Newsletter Archive
Caring for the Charis House –The Vital Role of the Charis House Manager
If you are familiar with the Charis House, the women’s residential recovery program at Ministry Village at Olive, then you may have heard about our House Managers. These unsung heroines are the strength behind the program, working day and night (literally) to nurture, protect, disciple and care for the women who have trusted their futures to the Charis House.
For those unfamiliar with the Charis House program, it is organized into 3 phases. When a woman enters the Charis House program, she begins what is called Phase 1, which typically lasts 12 months. The women live together in a home and follow a structured schedule full of activities and curriculum that work together to promote each woman’s spiritual, physical, mental and social well-being. The days are hard. They are emotional. They are intense. Women are facing years – sometimes decades – of habits and addictions as well as the behaviors and traumas that led them down destructive paths. While each client works with a local licensed mental health counselor, the House Manager becomes a daily guide, providing stability, structure and a helping hand throughout the process.
Once a client completes Phase 1, Phase 2 is an optional next step and must be approved by the Charis House and Ministry Village team. In Phase 2, clients are required to find a job or attend school and since they have no car, the House Manager provides transportation. Phase 2 lasts approximately 1 year. In mid-2019, the Charis House began Phase 3 of its program – The Esther House. This phase provides a tangible goal for the ladies of the Charis House to work toward. “The goal for the Esther House is to provide an independent-living situation with some structure like visitor guidelines, home checks, random drug screening, etc., balanced with having their own transportation to school or work, buying their own groceries and supplies, and paying rent and utilities,” explains Vanessa Bettis, Director of Ladies Recovery Ministries for Ministry Village. The Esther House can hold up to 6 women at one time, with no house manager living on-site.
Vanessa emphasizes the importance of the House Manager role to the entire program. “They are responsible for so much and they really handle a lot. Life and emergencies happen. (The House Managers) juggle medical, legal, day-to-day structure, answering calls, as well as getting Phase 2 ladies to school and work.” Currently, there are 3 house managers who share the job, working 24-hour shifts in rotation with 4 days on and 3 days off. “The team that God has put together is amazing. We each have different strengths and weaknesses, different personalities - but when you put us all together, it’s a great team for handling the various challenges that this type of program has.”
To learn more about the Charis House, click here or contact Vanessa Bettis at 850-475-1116 or VBettis@MinistryVillage.org.
To donate to the Charis House or any Ministry Village program, click here.
The Charis House has created an Amazon Wish List, where you can choose needed items, purchase through Amazon and everything will be shipped directly to Ministry Village. To shop through the wish list, visit https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3S2AXDSG4CY93…
If you prefer to donate in a more traditional way, Walmart gift cards are always a blessing to the Charis House and the Esther House. Gift cards are used to purchase necessities like towels, toiletries and other household items. Please send gift cards to:
Ministry Village at Olive, Attention: Ms. Vanessa Bettis, 1716 E. Olive Road, Pensacola, FL 32514.
Register Now for the 6TH Annual MVO Clay Shoot - October 8!
Registration is open for this year’s 6th Annual Ministry Village Clay Shoot, and we’re shooting to break our fundraising records! Sign up now for the event which will be held on Saturday, October 8 at the Santa Rosa Shooting Center - 6950 Quintette Road, Pace, Florida..
The 6th annual fundraiser for the Charis House and the programs of Ministry Village at Olive will feature special guest and multi-time professional tour, world and national champion shooter Gebben Miles! Gebben will kick off Saturday’s event with his testimony, life as a professional world champion shooter, and how he has woven his sharp shooting skills and his faith together to glorify God. Gebben will also be on the course during the shoot to give participants tips to improve their technique and their scores! Check-in begins at 7:30 AM and Gebben will speak at 8 AM. The safety meeting will immediately precede the start of the clay shoot at 9:00 AM. Teams or single shooters are welcome and shells are provided. The event will also include a silent auction, live raffle, door prizes, and lunch immediately following the conclusion of the shoot. Participation is limited to the first 120 shooters.
