Founder's Ongoing Testimony
1989 - Present
Greetings in the Name of our Lord,
I would like to introduce you to the Christian
Contractors Association, Inc. Some of the highlights of our continuing
journey as God directs is recorded in this ongoing testimony from
our founder, Scott Jager. We are a Bible believing, disaster, and
life changing relief team made up of men and women experienced in
all aspects of the construction industry who are "called"into service of organizing and working with all volunteer efforts.
We provide free professional services doing our best to help all
of God's children in need, and when given the opportunity, to tell
others about our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 4:10
After 18 years as a Custom Home Builder,
I felt my inner needs were unfulfilled. I became a deacon, trustee
and youth leader in my church, the First Baptist Church of St. Albans,
VT. It was a small church full of great people and many needs, and
I did all I could to help. The Lord blessed me with the ability
to help people, but I still felt something was missing.
Then came Hurricane Hugo, devastating the coast
of South Carolina. I was asked to supervise a group of building
trades students set up as a volunteer relief team. I flew to South
Carolina in October, 1989, unaware of the overwhelming feelings
about to enter my heart.
I met a tremendous number of people in great need.
The Lord was starting to open my eyes to the need for qualified,
experienced individuals to help organize relief efforts in all capacities.
He was calling me to use my God-given talents in a more meaningful
way. There was no doubt of this calling after the Holy Spirit caused
me to open my Bible to Colossians 3:23-24 at a morning devotional
reading. The Lord says in no uncertain terms: "Whatever
you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord,
not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance
from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."
Upon returning to Vermont, I was filled with thoughts
of going back to South Carolina. There was so much to be done there!
I found myself struggling with decisions of doing business as a
General Contractor or doing strictly volunteer work.
After much prayer, I decided to move my wife and
two daughters to Sullivan's Island, SC, the heart of "Hugo."
We arrived in January, 1990, both excited and scared at the same
time. Knowing that God does not give us a spirit of fear, but that of boldness
and courageousness I pressed on with the goals He gave me, doing business
as a fully licensed Custom Home Builder in South Carolina to support my family.
At the same time, my heart was with the needy
and I volunteered as much as possible. (i.e. The Board of the Charleston
Chapter of Habitat for Humanity; Properties Committee Chairman,
Trustee and Deacon of the First Baptist Church of Mt. Pleasant,
SC; and of course CCA activities. ) The experience I gained as a
leader of several volunteer groups along with a 35 man custom home
building business, helped me to realize the need for experienced
contractors to head up all phases of relief efforts prioritizing to those unable to help themselves.
Seeking God's face, and according to God's divine plan, I met
several other Christian contractors. All things seemed to fit. Our
thoughts and work habits were the same and, most importantly, our
love for God and desire to share the gospel message was equally strong. The timing was right, and Sue and I officially
formed the Christian Contractors Association, Inc. as a fully registered,
501C3 non-profit life changing relief team.
In the fall of 1992, Homestead, Florida was totally
devastated by Hurricane Andrew. Sad, yes, but I saw it as another
step in God's plan for my life. I had been visiting my grandmother
in Homestead for the past twelve years. I was very familiar with
the area and had many people there I cared for deeply. Ronnie Rathbone,
another CCA member, and I left immediately for Homestead. After
finding my grandmother's home completely demolished, we salvaged
what we could and went directly to her church and finding the pastor still
hiding in the tub, The Lord allowed us to fulfill a great need
for this church and its members. Our hearts were touched as we were God's hands and feet.
Along the way, God opened the door for many contacts.
One of these individuals was Capt. Michael E. Schaller and 48 men
from the B Battery, 1st Battalion, Ft. Drum, NY, along with many
volunteers. With their help and the Lord's guidance, we were able
to "dry-in", re-roof, do complete rebuilding or help as
needed at least 128 families in the aftermath of Andrew.
All of the groups responding had great hearts
but some admitted they had little or no experience in the construction
field. Fortunately, the Bible teaches in Ephesians 4: " We
all have a different talent and are all called to do God's work."
So, as a result, we interviewed all volunteers and found social
workers, cooks, clerical workers, roofers, carpenters, etc. All
that was necessary was for someone to organize the volunteers. Christian
Contractors Association Missionaries filled that need; and when the Lord
calls, we will continue to share the good news wherever needed.
Life went on after "Andrew" for both
the storm survivors and the volunteers. I was honored to have worked with
hundreds of Christian contractors and other people of good will,
networking hundreds of different abilities to the glory of God.
