When Churches Open the Door to Recovery

When Churches Open the Door to Recovery

In every church, there are people quietly carrying burdens — struggling with their marriages, facing broken homes, or fighting hidden battles with addiction. For many pastors, the question is not whether people in their congregation are struggling, but whether they have the right resources to truly help.

For Together Church, help came through a partnership with Hope is Alive.

Steven Caraway, a member of the church, had struggled with addiction since his thirties. At first, he thought he could manage it, but it ended up costing him his marriage, his job, and his hope. At one of his lowest points, Steven entered Hope is Alive, but he wasn’t fully ready to change. After three months, he left the program and soon found himself back in the same destructive cycle.

Months later, while sitting in a Sunday service at Together Church, Steven saw something that would alter his life forever. A man named Trevor, a graduate of Hope is Alive, stood before the congregation and shared his testimony. Steven couldn’t believe the transformation he was seeing.

“Sometimes you just need to see somebody who’s made it through, and that sparks something in you. For me, that was Trevor,” shared Steven.

With encouragement from his pastor and the church family at Together Church, Steven re-enrolled in Hope is Alive — this time fully committed to recovery. Thirteen months later, the change is undeniable. Today, Steven is sober, working as a warehouse manager, and most importantly, reunited with his wife.

“We are not the experts, but HIA gives us the training, tools, and opportunities we need to get into the game,” explained Brandon Werner, Senior Pastor at Together Church.

Addiction doesn’t discriminate — it touches every community and every church. But through partnerships like the one between Together Church and Hope is Alive, lives like Steven Caraway’s are being redeemed. Hope is alive.