Heart Check is an annual call to participate with the Holy Spirit beyond the walls of Revive Wesleyan. It’s a prompt to pray, go, and give above and beyond so that we can bring the Gospel and tangible aid to people right here in Buffalo and around the world. By making this a yearly practice, we continually check that our hearts are aligned with God’s and that we are using the time, talents, and resources he has blessed us with to serve others.
Scroll down to learn more about our partners and the projects we are supporting this year.
Heart Check Prayer Vigil Sign Up
From April 27 to May 4, we are doing a round-the-clock prayer vigil in The Living Room at our McKinley Campus. You sign up for a one-hour time slot that books the room just for you (or your family or small group). We'll have prompts and a few interactive elements in the room to help guide you. Take this time to draw closer to Christ and bring our partner ministries and their work to Him in prayer! Enter through Door 1 to access The Living Room. And rest assured that we'll have security in the building when it's not business hours so you are never alone.
Outreach begins just outside your door. Every day you have the opportunity to bring the Gospel to those around you, be a listening ear and a source of comfort to the hurting, or meet practical needs. The Great Commission is for here and now, not just the week you serve on a mission trip or in one particular season of your life!
How do we live out Revive’s core value of Outreach locally?
As one of Revive’s seven core values, Outreach should be expressed in everything Revive Wesleyan does, including Sunday morning worship services, community groups, global mission trips, and when Revive congregants are out and about in the community.
What do local Heart Check funds support?
The Trading Post, Operation Good Neighbor, Hamburg Emergency Food Pantry, Revive’s Fall Festivals, to name just a few! Local Heart Check funds are invested in both compassion and evangelistic ministries. Compassion ministries help fill an immediate daily need (clothing, food, etc). Evangelistic ministries help connect people to the eternal need of salvation through Jesus Christ.
We also set aside a portion of the Heart Check budget for needs we didn’t or couldn’t plan for. Last year, there was a tornado that touched the ground in Eden, NY, which devastated many family homes and farms. Thanks to your continued investment in Heart Check, we were able to respond right away to fill practical daily needs. Each year we discern and look for Holy Spirit-led opportunities to help YOU be the everyday missionary God has called you to be! So keep your eyes and ears open during Sunday services or via our newsletters for ways you can jump in and participate!
We have many compassionate partners in the City of Buffalo dedicated to bringing the Gospel to people in the darkest of circumstances. Motivated by their faith in Jesus, the leaders and volunteers at these organizations are bringing God’s Kingdom to earth one person at a time. And they do it by caring for the whole individual—providing Gospel-centered love and support while meeting the tangible needs of the lost and the hurting. We are committed to being a part of the solution right here in our city.
Our partners around the world are doing Kingdom work amid escalating wars and gang violence. As thousands of people flee the cities and countries where these ministries are staying the course and still operating, our help means more than ever. We support schools, medical clinics, worship facilities, and more in places that cry out for peace and hope. The Gospel is the answer desperately sought by so many. Despite the brutal opposition, these partner ministries continue to see people accept Jesus. Please pray for the staff, volunteers, and individuals they serve as they meet critical needs and push back against the spiritual darkness.
Legacy Partners are individuals or families in the mission field whom we support as they reach people for Jesus. Their work is varied and takes place all over the world. We’ve been in relationship with these individuals for years, sometimes decades, and it’s a blessing to see the fruit of their ministries.
Stacia and her team are the only known evangelical presence in their canton of 70,000 people. As they share life with people, teach English, and engage in the community, they are building relationships that foster spiritual conversations and opportunities to share Jesus. Stacia and her team desire to see God change people’s lives. Their goal is to make disciples who plant churches and see Kingdom movement.
Yoshua launched Mission of Christ Wesleyan Church in Buffalo in 2015 to provide a place for worship and community to the immigrant and refugee populations from his home country of the Democratic Republic of Congo. All people seeking the love of God are welcomed. The church also provides community services through his nonprofit, Global Bridge Impact, to help recent refugees and immigrants with things like language, job searches, cultural awareness, social skills, driving skills, and more.
Ratio Christi works to keep students strong in their faith so they can withstand the challenges they face as they go out into the world. They do this by giving students a strong foundation of theological and Biblical understanding, equipping professors with tools to share their faith, and planting university clubs nationwide and around the world. Nick Sluyter is the campus minister at Buffalo State College. He and his wife work together so that students can articulate why they believe what they do and then lead others to Christ.
International Students, Inc., exists to share Christ’s love with international students and equip them for effective service in cooperation with the local church and others. Gary Kuechle and his wife have a heart for helping international students feel cared for and welcome to the US. Gary oversees and works with local staff and volunteers to host Friday Night Live Fellowship, Friendship Partners, English/American culture classes, and discipleship opportunities.
