Ministry Overview
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 four key areas of focus within this ministry. We hope you will consider serving.
- Weekly House Visits: Several recovery programs are set up to have recovery "houses" - homes that are shared by typically 10-12 recovery participants. We visit both a men's and women's house once a week with a hot meal, Christian video - and simply fellowship in a manner to share Christ's love. Strong connections are made, and many have committed/re-committed to Christ. We can always utilize more volunteers (men & women) to bolster our house visit teams.
- Church Attendance (Drivers): Through our various outreach efforts, we often get many program participants who want to attend church service. Every Sunday, we visit various recovery houses to transport these guests to/from church. Some of the best conversations happen during "windshield time". We need drivers willing to use their vehicle or drive the church bus.
- Duffel Bags: Many new program participants arrive with only the clothes on their back, some from prison or the streets. We periodically do packing events to stuff duffel bags with life essentials (toiletries, sheets, blanket, towel, etc.) to facilitate a strong start to their recovery journey. We also include uplifting Christian items, like a daily devotional and handwritten note of encouragement. This is a great opportunity for a group (men or women's group, Bible Study group, youth group, etc.) to sign-up to sponsor a packing event and serve together.
- Slingshot: This is an activity-based program held one Saturday afternoon a month. The activities include games like basketball, pickleball, cornhole, etc., with a craft activity as well. Lunch is served to the participants. We typically see 35-50 recovery participants attend. This event rotates among a few different churches, and we can always use volunteers to help with set-up, playing the games with participants, lunch service and clean-up. This is a great way to fellowship and minister in a more relaxed and fun setting.
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 at mikebrum89@gmail.com
Upcoming Events
Would you like to learn more about interacting with the participants in the Richmond recovery community?
Come join us for a seminar on this very topic on Monday, September 30th from 6:30 to 8:00 pm here at Gayton Church in Room 225, titled “Interacting with the Recovery Community”. It is being led by Marti Williams and Leon Dangerfield.
Marti is a Peer Recovery Specialist and is training to be a Family Recovery Practitioner. In 2014, she and her husband founded Into The Neighborhood, a ministry focused on loving God and loving your neighbor. They have been actively involved in loving and serving the addiction and recovery community for nearly 20 years. Leon is a Registered Peer and a Forensic Peer Specialist, who sits on the Central overdose committee for the US Attorney’s office. He has a combined 30 yrs. of experience in the recovery community.
Please respond to Mike Brumagin if you plan to attend or have any questions, mikebrum89@gmail.com