The mission of Rebirth: East St. Louis is to share the hope of Jesus Christ with the youth of East St. Louis, that they may mature into men and women of God who will be leaders in their community.

We are presently using the avenue of volunteer coaching as a way to build relationships with teenagers.  As we'd hoped, this has led to many opportunities for evangelism and discipleship. As we seek to serve the people of East St. Louis, our staff members are always mindful of our four ministry distinctives:

Giving our Lives Away: Our staff will insert themselves into the city of East St. Louis and be an active part of the community. We believe it is a privilege to spend a great amount of our time with those we serve, sharing not only the gospel, but also our lives. Our prayer is that one day a small number of believers would relocate into the city for the sake of the Gospel. 

Committed to Leadership Development: Our desire is that those who are from East St. Louis will become spiritual leaders in their community. While this idea isn't original (see the New Testament!), we believe this is the most effective way to reach the city and maximize the longevity of our movement.

Focused on the Next Generation: Most of our initial ministry efforts will target the teenagers in the city. We will disciple them into young adulthood, helping them become leaders who will invest their lives in the future youth of East St. Louis. This isn't an easy process, but the word "easy" wasn't included by Christ in Matthew 28:19-20!

Meeting the Needs of the Whole Person: While our focus will be on the spiritual development of youth, we will not turn our eyes from any physical challenges they face. In order to minister to the whole person, we will seek to meet their physical needs as well. This could be something like a meal, a winter coat, or a college visit.