John 3:16 Mission

What John 3:16 Mission does

John 3:16 Mission is a Tulsa, Oklahoma-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit ministry founded in 1952 that delivers a continuum of Christ-centered services to individuals and families experiencing hunger, homelessness, addiction, and poverty. Its service portfolio spans a 24/7 men's Downtown Shelter with daily meals and chapel services, two 12-month residential recovery programs at The Refuge campus (New Creation for men, Renew for women), a non-residential women's day program (Refresh), a Family & Youth Center offering after-school tutoring, summer camps, and youth leadership training, plus free grocery (Mission Market) and household goods (Mission Goods) distribution for under-resourced families. Underpinning the recovery pathway are three social enterprises — BeeLoved Trading (honey-based products), BeeLoved Industries (screen printing), and BeeLoved Baking — that provide vocational training and earned income reinvested into programs.

The organization's infrastructure footprint is material relative to its 11–50 headcount: a 150-acre Refuge campus including a 19,780 sq ft Administration and Training Building completed in 2024, a new Distribution Center opened in early 2025, a 24/7 Downtown Shelter, and a Family & Youth Center. The technology stack is minimal and third-party dependent — no proprietary platform, no app, no public API — with donor processing handled by Stripe and The Giving Block and participant services delivered in person across the four Tulsa locations.

John 3:16 Mission is funded entirely by donations from community supporters and partners, supplemented by modest social-enterprise revenue. Its go-to-market is community- and event-driven: the Restoring Hope Gala, Shootout Against Hunger, Radiothon, Thanksgiving food drives, Christmas Store, and an expanding Church Partners Network (25+ churches). The organization holds ECFA accreditation and a Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency, and is governed by an independent board led by Chairman Grant Cousins and CEO Steven M. Whitaker.

Name

John 3:16 Mission

Legal name

John 3:16 Mission, Inc.

Website

https://john316mission.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

John 3:16 Mission is a Tulsa-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit ministry providing emergency shelter, 12-month residential recovery, youth and family services, and material assistance to Tulsans experiencing hunger, homelessness, and addiction.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homeless Services and Social Assistance

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Community Housing Services (62422), Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Food Services (624210), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Emergency Shelter, Camp Management & Non-Food Items (NFI) (BPAGAAAC), Faith-Based Humanitarian Aid & Relief Ministries (BPAGAJAF), Emergency Shelter, Camp Coordination & Camp Management (CCCM) (BPADADAB)

Keywords

• Emergency shelter services
• Residential recovery programs
• Homeless services ministry
• Community food assistance
• Faith-based nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Tulsa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The mission is funded solely by donations from supporters throughout the Tulsa community and beyond. This includes monetary gifts, non-cash assets, and planned giving.
2. Social Enterprise Revenue: Revenue from BeeLoved Trading (honey products, candles, lip balm), BeeLoved Industries (screen printing), and BeeLoved Baking. All revenue is reinvested into mission programs.
3. Special Events: Revenue generated from events such as the Restoring Hope Gala, 19th Annual Shootout Against Hunger, and Radiothon.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

John 3:16 Mission is a Christ-centered nonprofit ministry that delivers emergency shelter, meals, free 12-month residential recovery programs for men and women, youth and family services, free groceries and household goods, and job training through social enterprises. Programs are provided free of charge to individuals and families experiencing homelessness, hunger, addiction, or poverty in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area.