All proceeds benefit the programs of Ministry Village at Olive, Inc., including the Charis House, a faith-based residential recovery program helping women gain freedom from addiction. Dr. Stephen Newsome, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Ministry Village at Olive, is looking forward to this year’s event because of its purpose. "The annual Clay Shoot provides a fun way for us to share the work of Ministry Village with our community, and provide an opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life. The work done at the Charis House is life-changing and life-saving. But it takes resources to support that work. It costs about $1,600 each month to provide housing, shelter, and program support for just one woman. Each woman commits to a minimum of 1 year in the program, so the costs add up quickly. This fundraiser is a wonderful way to support Ministry Village.”
Register online at MinistryVillage.org/ClayShoot. Donations can be made online and sponsorship opportunities are also available. For more information or to become an event sponsor, call Drayton Smith at Ministry Village by phone at (850) 475-1106 or by email at DSmith@ministryvillage.org.
Join us – we are “Shooting for Grace” to raise funds for Ministry Village and the Charis House!
Follow Ministry Village at Olive on Facebook for event announcements and updates, including our fantastic silent auction items!
To learn more about the Charis House, visit www.MinistryVillage.org/Charis-House.
New School Year Kicks Off at the ELC
It’s time for a new school year to kick-off, and the teachers at the Ministry Village Early Learning Center are excited to bring lots of learning and fun to the families with whom they are blessed to work. For parents, caregivers, and the children headed to school, the beginning of a new school year brings a whirlwind of information overload – new faces, new places and new routines. Keep your chins up, moms and dads! You’re not in this alone! Here are a few tips that can help in your preschooler’s transition – whether you are coming to the ELC for the first time, or just transitioning to a new classroom.
1. Ask current/previous teachers to write down tips. If your child has already been in preschool, those teachers know how to distract, soothe, educate and entertain your little one in a different way than mom and dad do. Use their expertise to help the next teacher, and set your child up for success from the start of the new year.
2. Say “goodbye.” Letting your child say goodbye to their previous school, classroom, or teacher gives them a chance to move on to the next adventure.
3. Talk about the new school. Build excitement for the new school year, whether they’ve already attended this preschool or not. Use positive words, include them in buying and organizing their school supplies, and talk about all the fun they have to look forward to.
4. Keep your routine consistent. There are some great reasons that the best preschools run like a well-oiled, well-scheduled machine. Consistent schedules reassure children and provide them with some predictability. Home schedules are important too! Keep your morning routine the same as before, or start a new one the week before school starts. And allow some extra time for drop-off during the first few weeks so your child doesn’t feel rushing into their new environments.
If you have questions about your child’s transition to the ELC from another school, or from one classroom to another within the ELC, please call our ELC Director Mrs. Kristi or our Assistant Director Mrs. Paige and talk to them about your concerns. They have decades of experience dealing with little ones and all the emotions, and they can offer guidance and suggestions on ways to make the new school year transition easier on your little one – and you!
We are so excited for the upcoming school year and can’t wait to see everything that our ELC kids will accomplish this year!
Licensed by both the Department of Children and Families and the Association of Christian Schools International, and an approved provider for Florida’s free Voluntary Prekindergarten Program (VPK) through the Escambia County Early Learning Coalition, the Ministry Village ELC provides Christ-centered, high quality, early learning childcare programs for children from 3 months of age to pre-kindergarten. It is the ELC’s goal to nurture each child and help them develop as a whole person – emotionally, spiritually, mentally and physically. They do this by cultivating a healthy relationship between each child and his teacher, as the teachers work closely with parents and families to provide the comfort and stability needed to reassure a child that he is safe and loved. Parents can see pictures in their child’s private Facebook group class page to follow the precious moments of smiles, naps and early steps. Teachers actively engage with their children, providing stimulating, interesting and educational activities to encourage development of fine motor skills and gross motor skills.
The 2022-2023 Ministry Village Early Learning Center VPK School Year will begin on August 10, 2022 and continue through May 23, 2023.
For more information on the Ministry Village Early Learning Center, visit our website at MinistryVillageELC.org.
Follow us on Facebook for the latest news and information. Facebook.com/MinistryVillageELC
Call the Ministry Village Early Learning Center, Monday – Friday, 7 AM to 6 PM. (850) 378-8044
Charis House Director Honored with Family Values Award
A few months ago, Ministry Village at Olive and Ms. Vanessa Bettis, the Director of Women’s Recovery Ministries at the Charis House, were honored to receive the Family Values Award from the Valley of Pensacola order of the Scottish Rite Masons.
