2018 was an amazing year for Jesus Was Homeless, and Gateway Branson Church. We saw so much growth, and often in places we weren’t necessarily expecting it. We are so incredibly grateful for how God has continued to bless this organization and taken what little we had to start with, and turned it into a force for good that helps thousands of people every year.
Just read about some of the accomplishments from this past year to see how His hand has been at work!
- Community Connections saw 2,653 people in 2018. 1,520 of those were unique visitors, while 1,133 were visitors who we were able to walk alongside and assist with multiple life changing decisions!
- Community Connections helped place 110 men, women and children into permanent housing!
- We had 53 visits to our Meet the Doc Telemedicine program. That’s 53 people who were able to receive medical attention they couldn’t normally afford by visiting with a doctor over the Internet for just $20.
- In 2018, we saw significant news coverage from CNN, NPR, KOLR10, KY3, Springfield Newsleader, and the Branson News. This has been particularly exciting because it has really helped broaden the scope of our reach!
- JWH served or delivered more than 62,250 meals. Thank you to all of the volunteers that have helped make this possible; we couldn’t accomplish any of it without the support of our community!
- Gateway Branson saw almost a 14% increase in attendance over last year!
- Gateway Branson also had 28 people come to faith and be baptized in 2018. These are not re-dedications either; these are folks that were once far from God (prostitutes, thieves, addicts and alcoholics) and they have now fully accepted Jesus as their Lord and leader of their life!
- Gateway Branson Church also increased the number of kids we are reaching as well. We had 433 additional children come to Gateway Branson in 2018.
- Jobs for Life had 21 graduates. 71% of those students are now working full time jobs!
These are just some of the accomplishments that happened in 2018 and if this past year is any indication, we will continue to grow and cannot wait to see what 2019 holds for us! We pray that God will continue to lead us and allow us to be his hands and feet in Branson area community.