Product overview

John 3:16 Mission is a nonprofit Christ-centered ministry offering a portfolio of interconnected programs to address homelessness, hunger, addiction, and poverty in Tulsa. The core services include emergency shelter (Downtown Shelter for men), residential recovery programs (New Creation for men and Renew for women, both 12-month programs at the Refuge campus), and community support services (Family & Youth Center with tutoring, summer camps, and Mission Market grocery assistance). Social enterprises including BeeLoved Trading (honey products), BeeLoved Industries (screen printing), and BeeLoved Baking provide job training for recovery students. Additional services include Mission Goods free household store, Outreach/Search & Rescue, and the Refresh women's day program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Downtown Shelter 24/7 emergency overnight shelter for men providing daily meals, chapel services, and safe overnight accommodations 365 days a year in downtown Tulsa.
• The Refuge Campus John 3:16 Mission's largest campus on 150 acres northwest of downtown Tulsa, housing men's recovery (New Creation), women's recovery (Renew), the Refresh women's day program, vocational training, a working farm and ranch, warehousing, and administrative offices.
• New Creation Men's Residential Recovery Program 12-month residential men's recovery program at The Refuge campus using biblical therapeutic principles, professional counseling, and integrated vocational training. Provided free of charge to students.
• Renew Women's Residential Recovery Program 12-month residential women's recovery program at The Refuge campus offering counseling, life skills, and spiritual development. Provided free of charge to students.
• Refresh Women's Day Program Day program for women experiencing homelessness offered Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 am to 2 pm at The Refuge, providing lunch, showers, laundry, and Bible study.
• Family & Youth Center Programs Christ-centered community programs at the Family & Youth Center for children, teens, and parents, including after-school tutoring, summer camps, youth leadership development, parenting/life skills classes, and access to the Mission Market free grocery store.
• Mission Market (Free Groceries) Free grocery store at the Family & Youth Center allowing qualifying families to shop for food once every 30 days.
• Mission Goods (Free Household Items and Furniture) Free furniture and household goods store stocked with gently used donated items for families with limited resources; appointments once per month for household/clothing and once per year for furniture.
• Job Training and Vocational Programs Vocational training integrated with recovery programs, including farm/ranch work and work with BeeLoved Trading social enterprises, housed in the new 19,780-square-foot Administration and Training Building.
• BeeLoved Trading Social Enterprise Social enterprise producing candles, bottled honey, lip balm, and beard wax from bee byproducts sourced from the Refuge farm beehives, employing women in the recovery program.
• BeeLoved Industries (Screen Printing) Screen-printing social enterprise that prints shirts and other products for individuals and organizations, providing work experience for recovery students.
• BeeLoved Baking Social Enterprise Baked goods production enterprise operated under trained chef instruction, providing job-skills training for women in the recovery program.
• Outreach Program (Search and Rescue) Weekly search-and-rescue outreach that locates homeless individuals in encampments and connects them with shelter, meals, case management, and recovery programs.
• Summer Kids Camp Annual summer literacy and activities program at the Family & Youth Center for area children, offered at a subsidized $25/student rate (max $50/family) for an 8-week June–July camp.

Quantifiable outcome

• Millions of meals and overnight stays provided since 1952
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Church Partners Network (25+ churches)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Annual Church Partners Breakfast connecting 25+ churches (including 15 new this year) to serve as resource for ministries addressing homelessness, hunger, and poverty. Churches partner in outreach efforts and collaborative support.
• Tulsa DrillersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Minor league baseball team partnered for Christmas in July Gift Drive promotion at stadium game.
• YouthMinistry360minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Youth ministry organization hosting the Generate Conference for FYC youth students.
• Oral Roberts UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for the Christmas Store event, providing gifts for families in need.
• Rides for HopeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVehicle donation partner that supports residential recovery programs; vehicles essential for students transitioning to employment. Also partnered for Christmas Store event.
• First Church of OwassominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch partner supporting the Christmas Store event.
• Kirk CrossingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch partner supporting the Christmas Store event.
• BattleCreek ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch partner supporting the Christmas Store event.
• Reasor'sminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrocery store partner hosting Thanksgiving food drives at multiple locations across Tulsa area.
• Walmart/Sam's ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRetail partner hosting Thanksgiving food drives and accepting online registry orders for food donations.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Denver Rescue Mission: Faith-based nonprofit in Denver providing emergency shelter, addiction recovery, and food programs with an integrated continuum of care similar to John 3:16 Mission's model.
• City Union Mission: Kansas City faith-based nonprofit offering emergency shelter, residential recovery, and community meals. Operates a comparable Christ-centered model with similar program portfolio but in a different metro.

Broad incumbents

• Union Rescue Mission: One of the largest faith-based rescue missions in the U.S., operating shelter, recovery, and outreach programs. Comparable faith-based model at significantly larger scale.
• Volunteers of America Oklahoma: National nonprofit with Oklahoma operations providing housing, recovery, and family services. Comparable service breadth but operates as a much larger multi-state incumbent.
• The Salvation Army Tulsa Area Command: National faith-based humanitarian organization providing shelter, food, and recovery services in Tulsa. Operates broader portfolio of social services and has national fundraising infrastructure that the Mission lacks.

Emerging players

• Family Promise: National nonprofit network addressing family homelessness through shelter, prevention, and stabilization programs. Overlaps with the Mission's Family & Youth Center but focused specifically on family homelessness.

Direct peers

• Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma: Regional faith-based social services agency serving eastern Oklahoma with shelter, food assistance, and family support programs. Comparable faith-rooted model with overlapping service lines in the same geography.
• Tulsa Rescue Mission: Faith-based nonprofit operating emergency shelter, meals, and recovery programs in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Most direct same-market peer serving overlapping homeless, recovery, and food-insecure populations.
• The Bowery Mission: New York City faith-based nonprofit offering shelter, meals, residential recovery, and social enterprise job training. Comparable integrated care model with social enterprises generating earned income.

Others

• Goodwill Industries of Tulsa: Social enterprise nonprofit in Tulsa providing job training and employment services. Comparable earned-income social enterprise model though mission focus differs (workforce vs. shelter/recovery).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@john316missiontul
• Facebookfacebook.com/John316Mission
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/4786312
• Instagraminstagram.com/john316mission
• Xx.com/john316mission

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about John 3:16 Mission