“Rivers in the Desert” was the theme for this year’s Joy House annual banquet as can be seen on the picture above as well as the original artwork for the stage created by Joy House employees and clients. The theme is derivative of

Isaiah 43:19: “I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

The theme alludes to the strength of the program and of God in providing for the ministry-driven recovery center to its successes. The center is a rural self-contained community that has an accredited school, boys and girls homes and offers counseling to the families of the kids it serves as well as the community as a whole. The dream started with the familial love that sprouted years ago when Executive Director Steve Lowe and his wife, Wendy, took a wayward teenager in and provided him a supportive home.

The teenager prospered under their guidance, serving the country in wartime overseas as well as his own families’ community now that he’s married with children and is a police officer. Seeing that and with Pickens County’s support that seed grew to the current 30-acre campus serving both boys and girls who are housed in two homes.

As a yearly fund-raiser and to outline the programs successes and future needs, they host an annual banquet at the Young Life facility outside Jasper. This year around 450 guests listened to testimonies, music, witnessed art in motion and, of course, feasted on a grand meal.

“Rivers in the Desert” saw $38,000 raised Tuesday night for the Joy House. With pledges still coming in, Lowe anticipates somewhere between $40,000 and $45,000 from the banquet.

Lowe wished to convey the following message:

“We are grateful for all our partners who are God’s gift to us and the means by which we are able to continue seeing families and individual lives restored through the power of Christ here at The Joy House. We could not continue this ministry without you. Thanks so much for your partnership and desire to share Christ’s hope and healing through this ministry.”

Please see the video of the girls from the Joy House performing and scroll past the video for a slideshow of the evening.