Athletes in Action connects athletes and coaches to their global community where they can develop holistically and discover purpose both during and after their competing careers. They work with athletes and coaches to develop the body (applying your faith by pushing your physical limits in competitive, Christ-centered environments), soul (growing spiritually in community with like-minded athletes), and mind (transforming your mind and strengthening your leadership). Fred also leads the yearly Call to Courage Breakfast.
Mark Rumschik is the National Field Director of Athletes in Action Hockey in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Athletes in Action is a ministry of Cru (the name of Campus Crusade for Christ in the USA). Mark works with hockey players on the USA National Team Development Program, in college, the AHL, and the NHL. In his ministry, he walks with the players and shows them how to grow in relationship with God while equipping them to share Jesus using their platform of hockey.
Scot Keranen is on the lead team of Youth for Christ Lebanon as the Director of Operations. He oversees the staff and ministries of YFC Lebanon, ensuring that their mission and vision are accomplished. Scot’s role at YFC has been rapidly expanding as YFC Lebanon expands. He has been working on the organization’s operating structure and staff development. He and his wife also recently welcomed a son, Isaiah.
Maher has been with YFC Lebanon for 22 years and their National Director for the last 12. The ministry is known for its camps, clubs, and presence on school campuses. Maher has visited Revive many times. Recently, Maher and the YFC team have been utilizing a YouTube channel that’s reaching thousands of youth to start conversations and ask questions that are not often discussed in homes. His influence on the organization and the region continues to be powerful.
Nathan has been the Area Director of Young Life Buffalo South and a member of Revive for the past 22 years. He works with a team of leaders to introduce kids to Jesus and to help them grow in their faith. Nathan believes that a long obedience in the same direction has the greatest impact on people's lives. His commitment to our community and ministry lives this out.
Jack first met the Lord through Young Life in high school and began volunteering with Young Life around age 19. Today Jack is the Direct Ministry Lead. He coordinates ministry in Hamburg, managing volunteer teams as well as actively leading teens in his ministry. Young Life meets weekly with middle and high school students, inviting them to experience life the way God has designed it to be lived.
As the Assistant Executive Director of Camp Hickory Hill, Brian oversees all of camp’s operations, including ministry programs, administration, staffing, and finances. He also disciples the youth and college-aged staff and volunteers. Camp Hickory Hill’s mission is to glorify God by helping people grow closer to Him and to each other through camp, retreat, and conference experiences. Brian’s next challenge is implementing the comprehensive Next Steps Vision for the camp, which he helped create.
Hope is serving as a Teacher’s Assistant in Poetice’s Lower Primary Class in Choma, Zambia. Hope participated in Revive Wesleyan’s Summer Outreach & Missions Internship in 2023 and has answered God’s call to serve as a long-term missionary. Schooling is one of the most formational and transformational places for a child during their critical developmental years. Poetice has expanded their school this year to accommodate more students.
Justin and Mwiza Chikonde came to the USA from Zambia in September 2024 to serve as missionaries. In Zambia, they were both on staff with Poetice. Today, Justin partners with Revive’s Outreach team, seeking opportunities to build relationships and share the Gospel. Mwiza is ministering through the Worship team and helps out with the Finance team. They are in the USA for an initial 2.5 year call with their three children, Moriah, Jay Jay, and Chelyn.
Chris and Melissa have served in Western Australia since 2004 as ordained ministers planting churches in a secular and unchurched society. Perth is one of the most isolated cities in the world with more than 2 million people needing to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. The Western Australia District of the Wesleyan Church was established in 2023. Chris and Melissa are now walking alongside Australian leaders to establish and support the new district through leadership development, church planting, and church partnership.
This internship is a 12-week period of growing in your walk with Jesus while learning more about the global and local church. Each intern participates in Poetice’s six-week discipleship training school, called the Intensive, in Choma, Zambia. While there, they learn from high-quality teachers from around the world, deeply engage in the Poetice community, and apply their giftings daily in missional opportunities in Choma. For the final six weeks of the internship, the interns participate in the various partnerships Revive has with local organizations. The goal is for these interns to learn new ways to experience the Lord and be a step closer to where He is calling them. Candidates for this internship are people between the ages of 18 to 30ish who are looking to pursue God’s call on their lives to be an everyday missionary no matter their line of work. If you or someone you know is interested, please reach out to Madi Ventre at mventre@revivewesleyan.com.
Global $319,800
Regional $210,000
Local $85,000
Legacy $94,450
Operational Support $90,750