Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary's Houses of Hope program serves small town and rural congregations. Its mission explicitly includes service to the church in ways beyond theological degrees. The congregations the program addresses are places where hope is often at a low ebb, but where the potential for congregations to influence transformation toward hope is significant. The program focuses on Christian practices of forgiveness and gratitude that open to and nourish hope. A digital Houses of Hope Learning Center serves congregations across the country, while Houses of Hope Learning Cohorts deeply engage congregations in Oklahoma and Texas.