New Life Recovery Program

How many people does it take
to transform a life?

Thirty-five graduates of the Redwood Gospel Mission New Life Recovery Program shared the answer on Friday, April 29, 2011, at their graduation ceremony held at the Santa Rosa Bible Church.

In Santa Rosa, hundreds of people have united to serve others in response to God’s call in their lives.  Executive Director, Jeff Gilman, poignantly illustrated this point in his opening remarks. He identified ten different segments of the community that contributed towards each graduate’s success in completing their program and experiencing the transforming power of Christ.  From staff, board directors, and volunteer instructors, to family, alumni and donors, he asked each group to stand for a moment to recognize the various areas in which the Lord had gifted them.

Gilman noted the likelihood that still others were missed inadvertently in that acknowledgement.

Graduates from both the Men’s and the Women’s Recovery Programs shared testimonies on how the Lord had interceded in their lives and worked through the Redwood Gospel Mission to meet their physical and spiritual needs.   Hopes, dreams and souls were renewed; hunger and thirst were abated.  Peace and self-control replaced chaos, and the future became an avenue of opportunity for which each graduate was now equipped.  The community rejoiced with them as they told of reunited spouses, restored parent-child relationships, new vocational opportunities, GEDs and freedom from addictions.  After 10 to 14 months of the Christ-centered 12-Step program, which included classes dealing with life skills and personal development, each graduate was ready to trust the Lord as they embarked on the next phase of their life.

" But to each one is given
the manifestation of the
Spirit for the common good.
1 Corinthians 12:7 NASB "

Throughout the evening the RGM Praise Band led the assembly in worship songs.  Comprised of program members as well as other individuals associated with the Redwood Gospel Mission, the band created a particularly memorable moment when they accompanied the entire graduating class in a special song that wove 17-second testimonies throughout a toe-tapping “glory hallelujah” chorus with a can-can beat!

The celebration drew to a close with prayer, a brief period of fellowship and a dessert buffet, but the transformation for the graduates continues.   For the community, too, the close of the celebration is not an end but a transition as they continue to support each graduate in prayer over the next year. 

Ultimately, it only takes the One True God to transform a broken life; through His Son’s sacrifice on the cross and victory over death.

But the Lord gifts the body of Christ so that the many come together as one to support, mentor, and strengthen each transformed life through a vehicle like the New Life Recovery Program.