what's Happening Now
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I would like to share with you what the Lord is sharing with us for the coming year; in order to do that, first I need to tell you how we got here!
In 2012, I was driving down the road and the Holy Spirit whispered to me “Would you build me a church?” My teary-eyed reply was, “Where Lord?” His answer was instant: “Covington” (which is in Kentucky, in case you’re not from around here). He then proceeded to show me a vision, or an image, of a group of men in recovery, arm in arm like a wall around that church and the city. |
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Now, to say that this conversation has been the driving force behind everything I’ve done for the last 11 years would be an understatement. From that day to this day, and every day in between, I’ve been preparing to answer that call. I've read hundreds of books, watched thousands of sermons, enrolled in Bible College, and sought out Godly mentors in numerous fields so they could take me under their wing and teach me all the things I would need to know. I’ve attended retreats, seminars, and workshops, all for the sake of getting ready for this day. I visited or volunteered at behavior centers, jails, urban missions, and residential programs in order to get a peek behind the veil of these ministries, so that I would be ready for the day when I would build my own.
Most importantly, I’ve spent days, months, years and now a decade seeking the face of the Lord and His heart for the day when He would say, “Arise and build!”
Most importantly, I’ve spent days, months, years and now a decade seeking the face of the Lord and His heart for the day when He would say, “Arise and build!”
Knowing the Times and Seasons
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In March of 2019, the Lord began to talk to Lisa and me about an “open door” that no man could close. He talked to us about this open door for the remainder of that year, during which time I graduated Bible College and was fully ordained in the Church of the Nazarene (both of which were open doors of sorts, but not this specific one He was talking about).
Then, in January of 2020, God began to teach us about how He chooses to operate in “times and seasons” not only in the natural world (spring, summer, winter, fall) but also in the supernatural |
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world, as well! For example, in God’s Kingdom there are seasons of joy, seasons of refinement, seasons of preparation, dry seasons, seasons of healing, and seasons of waiting, just to name a few. During this time, the Lord also taught us that all of His seasons eventually come to an end and new seasons begin in their place (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8).
It was within this lesson, where the Lord began to tell me that my time (or season) as the Outreach Pastor of GracePointe Community had come to an end, and that Lisa and I were to step through an “open door” that He had placed before us. Never mind the fact that we had no clue where the door even was, let alone what was on the other side of it.
As we all know, 2020 was a year like no other and, dare I even say, a “Season of Uncertainty.” Therefore, if there was ever a year not to step out on faith and quit your job, 2020 was it! And yet, I could not escape the still small voice (1 Kings 19:12) of the Holy Spirit telling me that I was to:
- Resign my paid position at the church,
- Step out into the “unknown”, and
- Finish writing the addiction recovery book that I’d been working on for the prior 5 ½ years.
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. Hebrews 11:8
Friends, this verse was everywhere that year! It was in my morning devotions, in sermons, in my verse of the day apps, in conversations, on Facebook, and in the Christian books I was reading at the time. I think I even saw it on the back of my cereal box one morning! Just kidding. But seriously, this verse as well as the term “the unknown” were everywhere that year. So, by the end of 2020, I knew that I knew that I had the heart of the Lord, and what He was calling me to do. So, even though it didn’t make sense to most people in my life, in January of 2021, Lisa and I stepped out in faith to pursue it.
By Easter Sunday of 2021, I had obediently resigned my paid position at the church to finish the recovery book I was writing and, in doing so, we answered God’s call to step into the unknown. Over the course of that year and the next, the Lord took us through five very particular and distinct Seasons, and they were as follows:
Season 1: The Call to the Wilderness
By Easter Sunday of 2021, I had obediently resigned my paid position at the church to finish the recovery book I was writing and, in doing so, we answered God’s call to step into the unknown. Over the course of that year and the next, the Lord took us through five very particular and distinct Seasons, and they were as follows:
Season 1: The Call to the Wilderness
- January 22nd – May 1st, 2021
- May 2nd – August 31st, 2021
- September 1st, 2021 – February 28th, 2022
- March 3rd – September 21st, 2022
- September 25th – December 28th, 2022
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Now, although these seasons are listed here as very nice and neat little categories, please know that there was nothing neat about working through them. In fact, these two years of our life felt more like the ancient Chinese torture method of death by a thousand cuts. During this time there was a lot of waiting, uncertainty, self-doubt, frustration, irritability, depression, and impatience, to say the least.
