The Year in Review

December 9, 2021

Dear Friends,

As the 2021 year comes to an end and the 2022 year begins, your Wesley Chapel Mission Center Family wants to express sincere humility and gratitude for all you have done for our children, staff, and the overall organization. I want to highlight just a few exceptional things that you have allowed us to do:

• You helped support over (166) registered youth in grades PreK-12th in the most underserved areas of Cincinnati, the Over the Rhine neighborhood.

• Your support and gifts to the Kingdom allowed free services rendered to our three grade-appropriate programs: Primary (PreK-2nd), Middlers (3rd-6thth), and High School (7th-12th). All programs are free for registered children.

• We introduced our youth to Christ by engaging in daily Bible lessons and precepts.

Spiritual Seed

November 13, 2021

Genesis 8:22 states:

While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

God has provided for you and me, means to survive regardless of the season. My Pastor stated during a recent Sunday Sermon that “Seed” is mentioned in the Bible (257) times. As I listened to the sermon, I thought about how mighty the seed of Abraham truly was. I also thought about how our own spiritual seed is designed to sow in good ground for the Kingdom of Jesus Christ! So as we sow, let us reap by inviting others to our house of worship and intentionally planting Kingdom seeds.

Genesis 9:9 says: “And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you.”

Kevin Corey

Executive Director

Welcome Back!

September 26, 2021

Our kiddos are back in action! WCMC doors are open with welcoming arms to receive our students. Thursday, August 19th, was the first day for the 2021-2022 academic school year. Our staff and students are excited about all the opportunities this year has to offer. Thank you to Cincinnati Police Department, District One, for walking with students from Rothenberg Preparatory Academy to Wesley Chapel Mission Center. It helped make the student's first-day special!

Cincinnati Public Schools has resumed five-day-a-week, in-person learning for the 2021-2022 school year. WCMC continues to support students with homework help, academic enrichment, provide healthy snacks, and share the goodness of Jesus Christ. We are excited to welcome new and returning volunteers. If you would like to help, our students launch a fantastic school year; join us today!

To keep our WCMC family safe, staff and students wear masks, check temperatures, and have several accessible sanitation areas. Would you please support our students in prayer as they embark on all that this year has to offer.

Stay updated on all things happening at WCMC, events, pictures, and volunteer opportunities by following us on Facebook and Instagram.

Facebook.com/WesleyChapelMissionCenter

Instagram: wcmc_otr

Branching Out: Connecting Through Christ

August 2, 2021

WCMC had a fantastic Summer Camp this year! June 21st through July 30th was full of fun activities, academic enrichment, and learning more about God's word.

With over 150 children registered, our campers had a blast "Branching Out Through Christ" this summer. Our fantastic staff and volunteers welcomed PreK-12th Graders. Praise and worship were flowing throughout the camp. Campers took advantage of new adventures and experiences, from playing in Grant Park, gardening in OTR to swimming at Ziegler Pool. There was no dull moment. We thank God for all the memories made.

Thank you to all of the excellent staff, volunteers, and donors who helped make Summer Camp 2021 a success. With your help, WCMC provided lunch each day, academic engagement designed to help children retain what they learned from the school year, and spiritual enrichment to encourage youth to be a light in Over-the-Rhine.

Thank You For Being Exceptional!

July 6, 2021

Who would not want to be described as unusually good or outstanding? Well, that’s exactly what the staff and I witness daily here at the Wesley Chapel Mission Center. The exceptional acts of God’s Grace, resources, and gifts are on display daily. The support of the individuals and ministries that pour into the mission of teaching Jesus Christ Precepts, uplifting, educating, and introducing the loss to the excellence of Jesus Christ is a work that we are committed to. I cannot say enough about the commitment of the staff, leadership of the board, and the path established by the former executive director (Becky Costello). Lives are being changed, and hearts are being mended. The building of relationships and offering a hand up versus a hand out is a pursuit that we relish. The Bible notes in Matthew 9:37 that “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” still holds true today. We ask for your prayers and encouragement as we witness to the youth and families that only want better for themselves and their children! Please feel free to contact me at (513) 426-3067 to discuss how you can help.

May the Peace of God be with you daily!

Kevin Corey

Executive Director

Goodbye Sarah Lewton

June 2, 2021

What brought you to WCMC?

I came to WCMC as a Volunteer Coordinator connecting volunteers to the mission of WCMC. As I grew in sharing the vision of WCMC, I became the Grant Coordinator and eventually the first Director of Communications and Development.

