Jennifer Thomas was looking for a meeting.
She was out of prison, completed a recovery program and she had experienced God. This night, however, she needed support, so she was looking for a meeting.
There was no meeting, so when her mother drove by a church and Thomas could see people were there, she told her mother to stop and let her out.
“You don’t know anybody in there,” her mother said.
“No, but they are sober,” Thomas replied.
Thomas found the support she was looking for, and now she is helping with a program for others who need the same type of support.
Thomas took her first steps into Victory Community Church around a month ago. Today, she is part of an Alcohol Drug Outreach (ADO) program and last week stood before her peers to tell her story.
The program is adapted from a program at Caveland Church in Cave City. Dwan Hadley, who is coordinating the program for Victory Community Church, recalled a sign at the Horse Cave church that said, “A church for people who don’t like church.”
The recovery program is designed to bring people who struggle with addiction together in a comfortable format. Been in prison? Even better, Hadley said. People can gather every Friday night to hear testimony from former addicts like Thomas and Hadley. Hadley has been signing up speakers for the weekly meetings, focusing on people with whom “God has turned their life around.”
“Everyone is looking for something. Hopefully this is where you can find it,” Hadley said. “There’s a reason we start using drugs. There’s a vacancy in everybody’s heart that only Jesus can fill.”
Victory Community Church is located at 107 N. Reed St., just off the public square. The ADO program begins at 6:30 p.m. every Friday night. For more information, contact Hadley at 270-566-3292.
By Sharon Burton
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