At Chapel every Friday new guys join our 12-month residential Spiritual Recovery Program. Consequently, guys graduate 1 year later every week. In recent years we’ve averaged 2 graduates per week.
This Friday, for the 3rd time in our history, we tied our record of 6 graduates in 1 week! The Chapel service was great. There was a video clip of our guys sharing about our weekly Character Quality, a song from the HUMinizers (our choir), special music by family of one of our guys and a 50th anniversary reading of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
Then, as is our tradition, all 6 graduates shared a good word. It was a great time! Ricky said 3 sentences — more than he ever spoke in my classes. Jimmy and Billy both sang a song! Herbert, Jon and Dean shared a bit of their story after coming to HUM. You can read Dean’s story at: http://helpingupmission.blogspot.com/2013/08/gentle-spirit-and-warm-smile.html.
Before Chapel, Herbert shared with me all the things God has done in his life since coming to HUM — practicing real recovery and developing a strong recovery network, starting own business and attending college, and restoration of family relationships. Then he added, “Now I understand why you love your job so much!” Herbert’s right — I get to see his story played out time after time in the lives of so many guys. This Jesus stuff really does work!
One Grad at a Time,
Pastor Gary Byers
Deputy Director