Every week at our Friday afternoon chapel service we bring new guys into our 12-month residential Spiritual Recovery Program. Because we bring guys in every week, we graduate a couple each week one year later. While we average tover two graduates per week annually, in March of 2009 we graduated 7 guys during the same week for the first time ever. Last week it happened again – 7 men graduated from our Spiritual Recovery Program in the same week.
I don’t think such an event happens by accident. Guys who come into our Program together tend to develop a special bond pretty quickly. They help each other and look out for each other as they all get adjusted to their new surroundings at the same time.
Admittedly some guys are more verbal and open than others, and there are guys who are just natural introverts and even loners. But most are willing to open up a little bit more and help the next guy. And when they do, good things happen.
Every single guy who graduates is very meaningful around here. Even when a guy leaves early and doesn’t graduate but stays clean – we don’t get to count him as a graduate – but he is accomplishing what we hoped he would and we consider him one of our success stories, too. But 7 graduates in one week is pretty special. Now I want 8!
Sincerely,
Pastor Gary Byers
Spiritual Life Director