Partner Stories
Bridge to Recovery
When Crestwood Alliance Church in St. Louis, Missouri, found itself as a “replant” in suburban St. Peters in 2004, it struggled. The departure of the lead “planter” and worship leader was a frustration from which the little church was not sure it would recover. But God brought a ministry to the church that has breathed new life into Crosswinds Church.
Rodger Peck, director for MidAmerica District's Thriving Church Networks initiative, has put together a team of people who are passionate about what God is doing in the church and who have a tremendous esteem for Rodger.
With the assistance of the Alliance Development Fund (ADF), a supporting ministry of The Christian and Missionary Alliance that helps churches with funding for capital projects, Crosswinds Church was able to purchase a building that would amply accommodate the ministry that God had yet to reveal.
The church has been awarded a three-year contract with the state of Missouri to provide support services for substance abuse addicts. Missouri is one of 16 states that receive federal funding for faith-based programs that care for people in need. Crosswinds has implemented the successful Celebrate Recovery program that originated at Saddleback Church in California, calling it the Bridgeway Recovery Center. Currently, 30 people are enrolled in the course.
The program has led to conversions, baptisms, and significant growth. “God is helping us to establish our identity as a church,” says Peck. “He is opening doors into the community to help us build relationships.”
Bridgeway has more than 4,000 clients, most of whom received court orders to attend a recovery program. “A preliminary pastoral counseling assessment is required for every client,” says Peck. “We have four counselors, who are developing a process to ultimately move these people from aftercare into the Body of Christ through discipleship and mentoring.”
Crosswinds is impacting the St. Peters' marketplace as well. “The building will serve the community seven days a week,” says Peck. “Local businesses can use it for meetings, and it serves as a coffee shop, where people have a safe environment to hang out without the temptation of alcohol and drugs. And, of course, it is our worship center.”
Peck's time at Crosswinds was limited, and he has passed the baton of leadership on to Greg Sweeger, a young man with a passion and vigor to proclaim Christ not unlike his predecessor. Sweeger, who hails from Wisconsin, eagerly immersed himself in ministry, believing that Crosswinds is a place for healing and recovery by the strength of the Great Healer. “We are all in a process of life recovery as we turn from our sinfulness, our hurt, our past in order to walk in Christ's light,” says Sweeger. “It's Crosswinds' mission: helping people journey toward God through loving relationships.”
