August 2025 Newsletter
- Sarah Allen
- Aug 27
- 3 min read
We are excited to be entering a new season at Palm House. Our team has undergone several big changes over the last few months. We are so grateful for the service and leadership of Gillian Thompson and Ashley Ruffin over the past 7 and 8 years. They played a crucial role in establishing the DNA of Abilene Palm House, and the love and care they poured into our space and our people will have a lasting effect.
Our new administrative team is made up of Alicia Pettigrew and Sarah Allen. Alicia is one of the original missionaries who lived in the house, and she has played a key role in our women’s ministry leadership. She will continue to lead our Ransomed ministry, in addition to filling this new role as Palm House Assistant Administrator. Sarah began volunteering at Palm House in 2018 as a college student. Upon graduation in 2021, she married her husband Nathan, and he moved to Abilene. The two of them moved into the Palm House shortly after. They have now transitioned into the Cottage and welcomed their firstborn son. Sarah will continue to lead our Children’s Program, in addition to filling the role of Program Director.
We are also eager to introduce our new Outreach Coordinator, Nikki Smith. Nikki spent the last year serving as our intern, and we are blessed to get to keep her a while longer. Over the summer she moved into the Palm House. Nikki has a heart for missions, both local and international, and is a wonderful addition to our team.
While we are saddened by the recent goodbyes, we are also so excited for the things the Lord is doing in this season and grateful for this team He has placed here today.
Kids Program | |
There is excitement in the air as we approach Kids Kickoff on September 2nd. We have spent the summer praying God will provide faithful college volunteers to love and pour into our 42 registered children. Thanks to Mosaic Church’s generous donation of Back To School Backpacks, we spent the end of summer delivering backpacks to our families as they begin the school year. We are thrilled to be invited to McMurry and Abilene Christian Universities to recruit volunteers as the month ends, and we have several amazing young adults returning. Please pray with us that the Holy Spirit will encounter our kids each and every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday as we get to share meals, games, and the Gospel with them. |  |
Women’s Ministry | |
 | Our weekly Women’s Empowerment Group has continued to meet through the summer. Weekly we get to witness these ladies celebrating victories, encouraging one another through hardships, and growing in their ability to live at peace with their experiences. There is such a sweet sense of community in this space, and we have been blessed to welcome many new women into it. |
Serve Day 2025 | |
Shout out to New Hope Church and the team that came to serve with us last month! They helped us paint a closet, clean up the backyard, weed the garden, move dirt, demolish the front porch railings on the Cottage (for replacement later) and mowed our neighbor’s yard! Thank you, New Hope Team!!! |  |
Mark Your Calendars! | |
 | We will be at the Sonflower Women’s Ministry Craft Show & Ministry Fair on Saturday, October 25! We’ll be selling homemade Christmas cards and other goodies to help support the ministry of Palm House! We hope you’ll come out to see us and support the other vendors and ministries, as well! Saturday, October 25 9am - 3pm First Church of the Nazarene 2849 Beltway South Abilene, TX |
Note from the Board….
Thank you for your partnership with Abilene Palm House. Our mission is to offer the people in our neighborhood the practical and spiritual tools to have a fulfilling life and cultivate a relationship with God. Through mentoring programs, outreach, service, and consistent interactions, we encourage people into their destinies and provide hope and identity where it has been lost. Our goal is to regularly communicate each quarter the amazing ways God is moving through our children’s programs, ladies’ ministries and college outreach. You are why we get to bless others through the Palm House!
For additional information, please contact Sarah Allen:
316-338-9141
If you would like to financially support the mission of Palm House, click here: