Monroe County based ministry helps people find true hope

God's House of Hope operates on faith, prayer, compassion and hard work

NETTLETON, Miss. (WCBI) – Good Friday is seen as a day that symbolizes sacrifice and new life and one Northeast Mississippi ministry is proof that prayer, sacrifice, and faith lead to victories.

It’s after lunch and Joseph Johnson is helping tidy up “Elijah’s Worship Center’ at God’s House of Hope in Nettleton.

Johnson came to God’s House of Hope six months ago, battling alcohol abuse.

“Come in broken,” Johnson said.

But six months later, Johnson says the intense Bible study and worship, coupled with a daily routine that teaches discipline and personal responsibility, along with prayer, counseling, and accountability, has made him a new man.

“I found God, He has moved in my family so much, being able to experience God here and the love people have for you is so overwhelming, its a blessing,” Johnson said.

Nicholas and Amy Coyle co-founded God’s House of Hope in 2017 and work daily with residents and staff at locations in Nettleton, Kilmichael, and their newest site in Clinton, Alabama.

It is the first co-ed faith-based in-house residential program in the state.

Some residents come on their own, others are referred through drug courts, CPS, or other agencies.  The six-to-eight-month program is strict, some call it a spiritual boot camp, but there is one overriding mission.

“We’ve both come from addiction, both went through programs like this so we know where they’re coming from, this is what it’s about each and every day, not the paperwork, it’s about these people’s salvation and changing their life,” Nicholas said.

Kaitlyn Cunningham’s life has certainly changed from the time she was court-ordered to God’s House of Hope as an 18-year-old. That was in 2017 and now, she is the assistant executive director, helping others find living hope at God’s House of Hope.

“This lifestyle of following Jesus and having an active relationship with the Lord was all new to me,” Cunningham said.

She also met Josh Cunningham through the ministry.  They were married for 18 months and helped at the Kilmichael Center when he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure.   Josh passed away, but Kaitlin says the foundation of her husband’s faith won’t be forgotten.

“One of the statements he made, is he said, “If I don’t faith now it’s been a lie the whole time, so to watch him keep faith and trust he was going to go home with Jesus, left a greater impact than anything,” Cunningham said.

Amy Coyle says leading God’s House of Hope is a daily adventure.

“God is faithful, when we can’t see how faithful He is, He’s even more faithful, four months ago, Vibrant Church donated $20,000 and Tombigbee donated $10,000, we want to e a doer of the Word and not just a hearer only,” Amy said.

Since its founding, the leaders of God’s House of Hope have operated on faith. They don’t have any long-range plans, they just see that compassion, faith, and hard work result in transformed lives.

For more information about God’s House of Hope, go to ghohnettleton.com