The Scottish Rite is a Masonic organization and one of the oldest fraternal organizations in the world. According to their website, “the values of Freemasonry are passed from generation to generation, Mason to Mason, in a timeless and tireless effort to make good men better. These degrees provide a framework that affects every aspect of modern life and are based on the values of brotherly love, relief, and truth.” Affiliated organizations include The Shrine (Shriners); York Rite; Grotto; Eastern Star, DeMolay International, Job’s Daughter’s, International Order of Rainbow for Girls and the Tall Cedars of Lebanon. The Valley of Pensacola was founded in 1905 as Omar Lodge of Perfection in Escambia Lodge #15 on Garden & Palafox Streets. It is currently located at the Pensacola Masonic Center. It is part of the Orient of Florida.
Drayton Smith, Executive Director of MVO, was notified in May that MVO and Ms. Vanessa Bettis were nominated for the Scottish Rite’s Family Values Award. This award recognizes the importance of family values, and places a spotlight on people and organizations in our community who make a difference through giving, community service and volunteerism.
Ms. Vanessa was honored to be recognized. “Motivation gets you started, and inspiration keeps you going. It is an honor to be recognized by our fellow community volunteers.”
Congratulations, Ms. Vanessa! Thank you for representing our organization well throughout our community by shining the light of Jesus for everyone to see!
7th Graders Make a Difference at MVO
We are so thankful for the hands and hearts who serve and donate to Ministry Village. Earlier this year, the 7TH Grade Department at Olive’s Middle School Ministry set out to make a difference in our community. They chose to serve through Ministry Village, and they made a heartwarming difference to the Charis House ladies as well as many families that received food from the Tender Hearts Food Pantry.
“Our theme for the year was hospitality, and we brainstormed ways we could show hospitality while serving others, as well as serving within the church,” explained parent and middle school leader Shannon Vinson. “We decided to throw a free movie event in December in the 678 building. We had 3 different showings of The Star and served popcorn, candy and drinks. The kids asked for donations to go toward service projects. One of those projects was a breakfast we were hosting at church for the ladies of the Charis House.”
“While the movie was playing we put together some small gifts for the ladies and decorated the room we were using for the breakfast. Every kid played a part the entire weekend-- serving popcorn and candy, greeting the moviegoers, telling the audience about our plan, cleaning up, serving breakfast, decorating, and more. At breakfast, we had conversation starters on the tables to encourage the kids to talk and interact with the ladies. They did a great job and truly made the ladies feel welcome. It was fantastic watching hospitality in action!”
“After paying for the breakfast, there was still a large sum of money left over. Because of the needs of the Tender Hearts Food Pantry, we decided to put our money there. One Sunday after church, we fed the kids pizza and then loaded them up for a trip to Sams Club! Kids divided into teams and were armed with their list of items to purchase. We stacked the food in the 678 foyer and 6th and 8th graders also contributed to the donation.”
In April, the middle school leaders took the kids over to the Ministry Village office and they were able to “pack the pantry” with all the food donated by the middle schoolers. After MVO employees tallied the food values, the middle school donation came to nearly $1600 worth of food!
“We are so proud of their willingness to help with these projects, and we hope they will continue to serve!” said Shannon.
Thank you to the 7TH Grade Department at Olive for hosting the movie night, providing breakfast for the Charis House ladies, and shopping for the food pantry! And thank you to all of the Olive Middle Schoolers and their families for supporting Ministry Village at Olive this Spring by helping to Pack the Pantry!
Now you can Pack the Pantry too and follow the lead of these fantastic students! It’s time for the July 5TH Sunday Food Drive on July 31!
The 5TH Sunday Food Drive will be accepting donations on Sunday, July 31st at Olive Baptist Church. Tables will be setup for collection in the foyer, the ROC, and the preschool.
All nonperishable items are accepted. Items that are in high need include CANNED MEAT (TUNA/CHICKEN/SPAM), PEANUT BUTTER, & SPAGHETTI SAUCE.
