Our journey with Hill Country Christian School began in a unique and very personal way. I first…read morejoined the Hill Country family as a middle school girls volleyball coach in 2019 and was later hired on as a teacher in 2022. What I couldn't have predicted then was how much joy this place would bring to my family and me. Very early on, I knew in my heart that I wanted my own children to experience that same joy, love, and purpose. One of the most beautiful things about Hill Country is how the school truly lives out its mission: to know your child, love your child, and prepare your child. The teachers go above and beyond in caring for my child not just academically, but spiritually and emotionally. Every day, I see the intentional ways they invest in him, and it's deeply moving as both a parent and an educator. The spiritual growth I've witnessed in my son has been incredible. He's only in Pre-K, but already he's learning to pray, engaging with God's Word, and building a foundation that will last a lifetime. Hearing him pray every night before bed, without prompting, is one of the greatest blessings I could ever ask for as a mom. What makes Hill Country especially impactful is how every subject is taught through a Biblical worldview. It's not just about teaching math or reading; it's about teaching truth, character, and purpose. Our children are learning to love Jesus through every lesson and every experience. This matters so much to our family because we want our children to grow in their relationship with Christ, not just know about Him. Hill Country creates endless opportunities for families to be involved and serve together. It's a place where students and families are encouraged to be the hands and feet of Jesus in every area of life. That kind of culture is rare. If I had to choose one main reason to recommend Hill Country to a friend, it would be this: community. You will find a deeply caring, Christ-centered community here. We support each other in tangible ways through prayers, shared meals, encouraging words, and acts of kindness. It truly feels like family.

We had a very disappointing experience at Hill Country Christian School. My son struggled to stay…read moreengaged and focused, and instead of working with us as parents, the principal, Tracy, took it upon herself to intervene in ways that crossed boundaries. After I had specifically told her I would speak with both the teacher and my son's pediatrician, she removed my son from class and told him directly that he needed to see a doctor for his behavior. When I picked him up, he was crying and asking, "What's wrong with me, Mom?" No child should be put in that position, and that conversation should never have been had with him -- that was my responsibility as his parent. This was not an isolated incident. I had emails to teachers go unanswered, and overall the partnership we expected from a private school simply was not there. Since leaving, I've learned that other families have had similar experiences, where the principal seemed to push an ADHD diagnosis despite disagreement from teachers and parents. In our case, both my son's third- and fourth-grade teachers at HCCS and his pediatrician did not believe he had ADHD. When my son transferred mid-year into public school, the difference was night and day. His new teacher said he was incredibly bright, just likely bored, and he immediately began thriving. He made straight A's, came home happy, and was excited to return to school each day. The contrast showed me that the problem was not with my son but with the way he was being handled at HCCS. We expected much better from a private institution, but sadly, our experience was one of disappointment, lack of communication, and a principal who placed her opinion above parents, teachers, and even doctors.

I attended training in shamanistic practice and pranic healing on Tuesday nights hosted by Daniel…read moreStaite in one of the Unity Church of the Hills Chapels. These clinics were beautiful inclusive spaces for in-depth training in energetic healing work and self-caring practices through the lens of Pranic healing! Our little Rainbow Tribe would always have the opportunity to have coffee at the nearby Starbucks to decompress and discuss that weeks coursework. The Unity Hills clinic is understood to be an intensive training space for Pranic practitioners in the Austin area. Danny emphasizes a very disciplined approach to training, so there's a lot of homework and self-study on traditional eastern medicine and western mystic practices. This is a place to go if you're wanting to accelerate from Basic to Arhatic level within 5 yrs, so go if you're looking to really master pranic material and level up at an intense pace.

A welcoming place for people on many different spiritual paths. The have quite a few different…read moreclasses . They have very little dogma. Only : God is good. God's everywhere. You can experience God's Grace through prayer and meditation. I've been attending this church for 12 years. Love it !!

There was cockroaches in the bathroom and the locks don't work and the school food tastes terribleread more

This is the first semester for my kids at CPMS. They have been harassed by other kids. Name calling…read moresuch as terrorists, monkeys, iiss etc. Regretting my decision of sending my kids to CPMS. Bullying seems pretty normal there. Very disappointed.

we've been members for years, but quit going on a regular basis. Now getting back in church and…read morethere is a new pastor. He is very hard to follow and quite frankly he preaches as if he is talking to kids. Sorry HCBC, I think we will be moving on to a new church.

Giving it 3 for the old pastor seemed good - as my wife and I went there last week and enjoyed it…read moreand were thinking of joining this church. Enter new guy...after a" nation wide " search and interview process he was " heads above the rest". I would hate to see the rest.... I make my living reading people, 99 percent of time I am spot on. I just feel this " California Slickmeister" is not sincere. My wife actually brought it up as well.as I was going to remain quiet about my feelings if she enjoyed the ..." Sermon"...or talk I should say. I am truly wondering what the hiring criteria was...maybe how much money he brought in during his CA days ?

Fall events coming up for our church! Th e choir for the Mass was beautiful. I love this church…read morecommunity!

Beautiful church. Very old school...literally reminded me of my church I went to everyday as a…read morechild.... The Resurrection. Gorgeous. I love the warm welcome here as I do also attend other services in Austin. Some churches don't care for visitors believe it or not. St Vincent De Paul is the opposite and I love the short drive given Sunday traffic. They also offer a very early mass which I Love! They also have several for late risers. Do arrive on time or you will have to wait until the Gospel. Not much to ask so that everyone can enjoy the mass even if you are running late. They have ample parking and easy in and out; so refreshing. There are ways to view the mass from outside or with the children. Wonderful church and Parish.

