Wayside Cross Ministries

Wayside Cross Ministries Where the abused, addicted and impoverished have found rest and recovery for over 95 years!

☀️🙌🏼 Let the summer of serving begin!Wayside is pleased to welcome our first round of youth volunteer groups with Leader...
06/02/2026

☀️🙌🏼 Let the summer of serving begin!

Wayside is pleased to welcome our first round of youth volunteer groups with LeaderTreks Youth Ministry.

Kicking off the season were some familiar faces from Hope Missionary Church in Bluffton, Indiana. The students and youth leaders put in a full day of service before ending their visit with resident testimonies and a time of prayer.

Thank you to LeaderTreks for equipping youth with hands-on ministry opportunities, and thank you Hope Missionary Church for your continued partnership with Wayside!

What a weekend for Urban Youth Ministries and Aurora youth baseball and softball! ⚾🎉🥎On Saturday, UYM officially launche...
05/27/2026

What a weekend for Urban Youth Ministries and Aurora youth baseball and softball! ⚾🎉🥎

On Saturday, UYM officially launched the ANBL Baseball League season with an incredible Opening Day celebration that welcomed more than 1,000 players, families, coaches, and community supporters to the ballfields at MLK Jr. Park and Copley II Park.

Aurora Mayor John Laesch helped kick off the season with the ceremonial opening pitch alongside other community leaders, including Deputy Mayor Casildo "Casey" Cuevas and Fox Valley Park District Executive Director Jennifer Paprocki.

This FREE league continues to provide youth ages 5–12 with more than baseball and softball. It creates opportunities for mentorship, encouragement, teamwork, and community connection.

📸 Professional photos were captured by MVP Sports Photos for the players, and Westminster Presbyterian Church generously provided lunch for the teams.

Thanks to the dedication of UYM leaders Devell Porter and Robin Sterkel as well as ANBL Commissioner Mike Michalek, Opening Day was a success for Aurora’s youth.

Now let’s play ball! 🧢

Oh, what a night! 💫 We serve a God who redeems, and that theme was echoed throughout the evening at the Master’s Touch F...
05/22/2026

Oh, what a night! 💫 We serve a God who redeems, and that theme was echoed throughout the evening at the Master’s Touch Friendship Dinner.

450 people gathered at the Embassy Suites-Naperville to celebrate 98 years of transformed lives through Jesus Christ. ✝️

Guest speaker Phil Johnson delivered a truth-filled message, and guests had the opportunity to hear firsthand testimonies from residents about the brokenness sin had brought into their lives… but how God faithfully restored them through the Master’s Touch program.

It is a uniquely special evening when residents, mentors, volunteers, church partners, and staff all gather together to celebrate what God is doing at Wayside and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8)! 👑

Thank you to all who supported our ministry. It’s not too late to help men encounter Christ and begin a new chapter in their lives:

waysidecross.org/2026-mt-dinner

Today is the day! 🎉 We are counting down the hours until the Master’s Touch Friendship Dinner this evening. ✈️ Special g...
05/21/2026

Today is the day! 🎉 We are counting down the hours until the Master’s Touch Friendship Dinner this evening.

✈️ Special guest speaker Phil Johnson arrived this morning and was greeted by Wayside’s Executive Director James Lukose.

Phil, pastor and Executive Director of Grace to You media ministry, will speak on the hope found in Christ — made visible tonight through the firsthand testimonies of Wayside residents.

We look forward to seeing our registered attendees soon. (Please note that we cannot accommodate walk-ins at this time.) Event details: 👇

✦ Embassy Suites
✦ 1823 Abriter Court, Naperville
✦ Doors Open at 6 pm; Dinner served at 6:30 pm

There is so much happening at Elgin Wayside Center!It was just months ago that we welcomed our first ever resident to ou...
05/20/2026

There is so much happening at Elgin Wayside Center!

It was just months ago that we welcomed our first ever resident to our new location as we transitioned from a homeless day center into an overnight, structured recovery program.

Now we are nearly half full! 🛌 Here are our latest updates:

🔹Our mentoring program is ready to kick off
🔹Dr. Harry Shields, a former Moody professor, has committed to being our Biblical Counselor
🔹We are beginning to provide recreational activities (Basketball, anyone? 🏀)
🔹We continue to add more churches and groups every month
🔹Several fantastic new staff members have been added to our ministry team

Our greatest need? 🍽️ Evening meals. If you, your church, or your organization would like to bring a dinner please contact Mark Kato at [email protected].

Meanwhile, we are praising God for His faithfulness and provision for this ministry.

Wayside recently hosted a Pastor’s Prayer Breakfast, where we prayed over and commissioned our new UYM Assistant Directo...
05/18/2026

Wayside recently hosted a Pastor’s Prayer Breakfast, where we prayed over and commissioned our new UYM Assistant Director Devell Porter — known as “Porter” — alongside his wife Kimberly.

Porter also shared his testimony and calling to youth ministry, reflecting on his upbringing in Chicago and the experiences and influences God used to shape his life and passion for serving young people.

Thank you to the pastors and leaders who faithfully live out the call of Ephesians 6:18 to “be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

What a gift we were blessed with this week. Former Chicago Bears defensive back and later team chaplain Ray McElroy visi...
05/15/2026

What a gift we were blessed with this week. Former Chicago Bears defensive back and later team chaplain Ray McElroy visited our men to inspire them with a God-centered vision.

Through his personal testimony and God's Word he reminded us that without having proper vision, we will be vulnerable to aimless living. God's Word centers us on the worthiest life of all, one lived for Jesus Christ. 👑

Thank you, Ray McElroy, for sharing this word and the gospel message with our guys this week.

Wayside Cross was pleased to welcome back volunteers from Keller Williams Innovate for RED Day, the organization’s annua...
05/14/2026

Wayside Cross was pleased to welcome back volunteers from Keller Williams Innovate for RED Day, the organization’s annual day of giving back. 🟥 🤝

Every year for one day in May, all agents and associates around the world step away from their daily duties to give back to their local community in honor of the values set by their founder Mo Anderson.

We are thrilled that KW Innovate in Aurora continues to choose Wayside Cross as their organization to serve. Thirty individuals made our campus better by tidying up grounds, serving lunch to our residents, cleaning, and helping in our warehouse and thrift store.

Thank you, Keller Williams Innovate, and we’ll see you again next year. 😉

05/14/2026

⏳It’s not too late to register for the Master’s Touch Friendship Dinner May 21.

Please join us as we celebrate nearly 98 years of ministry and hear stories of courage, rebuilt families, and renewed purpose.

The dinner will be held at Embassy Suites in Naperville on May 21 at 6 pm. Details can be found at waysidecross.org/2026-mt-dinner.

05/12/2026

Enjoy an evening of fashion and fun at Sweet Charity Resale Store! 👗💫

🔸May 15, 6-8pm
🔸3450 Montgomery Rd, Aurora
🔸40% Off Entire Store
🔸Refreshments, Giveaways & Silent Auction

Proceeds benefit Wayside’s residents in recovery. See you there!

Address

215 E New York Street
Aurora, IL
60505

Telephone

+16308924239

Website

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