However, there were a lot of good things that took place during these seasons, as well, such as: personal growth, healing, revelation, creativity, advancement, and drawing near to God, and one another. Not to mention it was also here within these seasons that I finished the ASAP Recovery book, in addition to the Lord teaching me about my Authority in Christ and training my hands for War with the enemy in the process (Psalm 144:1). These two lessons have proved to be indispensable for where He is sending us! |
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The Season of New Beginnings
Somewhere around September of 2022 we entered into our “Season of New Beginnings,” where the call that we had been waiting on to “arise and build” finally came and, when it did, Lisa and I answered it!
It was at this time that Pastor Joey Butsch and the people of GracePointe sent Lisa and I out as missionaries to the addicted in the Tri-state area. This was also when we started traveling from church to church on Sundays seeking out those in recovery like ourselves. We will come back to this church traveling in a minute!
It was at this time that Pastor Joey Butsch and the people of GracePointe sent Lisa and I out as missionaries to the addicted in the Tri-state area. This was also when we started traveling from church to church on Sundays seeking out those in recovery like ourselves. We will come back to this church traveling in a minute!
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The following month, the Lord finally gave us the name of our future church. We were to call it: Recovery Community Church. As per the original vision in 2012, this will be a church specifically for those in recovery as well as their friends, family, and church members (or the recovery community, if you will). In addition to the name, the Lord also gave us a threefold cord (Ecclesiastes 4:12) of focus for this Church: Jesus, Freedom, and Truth!
It was also around this time that God began to expand our understanding of what He meant by “Would you build me a |
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Church?” As it turned out, not only had He been calling us to build Him a church in a physical building in Covington, but He reminded me that the Church is not just a building, but also the universal body of believers. This let me know with a doubt, that He was also calling Lisa and me to graft a community of those in recovery into His already existing universal Church through our ASAP Recovery program. Making our program into a church was so much bigger than I had originally dreamed!
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That same month, we formed a Board of Directors, established our Articles of Incorporation and, after seven years of having ASAP recovery meetings in Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati, we formally organized ASAP Recovery as a non-profit corporation and are working towards our 501(c)3 status.
Although a lot of good stuff was happening during this season, until this point 2022 had without a doubt been the “Year of Waiting.” For example, I had been waiting:
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The ASAP Recovery Board of Directors
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Note: If you’re doing it right, God tells you when and where you are supposed to go to church. Perhaps more importantly, He will also tell you if you’re actually supposed to leave or go someplace else. This is usually reserved for pastors and ministers, not parishioners! However, if it’s God’s will (instead of your own) for you to be someplace else, He will send you out in decency and in order through the leadership of the church (1 Corinthians 14:40 & Acts 13:1-3).
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In November of 2022, all the preparation and waiting stopped. I don’t quite know how to explain what happened next, other than to say that I felt led to start walking the streets of Covington, Kentucky, just like David Wilkerson (Founder of Teen Challenge) used to walk the streets of New York City. Sure, I could have been walking these same streets from the moment the Lord asked me to build Him a church in 2012 but, for some reason, I did not feel released or that I was allowed to do so until now… 11 years later.