It's been one solid year now, and GATEWAY has officially become our church home!!! We love coming…read moreto Gateway because they open their doors with a welcoming heart and a no-judgment approach. Heck, it's even their church motto, "no perfect people allowed". I'm personally drawn to sermons that pair Scripture with practical, everyday applications and personal stories, and their pastors deliver every single time. Though we started at the South campus location, we've been branching out to the other locations to switch things up. We've seen Carlos (senior pastor of Gateway) and the North campus several times on screen, but unfortunately never in person, so we decided to take a little road trip. Campus size, HUGE. Production, HUGE. Number of churchgoers, you can guess what my answer is. While we were unable to catch Carlos this time, we had the pleasure of Justin, executive pastor preaching to us instead. We're looking forward to our next trip!

This is a beautiful church with truly beautiful people that is non denominational and CHRISTIAN…read more Nobody speaks of any politics or preference and Pastor Carlos and the entire team are truly genuine and REAL. This is not evangelical yet it has beautiful songs and moving interactive services. Very unique and fun church for all ages!!! Join a group/class.. those have changed my life!

My son started his preschool classes in 2022 and I was so hesitant to put him into school. After…read moretouring the establishment, meeting Steffani, seeing how wonderful the school is I fell in love. I knew my son was in good hands. My son wasn't speaking too much before starting school but after his first year he was speaking full and complete sentences and writing. The teachers there are amazing! They all either had their own kids go through FFP or have taught there for 10+ years. Everyone just seems to be one big family there. My son is now onto kindergarten and my daughter will start her first year there come August. I have nothing but nice things to say about FFP and the wonderful people there.

First Foundations served as our family's first experience with preschool, and for that we are so…read moreextremely thankful. Our shy little daughter just blossomed at this school, to the extent that our friends and extended family remarked on the change in her confidence and demeanor. I'm admittedly a pretty anxious mama bear and I am still, a year later, so shocked at how seamless the adjustment to going to preschool felt for both my daughter and for myself. There were no tears from my little one when I dropped her off, but on more than one occasion she was adamant that she didn't want to leave the school when I picked her up. I could write paragraph upon paragraph, but I'll try to keep it short and sweet because I know firsthand how much energy it takes to search for that perfect fit. Here are some of the aspects that stood out to me! - The whole entire staff here is so wonderful. The director, Mrs. Wilkins, truly pours her heart into her school. She knows and loves each child and greets them by name. She also personally ran my daughter's lunch box/jacket/show and tell item down to her classroom on the more than one occasion that I completely forgot those items in a sleep deprived haze. Our daughter's teachers, Mrs. Gamoneda and Mrs. Pallota, were so kind and loving. Our kiddo can be stubborn, and she started the school year insisting that she didn't want finger paint on her hands. Mrs. G and Mrs. P worked with her, encouraging but never pushing (they even asked my husband and myself if there was any sort of alternative glue or paint she might find more tolerable), and our daughter was beaming with pride when she presented us with a finger painted keepsake a few weeks later. I said I'd keep this short, so bullet points for the rest. - All of the teachers are very qualified. - The school is clean and the teachers had the children wash their hands several times every day even in a pre-coronavirus world. - There are all sorts of fun theme days, class parties and a Christmas program. - This was my daughter's takeaway from our initial tour - two playgrounds! Here is my takeaway - two safe, age appropriate playgrounds that are fenced in. - In addition to the classroom, the children attend Chapel, Spanish and music class (we had the opportunity to observe a bit of the music class on our tour, and the kids were having so much fun). - A perfect combination of play based learning and learning skills that will be needed in kindergarten (our 4 y/o is now able to write her name but she had a lot of fun at school too) - The teachers incorporate super cool activities (a volcano, a caterpillar that turns into a butterfly, a classroom full of tents, reading Biblical stories via blacklight) into their daily lesson plans. - The school is safety minded. This was huge for me. - If you have a baby on your hip, everyone will help you. :) There is a wonderful drop off program, actually, in which teachers are in charge of getting kids from your car. It's very safe and coordinated well. - The school has a bridge program and a kindergarten program. This is actually how I learned about First Foundations. It's seriously the best school, and the only thing I would ever change about it is that I wish our kids could attend for a couple more years.

In 2013, the female rabbi and her congregation welcomed me with open arms. The rabbi surprised me…read moreby actually inviting me to participate in the Torah ceremony. I first declined saying I only saw the ceremony once or twice, but they didn't mind, so I accepted. I feared doing things wrong, but everything went okay. I learned some fascinating new things. The rabbi told me their particular congregation blended Reformed and Conservative Judaism. I found it particularity edifying when they contrasted Judaism with Christianity. The rabbi said many people have converted from Christianity to Judaism. She said unlike Christianity, Judaism "does not teach we have a stained soul, but a pure soul."

We are a URJ Reform Jewish Congregation Synagogue and Temple located in Cedar Park, TX (northwest…read moreAustin). We are a diverse, inter-generational and multicultural community, celebrating that there is more than one way to be a Jew. We strive to create and nourish a kehillah kedoshah, a sacred community. To enhance the meaning of our lives as Jews, we strive to foster the reciprocal connections between the Temple and its congregants. Children and adults, individuals and families create a multigenerational community participating in traditional religious and social activities, lifelong Jewish learning, and the larger Jewish community. The vision of Congregation Shir Ami is to be a beacon of Torah, a spiritual home, and a loving community, infusing the presence of God into our congregants' daily lives. Our services and classes meet at 3315 El Salido Pkwy, Cedar Park, TX. Contact: communications@shir-ami.com or 512-585-2895