December 2025
Dear Friends of God’s Resort,
This Christmas, we are reminded of the precious gift of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. It is because of His love that we are able to do what we do, and why we are so thankful for you.
Jen grew up in chaos with a father who struggled with mental illness and self-medicated with alcohol, eventually becoming a raging alcoholic. He was terribly violent toward her mother and her, and he threatened to kill anyone who tried to help them. Jen remembers being five years old and begging her mother to leave before he killed her. Her mother tried to protect her and make her life better but could not. When Jen was just 15, her parents and brother left, leaving her and her sister behind, and by age 16 she had dropped out of school. It is hard to describe the abuse and violence she experienced at the hands of abusive men while trying to love and raise her children.
Jen’s life became a cycle of drugs and abuse that led to intermittent homelessness, severe loneliness, the loss of her children to their abusive fathers, and finally jail. In the middle of this, she met Jesus and says she knew that God loved her in spite of all the evil she had known and done.
Jen came to God’s Resort after going to Watered Gardens. This is the first Christmas she has ever spent in her own safe and secure home with her kids. Of God’s Resort, she says, “I love God’s Resort! It is a total blessing! This is a place to rest and heal from all of life’s storms. There is no judgment here about the person I was in my past. It is one of the best blessings God has given me, besides my kids, that I am getting to reunite with.”
This Christmas, thank you for helping us make a home for Jen and her kids—and so many others like them. Your gifts of love and prayer are changing lives! If you’d like to give a special gift to help more God’s Resort residents like Jen rest and heal from life’s storms, click here.
Love and prayer,
Jay St. Clair
Executive Director
Volunteer Spotlight
New Heights Christian Academy
New Heights students have gone above and beyond to bless our community in incredible ways! They kicked things off with a food drive that brought in SO MUCH FOOD. We filled the entire living room of the Blessing House! Because of their generosity, combined with Helix’s food drive last month, our residents were able to enjoy full Thanksgiving dinners, and we’re already set to provide Christmas dinners too thanks to the abundance left over.
And they didn’t stop there! This past Sunday Night Fellowship, New Heights students showed up with an amazing spread of finger foods (everything you could imagine) and served our residents and guests with joy and love.
New Heights students and staff, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you for pouring into our community and faithfully supporting the mission of God’s Resort!
Did you know that you can stay connected with the official God’s Resort app? Follow this link today to download the God’s Resort app, and check out all of the things going on at God’s Resort and ways you can get connected!
Current Needs & Ways to Get Involved
We have several opportunities to serve and make an impact this season!
● Children’s Ministry Helpers – Volunteer with our kids on Sunday evenings at 5:30 p.m.
● Children’s Meal Teams – Prepare and serve meals for our children on Tuesday nights at 6:30 p.m.
● Women’s Bible Study Meals – Provide breakfast for our Women’s Bible Study on the first Saturday of each month.
● The Well Volunteers – Join our team of volunteers serving at The Well.
● Sunday Night Fellowship Host – Once a month, we need a group that can help us get set up for Sunday Night Fellowship, greet residents, enjoy the fellowship, and help breakdown. This is a great way to stay connected on a monthly basis.
If you’re interested in getting involved or have any questions, please contact Machaela Cantu, Community Engagement Coordinator, at machaela@godsresortjoplin.org. She’ll help you get connected!
The Well at God’s Resort
The Well residents are settling in beautifully to the new program and location, and the Christmas season has brought an abundance of joy. Early in the month, residents were gifted tickets from Ozark Christian College to attend A Christmas Carol, a special experience enjoyed by all. One resident was especially excited to shop for Christmas gifts for her son at the Christmas Shoppe.
The Well ladies were also blessed by Wig’N Out Boutique, which generously donated new shoes, clothing, and accessories to them. In addition, residents attended the Loving Grace Christmas party, featuring a progressive dinner with a different course at each stop, followed by a lively game of Dirty Santa. The evening was filled with delicious food, meaningful fellowship, and lots of laughter—making it a truly memorable celebration. What a wonderful month!
God’s Resort Youth
The Christmas Shoppe was amazing! We are so thankful to all the wonderful people that shopped for (and with) our kiddos and parents. Christmas is such a beautiful season, and we have the blessing of creating moments of sharing the good news of Jesus’ birth with all our kids here! As we celebrated Jesus as the gift to the world, we got to wrap some amazing gifts for the parents. When I walked over to check on the kids who were wrapping – I was AMAZED! These presents looked like professionals had wrapped them! But in reality, it was the patience and presence of our volunteers who taught these sweet kids how to wrap these presents. What a gift from JESUS all of you truly are.
Byers Avenue Methodist Church continues to blow us away by their generosity and hospitality. The parents have been shopping for their kids at Byers for a few years. A huge thank you to all those who volunteered and added to the atmosphere of joy and JESUS! We are beyond blessed by the Byers Avenue Family!
Also, a HUGE thank you to our friends at Helix Athletics for hosting an open gym that we got to a part of alongside our community at Neighborhood Life House. The two coaches that were present at the open gym were amazing with our kids. The patience and preparation to host an event like that was one that can only come from the LORD! A huge thank you to Coach Sarah and Coach Jocelyn. I though you all would enjoy a quote from one of our kids at the jump: “This is the best day of my LIFE!”
We are so blessed with these countless opportunities and moments to add these little glimpses of fun into each of our God’s Resort kiddos life. If anyone would like to join us with these moments of community and joy, PLEASE email Machaela@godsresortjoplin.org to start serving with our God’s Resort kids!
At God’s Resort, we believe that the Christmas season is centered around hope. As we pause to celebrate the birth of Jesus, we remember the darkness He stepped into, the light He brought with Him, and the promise that still carries us forward. Christmas hope shifts our focus, strengthens our hearts, and draws us closer to the One who came to restore all things. It’s more than a story – it’s an invitation to worship the Savior who is with us right now.
When we sing songs filled with hope, something powerful happens … burdens lighten, peace settles in, and hope rises fresh and bright. Worship becomes a space where we celebrate the miracle of Jesus’ coming and reflect on the victories He has brought into our lives, both big and small. In these moments of Christmas praise, we’re reminded that we’re not alone, that Emmanuel truly means “God with us,” and that every step forward is held in His hands.
We’d love for you to join us as we step into a new year with hearts ready for all God has in store. Whether you’re a worship leader, musician, tech volunteer, or someone who simply loves to praise Jesus, there’s a place for you here. Come be part of what God is doing at God’s Resort and kick off the year with us at our Worship Night on January 4. To get connected, email jon-michael@godsresortjoplin.org or call 417-553-4080.