How long have you been at WCMC? I've been with WCMC since February of 2017, so it's been over 4 years now.

What's next?

I will be moving just up the hill to the University of Cincinnati and working as the Assistant Director of Development for CECH.

What will you miss most about WCMC?

I'll miss being a part of the community. Wesley Chapel has a beautiful network of individuals whom God has brought together in a unique way. From parents and students to volunteers, supporters, and staff the Center connects people from all walks of life. You truly never know who is going to walk through the door next, but you can trust that God has brought them there for a purpose.

"We serve a good, good Father whose plans are so much greater than our own. I praise Him for the time I have been able to spend at WCMC. I praise Him for the way he has stretched and grown me through my time here, and I look forward to seeing how God continues to use me in the future. May the Lord continue to bless and watch over our WCMC Family."

- Sarah Lewton

Sarah, on behalf of the WCMC family, we wish you the best and you truly will be missed!

Find Your Purpose

May 26, 2021

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you,” 1 Peter 2:9. 9

There are several definitions of “Purpose” but I feel that this defines it best…

“Purpose; The reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.”

At Wesley Chapel Mission Center, we strive daily to see the results that purpose creates. Whether it is in decision-making one-on-one, or in a group activity, the youth that daily visit our center should not leave our doors without knowing that God has a plan for their lives and their existence. We teach the youth that there is a reason why we do things. We want them to understand that Jesus can transform anything and everything for His purpose. We may not understand it or even see it, but to me, that’s the beauty in it because by trusting Him, His purpose completes itself.

Kevin Corey

Executive Director

The Disciple Project

March 30, 2021

Wesley Chapel Mission Center, located in the “Over the Rhine” neighborhood, will be performing a monthly “Disciple Project” led by the High School Coordinator, Daniel Calves. The youth who are engaged in this program will be going to area essential businesses, nursing homes, places of worship, and schools to share a message of thanks, gratitude, and encouragement. It is the mission of Wesley Chapel Mission Center, which serves underserved families that live within the OTR area, to model service to others. Our staff daily teaches and reiterates to the youth who arrive at our center, that love and compassion for others can change their lives and the lives of those they serve!

Yours in Christ,

Kevin Corey,

Executive Director

A Life Can be Changed by New Information!

February 24, 2021

I can recall sitting in a classroom that represented leaders from across the nation. We were attending a Chief Executive Training session and while there were good speakers throughout the day, there was a particular speaker that gained my attention within five minutes. He first introduced himself and then he said, “We must listen to what others have to say; information is power!”

Most people want better, they want to change, they wish that somehow, someway, an event could be altered by a miracle. If you were raised within a deprived neighborhood and discovered through exposure that all neighborhoods were not like yours, it could result in an informational transfer where you wondered why your grass looked different than their grass; why their walkways did not contain trash or an odor that no human being should experience. I knew that I did not want to raise my children in such a blighted area of town. Neither did I want the most important information that I could introduce them to for living their best life to remain unfound. I started reading and seeking information that could change the rest of my days; it was found in the Holy Bible.

If you find yourself searching; seeking; reaching for an answer, look no further than the word of God. (Our Heavenly)Father knows best!

Yours in Christ,

Kevin Corey

Executive Director

How Do We See One Another?

January 25, 2021

“The way you see people is the way you treat them and the way you treat them is the way they become”. -Johan Wolfgang von Goethe

I was once told that if you want to help people, you must meet them where they are, not where you are at this date and time in your own lives. While I am not a psychologist and have not pursued that field of study, I have read and examined what the greatest Fixer (Jesus Christ) of all times has taught by His example of compassion, love, and faith. He empowered believers to serve others before self.

My favorite book reads in Matthew 25:35-41; “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” Be blessed!

Yours in Christ,

Kevin Corey

Executive Director

See the Mountain…Climb the Mountain

January 17, 2021

During my lifetime, I have overcome several of life’s (struggles) mountains, and believe me; climbing is not one of my favorite hobbies. Whether the event was poverty, the death of a loved one, an unforeseen barrier, or an experience that was out of my control to impact or change… it happened. The children, who live within the community where Wesley Chapel Mission Center is located, will surely have mountain experiences. We teach them that no matter what they may be going through just trust in God. You may be going through a similar situation and if you are finding your mountain difficult to climb, we want to encourage you to keep climbing. Take the first step with Faith! Take another, knowing that you are not walking alone; take another, and another and another. You can overcome and conquer the mountain! God may not move your mountain but he will give you the strength to climb!

Yours in Christ,

Kevin Corey

Executive Director