The Tender Hearts Caring Hands Food Pantry accepts donations Monday through Friday, from 9AM to 2PM at the Ministry Village at Olive office (1716 E. Olive Road). Donations of nonperishable food items and travel-size hygiene items are accepted. Financial donations are appreciated and go toward purchasing the items THCH distributes each day. Supporters can also make purchases through Amazon and items can be shipped directly to the Ministry Village at Olive office.
The Tender Hearts Caring Hands Food Pantry provides food Monday-Friday from 10AM to 12noon at the Ministry Village office (1716 E. Olive Road). For holiday and weather closures, the most up-to-date hours are posted on the Ministry Village at Olive Facebook page.
To donate financially to Tender Hearts Caring Hands or any Ministry Village program, click here.
Pack the Pantry July 31st
It’s time to PACK THE PANTRY through the 5th Sunday Food Drive! The need in our community is great, but we know your support is GREATER! Bring your items to Olive Baptist Church on Sunday, July 31st to help us stock the shelves and feed our community.
The 5th Sunday Food Drives – a donation effort spearheaded by Olive Baptist Church members - are a vital foundation of support for the Ministry Village Tender Hearts Caring Hands Food Pantry. The economic uncertainty of the last few years have resulted in an added strain to food pantries throughout the community, and Tender Hearts Caring Hands has been no different. When the food pantry is low on donations, ministry funds must go toward purchasing food items to bridge the gap. “We have seen the Lord provide time and time again when our food pantry will be bare – our supply will be extremely low – but the Lord provides,” said Kathie Schuster, Program Director for THCH.
“It is a blessing to be able to minister to our clients each day, and we know that our Ministry Village supporters always step-up and help us do that.” The families and individuals who come for help are thankful and relieved to see that they won’t go hungry. In addition to providing food, Kathie’s team also encourages each client and offers to pray for them, offering hope at a time that many feel afraid and alone. “It’s always a wonderful opportunity for us to be able to show the love of Jesus to our neighbors and help them see that He can provide for all their needs.”
The Tender Hearts Caring Hands food pantry provides us a daily opportunity to demonstrate God’s care to others. We have a chance to show God’s love to our community every single day. Let’s show our world WHO Jesus is.
The 5TH Sunday Food Drive will be accepting donations on Sunday, July 31st at Olive Baptist Church. Tables will be setup for collection in the foyer, the ROC, and the preschool.
All nonperishable items are accepted. Items that are in high need include SPAGHETTI SAUCE & PASTA, and CANNED MEAT (TUNA/CHICKEN/SPAM).
The Tender Hearts Caring Hands Food Pantry accepts donations Monday through Friday, from 9AM to 2PM at the Ministry Village at Olive office (1716 E. Olive Road). Donations of nonperishable food items and travel-size hygiene items are accepted. Financial donations are appreciated and go toward purchasing the items THCH distributes each day. Supporters can also make purchases through Amazon and items can be shipped directly to the Ministry Village at Olive office.
The Tender Hearts Caring Hands Food Pantry provides food Monday-Friday from 10AM to 12noon at the Ministry Village office (1716 E. Olive Road). For holiday and weather closures, the most up-to-date hours are posted on the Ministry Village at Olive Facebook page.
To donate financially to Tender Hearts Caring Hands or any Ministry Village program, click here.
Restoring the Broken at the Charis House
By Trennis Henderson
Originally published at The Baptist Paper https://thebaptistpaper.org/charis-house-drug-rehab-program-helps-transform-lives-physically-spiritually/
Reposted with permission from The Baptist Paper
Last week’s blog featured the first part of the article from The Baptist Paper, telling the story of how Kathleen Schuster, MVO’s director of Tender Hearts Caring Hands, found her way to Jesus, the Charis House and MVO. This week’s blog features the second part of the article.
Restoring broken relationships
Vanessa Bettis, director of Ladies Recovery Ministries at Ministry Village, said classes for the women at Charis House address issues such as boundaries, life skills, how to stay clean and sober, and relapse prevention.
She said another key goal is “restoration with families because a lot of them come from broken families.”
“Once they are here, we help them to restore that relationship back with their family and children,” Bettis explained. “That plays a very important role in their recovery.”
Most of the women who come into the program “have very low self-esteem,” she acknowledged. “Once they are here six months to nine months to a year, their appearance has changed, their demeanors have changed.”
