You can make a donation at http://christcares.org
* Our website is somewhat outdated but we plan on relaunching a new website this summer. You may see some of our recent activities by scrolling down my facebook page: http://facebook.com/internetminister
Please keep us in prayer, only God can transform a life… Urban Missionary Scott Reese
The Lord has been blessing our missionary efforts and we are very grateful.
I apologize that I have not been able to keep up with the blog posts, there is so much I hope to share – God’s blessings has been amazing!. We are understaffed so it has been difficult to get our website up to date – we do hope to do that soon. In the meantime:
1) Please visit my Facebook page and scroll down my timeline – you will see many pictures and videos of our activities.
http://facebook.com/internetminister
2) Here is a copy of our updated brochure, please pass it along to Christians and churches that are not familiar with Christ Cares. Also please glance at our volunteer opportunities and see if there is a volunteer opportunity that you might be interested in.
3) We are completely updating our entire website. This should be done by April 1, 2014. We are really excited about this and it will contain detailed information, pictures, and videos of our urban missionary endeavors. http://ChristCares.org Please mark your calendar to visit us on April 1.
4) Please continue to pray for us and share any request you may have with us. PRAYER MAKES A DIFFERENCE! I’m so grateful that God hears and answers our prayers… If you have any questions please give me a call,
In Christ,
Scott Reese
Posted in Ministry Update
Tagged chicago, Christ Cares, donate, evangelism, homeless, ministry, missionary, non profit, scott reese, urban minister, urban ministry, volunteer
Posted in Ministry Update
Tagged at risk, chicago, Christ Cares, christian, Christianity, church, donate, homeless, ministry, Ministry Update, missionary, missions, non profit, poor, religion, scott reese, urban ministry, urban missionary, youth ministry
Thank you so much for your prayer and support. Only God can change lives and no matter how hard we work or how clever our plans, it is all in vain unless we have God’s Blessings. I am reminded of Paul’s words in 2 Thess. ” brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. 2 And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith.” If the Apostle Paul needed prayer, how much more do we!!! One of my favorite scriptures is from Zach. 4 ” ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” We are blessed that we see spiritual growth in many of the homeless we are working with and I just received a letter in the mail from a young man who told me that he wants to receive Christ as his Savior! However I also have some young people that I have been working with for several years, and although they are good kids and have memorized some scripture, they have not had the transformed lives that we long for. Peer pressure is so strong on these kids, but I know the power of God is greater – please join us in prayer for transformed lives through the power of the Gospel!
We have many highlights over the last several months beyond our regular programs. I have had the privilege to share at a couple of seminars. In January, the Agape Center (CRU / Here’s Life Inner City) had a seminar training on “How to Minister to the Homeless” and they asked me share. In February, Christian Service Ministries, the service ministry of the area Christian Reformed Churches asked me to give a seminar entitled “Church is not a spectator sport“. This was a seminar on how to encourage and empower more people to get involved in ministry. I also had the opportunity to preach at the Pacific Garden Mission a couple times (to over 400 homeless) and the Lord blessed mightily. I enjoyed my regular preaching engagements at Providence Nursing Home (South Holland) and the South Suburban Chinese Church and the other opportunities to share through our regular programs…
Church is not a spectator sport
For many years we have been providing an evening of fun and spiritual encouragement at the Homeless Shelter for mothers and children. Sometimes there are 75+ there. For several years I went alone or with just one volunteer but the Lord did a wonderful thing the last year or two – He put together a wonderful team of about 14 volunteers to help me minister there. Many are from Homewood Church. What a blessing this has been as we now have specialists in so many areas – the singing, the crafts, the smaller children’s lesson, etc. The program has really improved with all the additional help (I call them the DREAM TEAM OF VOLUNTEERS). Anyway Roseland Christian Ministries is temporarily closing the homeless shelter down and remodeling and also reorganizing their outreach to the homeless. Please pray for Pastor Joe Huizenga and the Roseland Christian Ministries Team as they do this. I would also like your prayer for our wonderful team of volunteers, that they will stay encouraged and that we will have wisdom and direction while waiting to see what opportunities will be available with the reorganized shelter or if we should split the group and help a couple smaller homeless shelters…
Christ Cares Volunteer Team & two RCM staff
We are grateful that the Lord has opened an awesome door of opportunity to be a blessing to many homeless ladies. New Life Baptist Church (Founding Pastor Scott Reese & Senior Pastor David Gills) hosts the PADS homeless ladies on Monday nights. Between 50 to 60 homeless ladies sleep on the gym floor on Monday nights. On Tuesday mornings I (Urban Missionary Scott Reese) have a weekly voluntary Bible Study with them. We have also started a devotional program with them (devotional sheet going over the Christian basics) which has been well received. On Monday, Tuesday, & Thursday mornings we serve and encourage these ladies by praying with them and sharing a verse. We also drive them where they need to go and try to be a blessing to them. Please keep these ladies in prayer – it is a difficult life, but God is bigger than any of their problems or issues. Below is a video of one of the ladies taken last week:
Urban Missionary Scott Reese interviews Christian Homeless Lady – ChristCares.org from internetministry on Vimeo.
