Outreach Ministries
Cooks for Christ
Cooks For Christ began when Robert Van Riet felt God wanted him to help the homeless after witnessing a homeless person being thrown out of a restaurant. He strongly felt these people needed to have someone show them they were loved and special to God. He met with the director of the Knoxville Union Rescue Mission and asked if it would be possible to decorate the café and serve the homeless "restaurant style" dinner once a month. He was agreeable and Robert next met with Pastor Gerald McGinnis about helping finance this ministry.
That was about 13 years ago. Cooks For Christ has grown into a ministry where our main goal is to reach out in God's love to show each homeless and underprivileged person that enters the café for a meal that they are special and loved. In addition to decorating the café with white tablecloths and flowers, we also bring in Christian music groups to provide live Christian music and offer prayer. We feel blessed that Pastor McGinnis and Park West Church has allowed us the privilege to continue ministering to the homeless of Knoxville.
To download our lateset newsletter please click here: 
May 2008 Newsletter
Note: to view PDF files on this page you will need free Adobe Reader. Click here to download.
Knoxville Inner City Kids Outreach
Bill and Janice Clark founded KICKO (Knoxville Inner City Kids Outreach) in 1995 as a 501(c)3 non profit, para ministry. Its mission is to take the life-changing message of Jesus Christ to the children and families living in Knoxville's low income inner city areas. The ministry includes sidewalk SONday Schools in multiple locations, relationship building visititations, and an annual Back 2 School Community Block Party.
To learn more information click here to leave the Park West Church site and visit the KICKO website.
Lost Sheep Ministries
Maxine Raines, director of Lost Sheep Ministries, spent time on the streets during her childhood. Because of this experience, she has a great compassion and understanding of the needs of the homeless.
The ministry began with one person accompanying Maxine on the streets and
has grown to a large force in Knoxville. Today,
Lost Sheep Ministries has volunteers from many churches and organizations including
Park West Church that come together to feed, clothe, care for, and share the love of Jesus with approximately 300 adults homeless persons on Wednesday nights and as many as 400 young people on Saturday nights in the Old City.
To learn more information click here to leave the Park West Church site and visit the Lost Sheep Ministries website.
Bringing to Light Ministries
Charlotte and her husband, Robert, reside in Knoxville, Tennessee. Their oldest son Chris is married to Kyndra, and he is a computer engineer with a Masters Degree, employed with Scripps Network. The have a son, Andrew Christopher. Charese is their oldest daughter who is married to David Graves, and they have two little boys, Ryan David and Brayden John. Charese is working on her degree in Education. Chaunta, the youngest daughter is married to Erik Hockman. Chaunta is a graduate from Oral Roberts University and is a registered nurse with Patricia Neal Rehabilitation Center. Cheles is a student in Radiology at U.T. Hospital and also works full-time with them.
Robert and Charlotte have a ministry called Bringing to Light. Charlotte has been ministering on radio for 21 years. After being heard on short-wave Christian radio, the response to the program has come from nations all over the world. Charlotte has a television program that airs three times a week on WVLR-TV 48 and TBN. Charlotte has also been teaching the evening sanctuary class, Homebuilders Class, at Park West Church for seven years. She offers her monthly newsletter, News from Bringing to Light. Even though Charlotte has this widespread ministry, she is quick to say that her greatest ministry is being wife and mother.
Charlotte has ministered in 14 nations. Her ministry has sent hundreds of Bibles into the world and thousands of Spanish Bibles to Cuba. Charlotte and her husband have personally smuggled Bibles and Christian literature into Cuba on three occasions. They have ministered three years with a medical team in Quito, Ecuador.
In 1978, Charlotte had an out-of-the-body experience. She had allowed fear to come into her life, and two days following the birth of Chaunta, she died. Many believers were there and would not let her go. She came back into her body, fear was broken, and she is very much alive today. Charlotte knows first-hand the consequences of satan's device, fear; and shares her testimony to set others free.
Jesus appeared to Charlotte in a dream and layed hands on her. He told her that she would lay hands on those with cancer and they would recover. Truly, that has been confirmed many times. Charlotte has seen the blinded eyes open, the dumb speak, and the sick made well.
Charlotte received a degree in Christian counseling from Oral Roberts University. She graduated Summa Cum Laude and received the Most Outstanding Student Award. She counsels with many hurting people. She received her license through a study program with the Church of God. She has received the Exhorters and Ordained license and completed the Ministerial Internship Program. She is presently working on a Masters from the Church of God Theological Seminary.
Every Bringing to Light program begins with Charlotte's words, "Today is your day for victory in Jesus" and closes with, "I love you. I love you all." Thousands of people are blessed daily by these words that come from her heart. Compassion has truly been a tool that Jesus has used in Charlotte's life to deliver hurting people. In all of her ministry outreach, it is easy to see that her greatest desire is to reach the world for Jesus.
Download the newsletter
Higher Ground Academy
Let your children be enriched by participating in the Higher Ground Academy homeschool cooperative. Classes are held each Tuesday from 10:00am through 3:30pm, and are offered for every age/grade, including a nursery for children under 2.
Our family registration fee is $45, plus any class or material fees. You may choose to sign up for 1 - 5 hours of courses, however, we ask that you, as a parent, participate in some way by teaching or volunteering.
Registration will open in October 2005 for our Spring semester which begins January 17, 2006.
Calendar of events coming soon!
We hope you will join us at the Higher Ground Academy!
Sharon Cronas
sghc@citlink.net
Amanda Johnston
jj3aj@comcast.net