Noting “we have a great support system from the church,” Bettis added. “They have so much to offer and sponsor our ladies in so many different ways.”
Passion for the community
Drayton Smith, executive director of Ministry Village, said the overall organization encompasses a variety of hands-on ministries.
“Ministry Village was started out of a passion for the community,” he explained. “The No. 1 thing that we’re trying to do is reach a community that needs help.”
Affirming the biblical call to minister to “the least of these,” he said, “We live by that. We believe that we should have a lifetime impact on the community that we live in.”
Now sober for nearly seven years, Schuster said her journey through Charis House definitely sparked a life change — physically, emotionally and spiritually.
“I knew that there was a bigger picture than just stopping drinking,” she reflected. “It was completely just giving myself to the Lord and saying, ‘Here I am. Take me. Do with me what You will.’”
To learn more about Charis House, click here.
Charis House drug rehab program helps transform lives physically, spiritually
Originally published at The Baptist Paper https://thebaptistpaper.org/charis-house-drug-rehab-program-helps-transform-lives-physically-spiritually/
By Trennis Henderson
Reposted with permission from The Baptist Paper
For Kathleen Schuster, the Charis House drug and alcohol recovery program in Pensacola, Florida, was life changing.
But it was a long and difficult journey.
Charis House opened its doors 15 years ago to help women in need of freedom from addiction. A key component of Olive Baptist Church’s Ministry Village, Charis House provides a homelike setting for a Christ-centered drug and alcohol recovery program.
“My vision for the Charis House is that we show grace to the broken ladies that God sends our way,” explained Ted Traylor, longtime pastor of Olive Baptist Church.
“Restoration is the key word,” he added. “They are often estranged from their real self, their family and the world around them. It all begins with being restored to God in Jesus, and then comes restoration on the horizontal lines.”
Pursuing real-life restoration
Schuster, program manager for Ministry Village’s Tender Hearts Caring Hands ministry, is a prime example of Charis House’s focus on restoration. Serving families in need, she helps provide resources ranging from rent and utilities assistance to local transportation and food needs.
“I feel like this job was just created for me,” she said. “The fact that I’ve been where these people have been, I understand them and understand the situation.”
Coordinating a ministry to benefit others wasn’t something Schuster could have envisioned a few years ago as she battled alcoholism.
“I started drinking at a very young age,” she recalled. “Whereas all my friends got married young, started having kids and grew up, I continued with my partying.
“I had always thought of myself as a functional alcoholic because I graduated from college, I got a master’s degree, I was in a good job,” she said. “It was only when I got married in my early 30s, and I married somebody that didn’t drink that I realized how much of a drinker I was.
“Since he didn’t drink, I ended up hiding drinking and hiding bottles,” she admitted. “It progressed from there to the point where I no longer had that good job. I could always get a job, but I couldn’t hold a job because I couldn’t stay sober.”
Noting she “had gone through about 15 treatment facilities because I wanted to get sober,” Schuster said, “I tried to educate myself into getting sober and that just didn’t happen. I would go into treatment, have this great new outlook and then my coping mechanism was, if anything was great or anything was horrible, it was to drink. And so finally in 2015, my family pretty much gave up on me.”
With no job, no insurance and a failed marriage, she ended up entering a treatment center for homeless women. The center shut down just seven months into her treatment.
Caring Christian environment
“I was just starting to read the Bible” when the center shut its doors, Schuster recalled. Transferring to Charis House to complete her treatment, she discovered a caring Christian environment that quickly made an impact in her life.
Citing Charis House’s focus on spiritual, physical, mental and social well-being, including Bible study and Christian counseling, Schuster said, “I got to the Charis House April 1 of 2016. … By April 11, I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior.”
“I know exactly when I felt the Holy Spirit enter myself,” she recounted. “I just gave up everything and gave it to Him. And now it seems like He’s just given me everything. I’m taken care of to allow me to do what I need to do in the kingdom of Christ.”
Although her mother died last summer, “she got to see me six years sober, and I got to take care of my mom in those final years,” Schuster said. “My siblings are like, ‘We’ve got our sister back’ — where I had been absent for a good 20 years.”
Read the second part of the feature article on the Charis House from The Baptist Paper in next week’s blog.