The contacts and experience gained during Andrew was a sure sign
that CCA would someday soon become an army to be used helping all
of God's children in need, all over the county.
I returned to South Carolina 1 1/2 years after
the wrath of Andrew. In continual prayer, my wife, Sue, and I begged
for the Lord to open doors to allow us to become full time missionaries
with the the Christian Contractors Association. There was and is
such a need for this ministry as natural and personal disasters
are continuing to occur in our country and around the world daily
at an accelerating rate.
We felt led to do one more custom home development;
projections showed that we would make enough money to self-support
the CCA and my family in one fell swoop. I've never really liked
asking for donations to support our ministry, so I felt maybe this
next project was our answer. We even opened our own Servistar Hardware
and lumberyard called "The Masters Home and Building Supply." The
purpose to feed materials to Jager Construction Company and
CCA at wholesale and no charge. You see, I had it all figured out; all the priorities
were in order - wrong! I forgot that God had to be in control, I
was forcing his timing - I wasn't ready for a full-time ministry.
The company got so big (45 employees, 3 offices, 100's of subcontractors,
doing business in several states) that I lost control of it. I prayed for the
Lord to just get me back to square one. I longed to serve God and God alone,
through the vision He gave me, of CCA. Some "worldly" business partners
helped make my decision to close the SC division at least for now,
and I explored an offer to be the national director of disaster
relief with the American Baptist Men, an arm of the American Baptist
Churches, USA. We decided to move to Pennsylvania to explore this
open door. Sue's family, including her brother, sister, and parents
(Reverend William & Betty Hopkins), lived near Valley Forge,
PA., the headquarters of the American Baptist Churches, USA. This
was what I hoped to be my open door to combine the CCA to full time ministry
services.
After several meetings, speaking engagements and
another 2 1/2 years past, I was frustrated and knew this was part
of God's preparation for me, but couldn't possibly be the home base
for the CCA. I felt led to the South where the awareness for disaster
relief needs was more evident. But where? A little more time passed
and Sue's parents decided to take an early retirement in Brooksville,
FL. They suggested that we all move together as a family and follow
God's leading to operating the CCA as a full time ministry. It all
seemed right; we've been visiting friends in Brooksville for years,
the family could stay together (as Billy Graham suggests for missionary
families), and surely the location would allow the ministry to help
numerous families for years to come. We decided to put our house
up for sale and let this be a sign from the Lord as to what our
decision should be. The house sold in 4 hours through a contact
in our church. What a sign! My wife, Susan, and our three daughters,
Shanna, Chelsea and Sierra, packed our bags and arrived in Brooksville,
FL, December 30, 1997. We were taking a step of faith once again,
but this time God is in control and I'm not trying to push God or
anyone along. (Contractors tend to do that sometimes.). Ephesians
2:10 states "For we are God's workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for
us to do."
We were in Florida less than 2 weeks when God led me to make
several contacts which led to helping numerous families with their flooding problems and spiritual problems.
We immediately started using the resources God provided at the time
to establish the CCA as an active relief team home based in Brooksville,
FL. On February 23, 1998, central Florida tornadoes hit, devastating
several counties. I was asked by the Florida State Emergency Response Team, SERT, to help coordinate the ongoing relief effort.
The Lord's timing seems to be coming together and I have been honored
to be working with several people in the disaster relief mission
field. Together, we can all strive to seek God's will in the best
way to serve his children in need, now and in the future. With the
help of many gracious volunteers, we were able to help over 360 families
that were devastated from these tornadoes.
One of our mission trips in 1998 was to Big
Pine Key in the Lower Florida Keys after Hurricane Georges' wreaked havoc.
Forty seven families were documented as being able to return to
their homes as God provided CCA with volunteers and resources to
assist these families with free emgergency services. We were told that well over
one hundred families were touched in very special ways by this ministry.
As we returned from a mission trip to Haiti and
as we develop internationally please keep these people in your prayers.
CCA has been asked to help in the process of feeding 2,000 kids
a month, providing storage buildings, clinics and worship facilities.
Much work is needed overseas as well as in our own country. We plan
to be obedient in answering the call of coordinating Christian contractors
with willing volunteers wherever we are asked to go, as God through
his people provides the resources.
