About Scott and Riding for Christ Ministries across the Web
The Riding for Christ Ministries web-site is becoming a growing source of information for the Christian cowboy.
Check regularly for new content and features including rider profiles and stories of how Christ is at work in their lives.
Regularly updated features currently include :
The Riding for Christ Ministries web-
Check regularly for new content and features including rider profiles and stories of how Christ is at work in their lives.
Regularly updated features currently include :
"Down the Road"--stories of encouragement and news from the ministry,
"Behind the Bucking Chutes"-- a current sermon delivered at cowboy church, and
"Going Deeper"-- short devotionals to inspire a deeper relationship with Christ.
Watch for stories featuring interviews with some of your favorite Christian cowboys and bull riders.
ALSO ... Scott and Riding for Christ Ministries is on Facebook (you need an account to access)
- Facebook Profile: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#/profile.php?id=724606889&ref=profile
- Facebook Riding for Christ Ministries Group:
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AND THEN ... Add “SEBRA Chaplain” to MySpace and watch the bulletins.
Scott maintains a presence on both social network sites where you can find additional content and be kept informed of updates to the www.ridingforchrist.com web site.
Scott keeps the sites open when he’s working from his laptop and is often just a computer click away for prayer requests or to talk.
A Biography for Scott Hilgendorff ... Meet the man who truly cares and takes the time for you
A short “forward” by Gary Miller. Getting Scott to produce a bio was like pulling teeth; he was always “too busy”, but my guess is that he was more reluctant, though I know he is certainly very busy. Scott has consistently been an outstanding advocate for SEBRA members, particularly the Bull Riders. I also know him to be an incredibly hard-working person doing SEBRA public relations work, utilizing his skills from a “past life”. Please take the time to read & understand this modest man that works so hard on your behalf. If you are on this site as a fan, don’t miss the opportunity to walk up to Scott at any event ... he is willing to listen & help, one & all.
Scott grew up in Ontario, Canada,mostly in the Great Lakes regions where he was the son of a small town police sergeant and bank teller, moving around lots between parents’ career changes and divorce, he eventually went to Ryerson University in Toronto where he graduated with a journalism degree.
Never living in one place more than three years, from life with his parents to career changes of his own, may have prepared Scott for what was to come.
Learning to ride horses on a dude ranch in Aspen, Colorado as a 10-year-old kid, Scott never forgot his first ‘cowboy’ experience or those mountains.
Later while working as a reporter, Scott wanted to see some mountains again but on entry-level wages, needed somewhere he could travel within a day’s worth of gas. That landed him in the Smokey Mountains in Tennessee. Certainly not as big as the Rockies the experience was big enough for Scott to discover God was real.
Scott had been questioning his faith after having no real church involvement outside of Sunday School as a kid.
Scott also discovered there was a fairly large summer rodeo circuit in Ontario that year as he had begun working on the side in photography to make some extra income to be able to afford to travel more to Tennessee. He began working as a rodeo photographer on weekends and continued travelling to Tennessee where he met a couple bull riders involved in leading cowboy church at events around East Tennessee.
As their friendship grew while Scott travelled to Tennessee more often, and became a “born again” Christian along the way. As his faith continued to grow, he became more involved in ministry, starting by simply giving out cowboy Bibles and stamping Bible verses on the backs of photos he sold, engaging rodeo cowboys in Ontario in conversations about Christ. Relationships formed with some bull riders in the Tennessee area and when his two ministry friends retired from the sport, the ministry, known as Riding for Christ Ministries, continued through Scott.
His role in ministry began to increase to the point where the amount of time invested was equal to a second job and he realized God was calling him into full-time ministry. Cowboy church is probably the most visible part of the ministry and while time is spent preparing messages for the short services at bull ridings and rodeos, much more time is spent in discipleship and connecting with riders on a personal level.
A firm believer that freely giving your time to someone can change a life, Scott has seen God at work in many of these young men. He is devoted to helping them however he can and has come to care deeply for many of them in his first few years in full time ministry. In order to
Never living in one place more than three years, from life with his parents to career changes of his own, may have prepared Scott for what was to come.
Learning to ride horses on a dude ranch in Aspen, Colorado as a 10-
Later while working as a reporter, Scott wanted to see some mountains again but on entry-
Scott had been questioning his faith after having no real church involvement outside of Sunday School as a kid.