Shop in the Name of Love at the Bargain Center
Looking for an excuse to shop? Did you know that shopping can be a way to support a local ministry? Maybe shopping isn’t your favorite pastime, but you’re in need of a good spring-cleaning at home. By donating your clutter, you can help a local ministry and receive a tax deduction!
The Ministry Village Bargain Center opened in June 2013 with a two-fold mission: to serve the community by offering gently used, high quality merchandise at bargain center prices, and to generate financial support for the Ministry Village at Olive, Inc. programs that provide assistance to the community.
The Bargain Center is staffed by 4 full-time employees, 11 volunteers, and the ladies from the Charis House, a program of Ministry Village at Olive, who work part-time at the Bargain Center as part of their work therapy.
The Bargain Center is more than 6,000 square feet of merchandise, offering a large variety of items, and accepts donations of just about anything – furniture, household items, sporting goods, tools, clothing, shoes, home décor, books, music, etc. The unique variety of donations lends to the distinctive variety of purchases and items you can find.
The funding provided by the Bargain Center has made a tremendous impact in the ability of Ministry Village at Olive to meet the needs of their clients. 100% of the net profits from the Ministry Village Bargain Center supports the programs of Ministry Village at Olive. The Bargain Center also provides work therapy for the ladies from the Charis House, a Christian-based residential drug and alcohol women’s recovery program operated by Ministry Village at Olive.
Offering bargains to the shopping thrill-seekers and raising funds for the Ministry Village ministries are the Bargain Center’s primary goals, but finding opportunities to engage with members of the community and share the love of Jesus personally with shoppers have become the most exciting aspects of operating the Bargain Center. The Bargain Center works closely with foster families, social workers, and jail ministries to provide items to local residents in need.
The Ministry Village Bargain Center is located at 92 E. Nine Mile Road, and is open Monday through Saturday, 9am to 5pm.
Donations of items are accepted Monday through Saturday from 9am to 4pm. Tax receipts for your donations are also available. For donations of large quantities or large items (like furniture), the Bargain Center will come to you! Truck pickup is available by appointment. Call (850) 912-8222 to schedule a pickup time.
To volunteer at the Bargain Center, call Julie at the store (850) 912-8222 during regular hours.
Follow the Bargain Center on Facebook or Instagram to find out the latest special sales and promotions, and to see some of the unique items available each week!
Finding Freedom from Addiction
The Most Excellent Way (MEW) began as a weekly prayer meeting in San Diego, CA in 1986. As the Holy Spirit moved, other churches and ministries looked to MEW for guidance. The Most Excellent Way <link to national site> is now a worldwide ministry meeting in churches, rescue missions, rehab facilities, jails and prisons throughout the United States, Mexico, Canada and many other countries.
MEW was started as a way to restore confidence to the addicted. By using the Word of God and Its guiding principles, MEW helps people overcome the guilt, frustration, hopelessness, fear and shame associated with destructive lifestyles.
The local meetings of Most Excellent Way at Olive Baptist Church began in 1993. An average of 2,400 people meet each year through the Ministry Village MEW meetings. Tens of thousands of people over the years have attended these meetings at Olive, and many other local MEW meetings were born from the Olive. God used the Most Excellent Way ministry to fundamentally change Todd and Morgan’s lives. This is their story.
Todd first saw information about the Most Excellent Way meetings advertised on the Olive Baptist church marquee on the corner of Davis and Olive. He called the church to get more information. Todd felt lost; he was running from the emptiness in his life and looking for ways to fill the hole inside of him. “I had no idea that Jesus was what was missing until I came to Most Excellent Way.”
Morgan doesn’t remember how she first heard about MEW; she just remembers showing up at a meeting at Myrtle Grove Baptist Church. She had been chasing rebellion. “I was a rebellious sinner – lost, lost, lost – completely dependent on alcohol. My life was a trainwreck. On March 4, 2006, I got to a place where I couldn’t imagine my life any longer, with or without alcohol. I cried out to God and said, ‘Lord, if You’re real, kill me or cure me.’ And He sent me to MEW. When I got to that room, I was absolutely unlovable – a heathen – and some people there just encouraged me and loved on me. I continued to go because I heard hope and help in those rooms.”