Posted in Ministry Update
Tagged Agape Center, campus crusade, chicago, Christ Cares, christian, Christianity, homeless, ministry, missionary, missions, religion, scott reese, urban ministry
I have been blessed to be one of the longest ministry partners of the Agape Center. I can remember attending a fund raiser for the Agape Center with Bill Bright in the early 1980’s. It was a privilege to meet him and I was honored that he sent me an autographed copy of his Holy Spirit Book when I graduated from Bible College.
Brother Austin Smith was the Director when we first began partnering with the Agape Center. Rev. Milton Massie was the next Director and now Marc Henkle and Brad Harry are co directors. I can not list the many ways the Agape Center has helped us and empowered us to share the good news in the “City”.
Urban Ministry is very rewarding but it is also very difficult and challenging at times. You are surrounded by needs but in the natural you have very few resources. The Agape Center has had many programs that have empowered us to proclaim and demonstrate God’s love. My favorite is the “Boxes of Love” program. Every year for probably a couple decades they have provided us Thanksgiving Baskets to be used for evangelistic purposes. Hundreds of families have been helped. This year as the direct result of the Boxes of Love, we had over 20 visitors at church. I was interviewed on Christian TV with Milton Massie for the Box of Love Program by Jerry Rose in the late 1980’s or early 90’s – a link to that video is – HERE .
The Agape Center has also provided many other resources such as Homeless Aid Kits, School Supplies, Easter Baskets etc. as well as multiple training’s and seminars. They inspired me to hold our own Evangelism Training this past year and we had 35 people come out to learn how to share their faith. This year they have also sent one of their interns, Toni Seller to help us with our outreach to the homeless… she has been a blessing…
I can remember while I was serving as Senior Pastor of New Life Baptist Church we would always look forward to having the “Summer in the City” College students help us for a week or two. It is great having reinforcements and this allowed us to run special programs and reach many children for Christ…
As I look back at the many years of help and blessing that we received from the Agape Center I want to mention that beyond all the programs the relationship with the staff has made such a difference in my life. Milton Massie and Marc Hinkle are close friends and their lives have been an inspiration to me. The other dedicated staff members have also been an encouragement and blessing. I want to encourage you to attend their annual fund raising banquet coming up on April 20 – you can sign get more info and make your registration on their website: HERE .
