The GOW Timeline

Westover Launches BAM

November 1, 2008
Westover Launches BAM

As part of their global mission outreach, Westover Church began BAM (Business As Missions). BAM was created to give businessmen and women the opportunity to offer their skills and knowledge to the regional sponsors with whom Westover worked. A team was formed and they got to work on the first major project, a microbusiness laundromat. The original team was Frank Arkfeld, Ryan Clodfelter, Zack Guthrie, Chris Johnson, Mike Matzinger, Jason Rickard, Valerie Stone, Clark Morgan, and Lisa Powers. They brought skills in finances, web design, management, accounting, IT, and graphic design.    Check out the video below to learn more about the history and purpose of BAM.

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Official GOW Database is Programmed

August 10, 2015

After many months of brainstorming and “creating” programs on paper, the GOW database was officially programmed. The main purpose of this database is to keep track of grant requests and donations. We use this database to store contact information, maintain a check register, and run reports. We input grant requests and can track the progress of their completion through phases, from submission all the way through fund distribution. Eventually, this database was linked to our website and as we added donations and updated grants, those changes showed up on our website for donors and potential donors to see.   

2016 Total Revenue Collected – $34,842

December 31, 2016

New GOW Website Launched

May 15, 2017

After months and months of development, the new GOW website has officially been launched. The team has come up with a new logo, improved website navigation, and most importantly a more professional way to present grant needs and tell this incredible story.

2017 Total Revenue Collected – $24,898

December 31, 2017

2018 Annual Banquet

November 15, 2018

What a blessing to have the GOW end-of-year dinner for the 4th year in a row! This year the dinner was moved to the banquet hall at a local hotel. Attendees had the opportunity to donate to many grants and even purchase a gow t-shirt. Prayer cards for specific children were passed out in the form of bookmarks. GOW board member Robert Pittard was the keynote speaker and we received an update from one of our sponsor’s work in North India.  

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2018 Total Revenue Collected – $32,876

December 31, 2018

2019 Total Revenue Collected – $20,567

December 31, 2019

GOW Marketing Manager added to team beginning of this year.  Cash on hand at end of the year – $28,000

2020 COVID Hospital Relief Fund

July 10, 2020

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we sent a total of $40,310 to two hospitals in South Asia! Earlier this year our sponsors shared with us the struggles they were facing because of COVID, including lack of equipment, rising operating expenses, and loss of revenue due to travel restrictions. While these are a little different than the typical GOW grants, we felt the impact of the virus was so great on our sponsors and their community that it was important to send aid. These funds were used to purchase PPE, patient monitors, hand sanitizer, and food for the needy. Additionally, funds were applied to the creation and improvement of outdoor shelters for patients waiting to enter the hospital.   

2020 Annual (Virtual) Banquet

December 11, 2020
2020 Annual (Virtual) Banquet

This year has been unusual, to say the least. We can’t think of one person this pandemic hasn’t affected, and that includes our partners overseas. Like many, we are learning how to operate in this new norm and adapting as we go. While we know a large, in-person GOW dinner was not feasible this year, we wanted to ensure we could bring you open grants and updates from the sponsors. The need is present and real which is why we decided to host a virtual fundraising dinner!  GOW donors joined for a virtual presentation and then throughout the weekend they watched update videos from our sponsors and made donations to open grants. We also raised $1,000 from ticket sales for our Nutrition Grant, which provides kids with nutritious meals.

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2021 Visit to Pakistan

January 19, 2021
2021 Visit to Pakistan

In January of 2021, GOW president, Zack Guthrie, had the opportunity to travel to Pakistan and spend time with one of our sponsors at his hospital. While there he spent time on the 15-acre campus amongst 200 staff members. He got to experience firsthand the daily runnings of the hospital and provide management consulting services.  One particular instance really stood out. After a stone wall collapsed and crushed this little boy’s knee, his father took him to a local doctor who stuck a too-long rod in the boy’s leg and took all the father’s money. By the time this boy reached the hospital, it was too late to save his leg, but our sponsor saved his life. GOW paid for the boy’s surgery and will help provide a prosthetic if the opportunity presents itself. “Pray for the staff of the hospital. They face challenging circumstances every day caring for the poor and needy. My trip to the hospital renewed my faith in God’s protection and sovereignty. He planted the hospital and continues to provide year after year. Thank you for your partnership in this ministry.” – Zack

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Inaugural Monthly Prayer Meeting

May 5, 2021
Inaugural Monthly Prayer Meeting

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” – Romans 12:12 Put in a search for the word ‘Pray’ in Bible Gateway and you’ll get back over 300 results worth of Bible verses. It’s almost like God’s trying to tell us something about the importance of prayer. Bringing requests to God not only for us but for others and having others bring requests on our behalf is powerful. We at GOW recognize the significant role prayer plays in our ministry and decided to start meeting on a regular basis to not only pray for our sponsors overseas but with them as well. Our inaugural prayer meeting was held at 6:30 am on Wednesday, May 5th, and GOW president Zack Guthrie was joined by our board members (Robert, Bob, Lynn, and John) as well as our sponsors in Pakistan!    Zack and the board will continue to meet monthly and spend time in prayer.     

2022 Total Revenue Collected – $33,400

January 3, 2023

2022 Trip to India

March 3, 2023
2022 Trip to India

In November 2022, GOW president, Zack Guthrie, traveled to India to visit our sponsors. While there, he had the opportunity to learn more about the needs of community and explore. Look out for more about his trip coming soon.  

2022 Trip to Pakistan

March 3, 2023
2022 Trip to Pakistan

In December 2022, our GOW president, Zack Guthrie, had the opportunity to travel to Pakistan to visit our sponsors. Look out for more about his trip coming soon.  

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