Morgan continues, “One of the things that Todd and I found so appealing about MEW is that when you walk into the room, because it is Christ-centered, and because there is just a sense of freedom, it’s just a whole different atmosphere than the secular recovery programs. People talk about how they are a new creation in Christ. People have joy and peace. One of the big differences is that we see folks that have a life; they’re not all doom and gloom. And what I found in these other programs, not that there’s anything wrong with them, is that they would say things like, ‘You have a disease that can never be cured.’ What we learned in MEW through Biblical teaching is that Christ can heal all our diseases. We are whole. We are recreated, and we become new. And if we don’t drink and do drugs, we’re not drug addicts and alcoholics anymore – we are free, whole people.”
Todd agrees. “The big difference is the hope – that we can be made new – that we can be healed – that we don’t have to walk around the rest of our life with the stigma that says, ‘I’ll always be an alcoholic,’ or ‘I’ll always be a compulsive gambler,’ or ‘I’ll always be something that’s really not true anymore’.”
Morgan remembers what it felt like to walk into secular addiction recovery groups. “I remember walking into those other rooms, and they had some steps. And I remember looking at that 12th step and thinking that I needed that 12th step first. And what I found at MEW is that in order for our life to work, we have to have a relationship with Christ first and foremost, because He’s the foundation. He’s the glue that makes everything else work.”
For those struggling with addiction, Morgan’s message is very clear. “There is a way out. There is hope. What’s impossible with man is possible with God. I was hopelessly addicted – hopelessly addicted. If God can save me, He can save anyone. Other people invested in me, and I am always happy to reach out and share with others.”
In addition to overcoming addiction, Todd says that finding Jesus was the most monumental, life-changing, earth-shattering event that happened to him because of MEW. “I was not a Christ follower before I came to MEW. All the other good things have come through that – having a real life, having a fantastic wife, having a church community. I really believe our primary function at The Most Excellent Way is to build that bridge that allows people to come to know Jesus.”
Involvement with the Most Excellent Way affected every aspect of Morgan and Todd’s lives. “I was unavailable before I came to MEW,” said Morgan. “I was unavailable to my family…unavailable to society. I didn’t have a church. I didn’t know Christ. I didn’t have relationships. I had nothing prior to Christ. My life was absolutely self-centered. So now that I’ve come to know the Lord through MEW, it has changed our lives radically. Through church involvement, we are more connected with others. We are being discipled, and being invested in, and we are investing in others. It has totally changed our lives for the better. We have a life now. We didn’t have a life before.”
“It’s really better, I believe, than a normal relationship because of the standards that we’re called to – to make sure that we prevent ourselves from going back,” explains Todd. “So we really have better than what a normal life would be outside of Christ. Morgan and I are very grateful to the leaders at Olive who, way before we personally ever showed up here, decided to start the MEW here and to love on the unlovable. It probably wasn’t an easy decision or a popular one at the time, but it was an obedient one.”
Morgan and Todd choose to stay involved in the Most Excellent Way today, even after marking many years of their own sobriety. “We are there, first, because we always want to remember (like Egypt) that we are enslaved, and we don’t ever want to forget,” explains Morgan. “We always want to keep our focus. But we also want to share with others the good news of a risen Savior who makes people whole – the good news that it is possible to stay clean and to have a good life outside of those rooms.
Todd continues. “I don’t want to forget for myself. I also want to share with others that they can be happy – that they can have real lives. And I want to tell them about Jesus, so they not only have a good life here, but they can also have a great life after here. Amen and Praise God.”
Most Excellent Way meetings are held each week at the Olive Baptist Church Main Campus (Tuesdays and Fridays from 7pm to 8:30pm). Meetings are open to anyone struggling with addictive behavior, as well as the family members and loved ones of those struggling.
To donate to the Most Excellent Way ministry, click here. Every dollar makes a difference in the life of someone struggling to overcome addiction.
Volunteers interested in working with MEW can provide encouragement, a listening ear, and prayerful support to those who attend our meetings. If you are interested in learning more about volunteering with MEW, or if you are interested in participating in a Friends and Family support group through MEW, contact Scott Heald at SHeald@ministryvillage.org or by phone at 850-475-1112.
To learn more about The Most Excellent Way program, part of Ministry Village at Olive, click here.