Leo Tolstoy – WHERE LOVE IS, THERE GOD IS ALSO
HAVE YOU EVER READ TOLSTOY??? To me he was just one of those authors that I knew I should know about, but knew very little. I just read his short story – WHERE LOVE IS, THERE GOD IS ALSO – Leo Tolstoy. It only takes 5 or 10 minutes to read… I THINK YOU WOULD ENJOY IT… I posted it on the ChristCares.org website – http://bodyofchristcares.christianinternetministry.com/christian_volunteer_tolstoy.html
(I found this picture at http://www.linguadex.com/tolstoy/)
Amazing story how God used a volunteer’s simple act of faithfulness to change thousands of lives…
Many years ago, it was a cold February night in Chicago. A volunteer for the Pacific Garden Mission had to make a decision if he was to brave the cold weather or stay home – his position was not considered important by many – he was not a preacher, he just stood outside the mission and encouraged needy people to go inside & get help. He went…
Earlier that night a man named Mel Trotter was despondent and depressed due to alcoholism and poor choices – he had lost his job, his marriage was messed up and he had gone to Chicago for a drinking binge. Finally, suicidal & out of money he sold his shoes in a tavern to get a final drink. He then got directions to Lake Michigan where he figured he would jump in and commit suicide… On his way, he passed the the Pacific Garden Mission & the volunteer encouraged him & pulled him in the mission… there he heard the gospel preached and that even though he was “messed up” God still loved him…
He trusted Christ as his savior & God transformed his life… soon he began to share his testimony and became a minister… God used him in a powerful way… He helped start the Mel Trotter Rescue Mission & Church in Grand Rapids Michigan… Soon he was used to start missions in many cities across America and became an evangelist and thousands of people came to the Lord as a result of his ministry…. This is a great reminder to us on the importance of our volunteer activities, even if it doesn’t seem to be an important job, you never know how God will bless your faithfulness… Thousands were saved as the result of that volunteer being there & Mel Trotter becoming a Christian…
I WANT TO TELL YOU THE STORY OF JUST ONE OF THE THOUSANDS THAT WERE SAVED. A 13 year old boy visited the Mel Trotter Church in Grand Rapids … he saw a choir perform & asked if he could join – the director shared that it was a Christian choir & then the 13 year old boy put his trust in Christ as his savior… that boy grew up to be a missionary, pastor, evangelist, Bible College teacher, & author… that man was my Father Ed Reese, who along with my mom raised me in the Christian Faith & now I (Scott Reese) have been an urban missionary for over 30 years…
LAST FRIDAY NIGHT (12/28/12) I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PREACH AT THE PACIFIC GARDEN MISSION… where this all began… it was an amazing night and an opportunity… I’m not sure how many were there, I’m guessing over 400… Katie Reese sang with the youth group of Christian Heritage Church… After preaching a gospel message, We had about 7 indicate that they would like to become Christians – we prayed with them & encouraged them to talk with the mission staff… Please pray for them… Praise the Lord …
Posted in Ministry Update
Tagged chicago, Children's Bible Hour, Christ Cares, christian, christian testimonies, Christian volunteers, Christianity, Grand Rapids, homeless, Mel Johnson, Mel Trotter, Mel Trotter Mission, ministry, missionary, missions, Pacific Garden Mission, religion, rescue mission, scott reese, testimony, tips for teens, urban minister, urban ministry, urban missionary, volunteer, volunteerism, witness, Youth For Christ
Children receive Christmas Toys due to the generosity of donors.
This was a great example of how the Body of Christ can work together. We are very grateful to the many Churches & Christians and who provided toys or volunteered in some way. We are also grateful to Alvin Herman Jr. & the Gideons who provided New Testaments to go along with the gifts. We were able to distribute the gifts in the name of Jesus to needy families in Chicago and the south suburbs.
Volunteers wrap toys for needy children.
PLEASE COME BACK & VISIT THIS BLOG POST – I WILL WRITE A MORE DETAILED REPORT WHEN I HAVE SOME MORE TIME, BUT I WANTED AT LEAST TO POST A FEW PICTURES & ALSO PROVIDE A LINK FOR A NEWS ARTICLE THAT WAS WRITTEN ABOUT OUR PROJECT.
Some of the homeless ladies who attended our Christmas Morning Bible Study
Thanks to the supporters of Christ Cares on Christmas Day many homeless people not only received gifts, but they had a MINISTER to spend time with them and encourage them. I spent Christmas Morning with the Homeless Ladies & children of the PADS Shelter Program at New Life Baptist Church. The afternoon with my family, and the evening at Roseland Christian Ministries Homeless Shelter for ladies & children.
Posted in Ministry Update
Rozetta Baptist Church and Kids Against Hunger donate food to Rev. Scott Reese & Christ Cares
Dan Allamon & Scott Reese
Posted in Ministry Update
Tagged christian, Christianity, compassion, donate, food, food ministry, homeless, hungry, ministry, missionary, missions, poor, religion, scott reese, urban minister, urban ministry
Christ Cares 