In 2012 a small group of people representing a diverse group of churches and ministries in Xenia met to discuss the need for a central place where people who were homeless, or struggling with addiction or poverty related challenges could come for help.  We prayed that night for a way (and a place) to collaborate and be the hands and feet of Christ in our community.  Four days later, a building was offered to us and the Jeremiah Tree was born.  Hundreds of families were connected to programs and agencies, and through our partnerships, found a place to call home.  We provided some food, utility assistance, assistance getting birth certificates, clothing, transportation, medication, and housing.  We connected some clients to addiction and mental health services, medical care, government programs, job opportunities, and legal assistance.   At the same time, we offered them compassion and friendship, prayed with them, cried with them, and told them about the God who loves them just as they are.  In the process, our own lives have been radically changed as we have seen God change the hearts and lives of people who had lost hope.

 

 

In February of 2016 we opened the TreeHouse, our residential discipleship program for men wanting out of the trap of addiction.  In 2017 we opened the GreenHouse, to help men coming out of the TreeHouse get jobs and begin to transition back into society.  We have witnessed God at work in the lives of these men, and we have also watched the opioid epidemic continue to take a toll on our community around us.  In 2018, with the opening of Bridges of Hope’s ministry to the homeless, the Board of Directors made a decision to focus The Jeremiah Tree’s ministry solely on providing a full-time, life-intensive experience that points men trapped in addiction to the transformational power of Christ.

 

In 2022 the Board of Directors made the decision to sell our TreeHouse property in Xenia.  The house had so many problems that it was not realistic to keep it.  Selling that house allowed us to acquire 6 acres of quiet rolling land with a house on it just outside of Xenia.  This is the new Homeplace and it is a wonderful place for a rest, a renewal, and a restart from a life of addiction.

 

In 2023 we restarted the GreenHouse as a sober living property.  We have often wished that we could offer such a place for after a resident completes the Jeremiah Tree program.  In order to make sure our men get the same level of discipleship and growth, we have lengthened the stay at the TreeHouse to 9-12 months.  The men at the GreenHouse attend church, work, are subjected to random drug tests, and typically stay 6-8 months.  In both the TreeHouse and the GreenHouse we point men to Jesus and encourage them to seek Him for Who He is and not just for the freedom from addiction He can give them.