Seeking God's will and direction in all our endeavors,
God used CCA missionaries, staff and willing volunteers to provide
free professional emergency services to an estimated 1,000 plus
needy individuals through ongoing local community services and response
to natural disaster in the year 1999. Every family, saved or unsaved,
has been in a circle of prayer with our volunteer work teams making
sure that God receives all the glory for these accomplishments.
Our main goal is and will always be to show a clear example of the
free gift of salvation by providing free services to these families
searching for hope and answers of which they can only find through
a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
We enter the year 2000 with a clear vision for CCA operations. Countless
families have now received our free services and the plan of salvation.
Many people have prayed to receive Christ; including some of our
volunteers. The blessings truly do go both ways, to the giver and
the receiver. It truly has been a blessing to serve as one of God's
chosen missionary servants. I seek the Lord's guidance daily, asking
Him to lead us to those who truly need us and protect us from those
who may want to abuse our free services. We, of course, can't get to
everyone, but I know God sees us trying.
In the year 2001, CCA ministries were very busy
in spreading the word. I had several speaking engagements all over
the country in Christian radio, TV interviews and churches. God
is touching hearts of Christian contractors and willing helpers
to model chapters of our main organization. I have been asked several
times, "What is your S.O.P." (Standard Operating Procedure).
My comment has always been as I hold up my Bible, "It's the Word of God." As
the on true living God brings us more talents and abilities through the body of Christ
into our CCA family, programs are being implemented to help us continue
in fulfilling the great commission. A very active year in disaster
response, CCA missionaries found ourselves responding to several
tornadoes in central Florida, panhandle of Florida, and Alabama,
just to name a few of our emergency responses. We have never forced our faith onto anyone, so it was so exciting
to see people realize that God has given them a second chance and
freely receive salvation and eternal life as God allowed us to walk them through
the plan in their time of need. In this same year, I was able to
give God all the glory for these accomplishments. Upon receiving
the "Distinguished Service Award" at the 2001 Governor's
Hurricane Conference, and the nomination for the "First Responder
Award", it has caused us to research the performance numbers
of CCA (we had never thought about tracking this as we only were concerned with the Lord seeing our humble service to him, but the State of Florida required documentation). Through God's divine guidance and directing our every step,
CCA missionary work teams have been able to assist 937 families
in the aid value amount of more than $490,000.00. The Lord blesses
each volunteer in the field as much as He blesses the recipient of the free disaster
relief and emergency services with tears flowing; I can attest to that personaly.
This is a unique ministry and it humbles me to
think how God continues to use me as His servant. I only want to
do what is pleasing to my Savior in our efforts through this ministry
of helps. I am so thankful He finds me worthy to be the President/Founder
of CCA and the growing chapters to follow, helping to meet the needs of
the physically and spiritually needy. I am grateful also, for your
many letters of thanks, and heartfelt, sincere appreciation for
the work done by our volunteer missionary teams. Simply put, I am
moved to tears as I read them.
Our continuing vision according to James 1:22:
- A free pick-up service to contractors donating
extra materials, 1/2 sheets of plywood, 2x4's, shingles, etc. To
be warehoused by CCA, distributed and installed by CCA volunteers
to needy families as God leads.
- CCA chapters to be set up in all counties worldwide
offering local services and spiritual accountability to all our
members, being prepared to unite with other CCA charter members
in time of natural disasters.
Some people have told me that we have a big vision,
too big to accomplish. I disagree. We serve a big God, more than
capable of doing what the world would say is impossible and we will
push on towards the goal that God has so clearly given me. With God all things are possible; John 15
We are continuing daily providing free professional
services to the needy in local areas as new CCA chapter affiliates are forming
by the grace of God. Some of the services we provide have been for
wheelchair ramps, roof repairs, screen repairs, window and door
repairs, floor repairs and general clean up of any debris or tree
removal.
As a non-profit organization solely dependent
on God's opening the hearts of His people to support and provide all
of our many needed resources, we help families with no insurance
or those having insurance problems as well as assisting the widowed, elderly,
severe mobility disabled as God provides our needs, anyone needing a helping hand! We are a non denominational
organization with strong support of prayer warriors, sacrificial financial givers,
many other loving, caring people just wanting to help.
Please pray for us and the direction of CCA operations.
I have no doubt of God's calling and His ability to provide our
each and every need to bring this dream to reality. We will continue
to learn and seek God's will and direction daily.
Always in Christ's Service,
Scott Jager
President and Founder
Christian Contractors Association, Inc.
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Scott Jager
President and Founder
"Looking up and seeking God's wisdom"
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