We’re excited to live out the call to love and serve our neighbors during Mission GO! on Saturday, November 15 from 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM and 12:30 PM - 4 PM. This one-day event is a chance for believers of all ages to come together and shine the light of Jesus in RVA through meaningful, hands-on projects.

Opportunities include:

• 🥘 Meal Prep for Better2Gether Families
• 🧳 Packing Duffel Bags for Faith and Recovery
• Option: Sponsor a bag for $70 (or any amount)! Please note “F&R Ministry – Duffel Bag Event 11/15
• 🌿 Yard Work Projects (Off-Site) for some of our senior saints

Breakfast will be served at 8:30 AM, with projects to follow.

Cost: $10/person or $20/household. Please register and pay by Monday, Nov. 10.

Register here and pay by Monday, Nov. 10.

The mission of the Faith & Recovery Ministry is to share the love of Christ with the Richmond recovery community through direct fellowship, specific teaching, and acts of service. Our guiding scripture is Matthew 25:35-36 – For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.

There are five key areas of focus within this ministry. We hope you will consider serving.

1.) Weekly House Visits: We visit two recovery homes once a week, a men’s house and a women’s house. Each house has between 9-12 recovery residents. We bring a hot dinner and pray over it, then enjoy a Christian based video with our dinner, and finish with discussion of what we watched and fellowship in general. We also do special events like holiday meals, dinner & a movie at the theater, & more. Some amazing relationships have developed! Maybe you would like to shadow us on a home visit and see if this is for you.

2.) Group Presentations: We get to present two times a month at larger group events for our partner organization, the True Recovery program. These occur at their main center on Parham Rd., where we typically present to groups of about 20 participants, and at their Community Meeting for all True Recovery participants held at Westminster Presbyterian, which is between 100 to 120 participants. If you have the gift of public speaking, imagine getting to talk about the power of Christian faith to 120 people at one time!

3.) Church Transportation: We pick up recovery participants from multiple houses to join us every Sunday for church. Think of what a blessing it is to host these guests every at our church! Several participants have become regular members of our here at Gayton, and even gone on mission trips with us. Maybe you would consider helping with transportation efforts, or being a host for our guests once they arrive. Some of the best conversations happen during windshield time!

4.) A Monthly Program called Slingshot: We have partnered with a community organization called Into the Neighborhood and some other Richmond churches to put on a day of fun activities one Saturday afternoon per month. It’s kind of like a field day for adults with cornhole, basketball, kickball, crafts, and a sponsored lunch. This is an opportunity for participants to get some time away from things and just relax and have fun, and learn alternative ways for healthy recreation. We usually have about 35-50 participants and can always use volunteers to help with set up & take down, interacting with participants, and serving lunch.

5.) Duffel Bags: Many new participants in the True Recovery program show-up with only the clothes on their back and no money to get started. This is where we come in. We do several duffel bag packing events throughout the year to pack hundreds of duffel bags. Each bag is filled with life essentials for new participants in the recovery

program, things like soap, deodorant, toothpaste, set of sheets & pillowcase, blanket, washcloth & bath towel, razors, comb/brush, shaving cream, nail kit, snacks, etc. Each bag also includes a faith & recovery devotional, a card with a handwritten note from members of Gayton Baptist Church, and a letter of encouragement with a prayer guide. Maybe you would like to get involved with one of our packing events. At this time, I hope you’ll listen to what some of our neighbors have shared regarding this ministry and our church.

Note: Volunteering for any one area does not lock you in to that area only, and not every event within that area.

If you would like to learn more about this ministry, or how you can plug-in to serve, please contact Mike Brumagin.