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HOW WE GOT HERE

Our relationship with the SIUE Charter School is one we greatly value, and we hope to grow our programming to serve the entire student population. Along with generous giving from partners, two board members also assisted us in creating a for-profit house-flipping business to provide non-traditional operating revenue for our ministry. The Lord is providing and growing partnerships with the entire Body of Christ, not just two churches. We were once hanging on by a thread, and now clarify our next steps for growing from the start-up phase into the growth phase. We see God’s fingerprints all over how our team has been growing and doing the work of R3.

As the organization repositioned as R3, we created three core objectives: 1) Disciple youth through employment 2) Be reputable landlords for the community and 3) Generate revenue to complement philanthropic giving. Those objectives were all equal in our eyes at the time. Meanwhile, a local church was planted through the invitation extended to City of Joy Church to “come and plant.” Through this, the desire to do community development and what we call incarnational living (leaders living and serving in the city) grew and took shape, at the time becoming an independent 501c3 non-profit organization.

This space is ideal for writing a detailed description of your business and the types of services that you provide. Talk about your team and your areas of expertise. 

In November 2016, after the organizational transition, we had just two members of the Board of Directors, two student relationships, eighteen volunteers, and few professional partnerships with whom to build a new program. Fifteen very short months later - we have grown to include 6 Board members, are mobilizing 300+ volunteers, and have authentic relationships with 40+ students from the East St Louis’ SIUE Charter School. These students have each completed at least one internship with R3, and many of whom regularly attend City of Joy Church’s Next Up weekly youth event. This space is ideal for writing a detailed description of your business and the types of services that you provide. Talk about your team and your areas of expertise. 

Our relationship with the SIUE Charter School is one we greatly value, and we hope to grow our programming to serve the entire student population. Along with generous giving from partners, two board members also assisted us in creating a for-profit house-flipping business to provide non-traditional operating revenue for our ministry. The Lord is providing and growing partnerships with the entire Body of Christ, not just two churches. We were once hanging on by a thread, and now clarify our next steps for growing from the start-up phase into the growth phase. We see God’s fingerprints all over the ways in which our team has been growing and doing the work of R3.

The greatest testimony to the impact of R3 is the endorsement of our students. Many report that R3 has made a profound impact on their lives. They’ve learned the story of God as well as to come to understand and share their own stories of faith. Students trust R3 and come to us for wisdom and advice. Likewise, many volunteers have come to know and love the impact we are having in East St. Louis. Their negative view of the city is beginning to change as they hear real stories and meet real people in a community they’ve only previously known through the statistics of violence and poverty depicted by the media.

This space is ideal for writing a detailed description of your business and the types of services that you provide. Talk about your team and your areas of expertise. 

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