected in our weakness (death). 2 Cor. 12:9. He was crucified through weakness, yet He lives by the power of God, we are also weak (dead) in Him but we live with Him through the
power of God. 2 Cor. 13:4 In death the spirit lives on independent of the body. The Apostle Paul declared to be absent from the body (death) was to be present with the Lord. 2Cor. 5:8. In our daily life there must be an "absence" from the flesh. Putting to death whatever belongs to the earthly nature- Col 3:5 and the misdeeds of the body, you will live Rom. 8:13

"What man considers death angels consider birth" -FB Meyer

The moments of "absence" are moments of His presence. The way to experience the presence of God is through a daily dying to self. The dead in Christ shall rise first! 1Thes. 4:14,16

What do you think?

-Steve