Scott also discovered there was a fairly large summer rodeo circuit in Ontario that year as he had begun working on the side in photography to make some extra income to be able to afford to travel more to Tennessee. He began working as a rodeo photographer on weekends and continued travelling to Tennessee where he met a couple bull riders involved in leading cowboy church at events around East Tennessee.
As their friendship grew while Scott travelled to Tennessee more often, and became a “born again” Christian along the way. As his faith continued to grow, he became more involved in ministry, starting by simply giving out cowboy Bibles and stamping Bible verses on the backs of photos he sold, engaging rodeo cowboys in Ontario in conversations about Christ. Relationships formed with some bull riders in the Tennessee area and when his two ministry friends retired from the sport, the ministry, known as Riding for Christ Ministries, continued through Scott.
His role in ministry began to increase to the point where the amount of time invested was equal to a second job and he realized God was calling him into full-
A firm believer that freely giving your time to someone can change a life, Scott has seen God at work in many of these young men. He is devoted to helping them however he can and has come to care deeply for many of them in his first few years in full time ministry. In order to
have the time needed to put into these cowboys and bull riders, something had to go and being single made it easy.
Scott had worked for 14 years in the same company, moving from newspaper to newspaper as a reporter, editor, and eventually sales manager. To the shock of friends, family and coworkers, gave two-week’s notice, packed up and got rid of most of his stuff, and was off to Tennessee. That was where a support network of friends had grown over the years that helped him get started and with some financial support from people back home and in Tennessee, he was able to live with one of the ministry founder’s parents and get his start, travelling back and forth between Tennessee and Ontario.
Expecting to simply carry on with the amateur association they had always worked with, Scott spent the first two weeks trying to adjust to the sudden and dramatic life change of having plenty in his growing career to not being sure if he had gas for the van. In that process of figuring where God was leading, Scott discovered SEBRA and was invited to serve the bull riding association as its chaplain.
Scott found the association had a great attitude toward its memberships and because of its efforts to put the interests of its bull riders and producers first, found it to be a great fit for ministry. He continues now to help the organization and its members as part of his ministry’s role in serving others.
Knowing it would tax his small budget, Scott found the leap of faith he took in following God into full time ministry, extended by joining SEBRA where he would be travelling much further. He’s never looked back. It has created tremendous opportunity to reach out to a large community of bull riders and cowboys and God has always provided just enough funds to get to wherever Scott’s needed to go.
Scott must continue to fund raise to support his efforts and encourages those who believe in the role cowboy church can play in reaching and helping these young men to consider contributing to the ministry which now operates on just $17,000 a year. That includes both living expenses and travel to events which just shows how much God can do with even a little.
To support, please find the donate button on the right column of the web site, www.ridingforchrist.com.
Donations are handled through Tellico Lake Church in Madisonville, TN and tax receipts are issued.
Scott had worked for 14 years in the same company, moving from newspaper to newspaper as a reporter, editor, and eventually sales manager. To the shock of friends, family and coworkers, gave two-
Expecting to simply carry on with the amateur association they had always worked with, Scott spent the first two weeks trying to adjust to the sudden and dramatic life change of having plenty in his growing career to not being sure if he had gas for the van. In that process of figuring where God was leading, Scott discovered SEBRA and was invited to serve the bull riding association as its chaplain.
Scott found the association had a great attitude toward its memberships and because of its efforts to put the interests of its bull riders and producers first, found it to be a great fit for ministry. He continues now to help the organization and its members as part of his ministry’s role in serving others.
Knowing it would tax his small budget, Scott found the leap of faith he took in following God into full time ministry, extended by joining SEBRA where he would be travelling much further. He’s never looked back. It has created tremendous opportunity to reach out to a large community of bull riders and cowboys and God has always provided just enough funds to get to wherever Scott’s needed to go.
Scott must continue to fund raise to support his efforts and encourages those who believe in the role cowboy church can play in reaching and helping these young men to consider contributing to the ministry which now operates on just $17,000 a year. That includes both living expenses and travel to events which just shows how much God can do with even a little.
To support, please find the donate button on the right column of the web site, www.ridingforchrist.com.
Donations are handled through Tellico Lake Church in Madisonville, TN and tax receipts are issued.