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So with the commission of God and my church behind me, I started walking the streets of Covington, praying, and trusting that the Lord would direct my steps to meet people and strike up conversations (Psalm 37:23). In particular, Lisa and I have been praying:
I would love to tell you about all the divine appointments the Lord sent my way through these prayer walks and hanging out at churches and with other faith-based organizations in Covington; however, if you will remember that is not the point of this story. The point today is to share with you what the Lord is sharing with us for the coming year. |
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2023 The Year of Dwelling in Tents
Between my prayer walks, interactions in Covington, and my morning devotions, the Lord began to point towards a season of “Dwelling in Tents.” If you remember, Hebrews 11:8 is what God used to tell me to “resign my paid position at the church, step out into the unknown, and finish my book.” However, towards the end of November, the Lord added another verse to this (and to my marching orders as well) when He gave me Hebrews 11:9 during my morning devotions. Once again, not a popular or well-known verse. So here it is:
“By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.” Hebrews 11:9
As you may have assumed by now, Covington is my particular “land of promise” so when I came across this verse this time (even though I’ve read it a hundred times before) the word “tents” jumped off the page and smacked me right in the face. So I decided to set up a tent of my own by taking the rest of the morning to put this verse under the microscope and meditate on it for a while. I drew the following three points:
It was here that the Holy Spirit began to put all the pieces of the puzzle together for me and the season of the unknown started to become known. Until now, I had been walking the streets of Covington looking for a building or base camp to purchase (even though we didn’t have any money). However, with this new revelation, I now understood that we were to have some kind of temporary structure for our church, at least for the next year, such as meeting in someone else's building, or setting up an actual tent just like they used to do in the holiness movement back in the day.
The Holy Spirit also showed me that the church traveling we were currently doing was a part of this “Dwelling in Tents” season that the Lord now had us in. What I mean by that is, most people have a home church; however, Lisa and I don’t in the traditional sense. First of all, our church (Recovery Community Church) doesn’t technically exist yet. Right now we have two members, me and Lisa walking the streets of Covington! Second, although GracePointe Community in Erlanger, Kentucky is our home church, it’s not our home! You see, much in the same way that children grow up and leave home to start their own lives and families, Lisa and I have done the same. Therefore, upon this revelation of tent versus home, I could now see that although these various tents can give us shelter… they’re not our home!
Furthermore, all of these churches we are currently visiting on Sundays, not to mention all of the churches that we will be visiting when the ASAP Recovery book is published, makes our Sunday church attendance portable… like a tent! For example, one week our tent will be in Ashland, Kentucky and the next week it might be in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. The thing is, we don’t know where we are going from week to week! Instead, we follow what I call “the breadcrumbs of the Lord” to discern where we are supposed to be each week. If you will remember, the Israelite's also “dwelled in tents” and faced a very similar situation when they were following God out of Egypt and into their promised land. Have a look:
- Tents are temporary structures
- Tents are portable
- Tents can give you shelter, but they’re not your home
It was here that the Holy Spirit began to put all the pieces of the puzzle together for me and the season of the unknown started to become known. Until now, I had been walking the streets of Covington looking for a building or base camp to purchase (even though we didn’t have any money). However, with this new revelation, I now understood that we were to have some kind of temporary structure for our church, at least for the next year, such as meeting in someone else's building, or setting up an actual tent just like they used to do in the holiness movement back in the day.
The Holy Spirit also showed me that the church traveling we were currently doing was a part of this “Dwelling in Tents” season that the Lord now had us in. What I mean by that is, most people have a home church; however, Lisa and I don’t in the traditional sense. First of all, our church (Recovery Community Church) doesn’t technically exist yet. Right now we have two members, me and Lisa walking the streets of Covington! Second, although GracePointe Community in Erlanger, Kentucky is our home church, it’s not our home! You see, much in the same way that children grow up and leave home to start their own lives and families, Lisa and I have done the same. Therefore, upon this revelation of tent versus home, I could now see that although these various tents can give us shelter… they’re not our home!
Furthermore, all of these churches we are currently visiting on Sundays, not to mention all of the churches that we will be visiting when the ASAP Recovery book is published, makes our Sunday church attendance portable… like a tent! For example, one week our tent will be in Ashland, Kentucky and the next week it might be in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. The thing is, we don’t know where we are going from week to week! Instead, we follow what I call “the breadcrumbs of the Lord” to discern where we are supposed to be each week. If you will remember, the Israelite's also “dwelled in tents” and faced a very similar situation when they were following God out of Egypt and into their promised land. Have a look:
And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way,
and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. ~Exodus 13:21
So it was always: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.
17 Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, after that the children of Israel would journey;
and in the place where the cloud settled, there the children of Israel would pitch their tents. ~Numbers 9:16-17
and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. ~Exodus 13:21
So it was always: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.
17 Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, after that the children of Israel would journey;
and in the place where the cloud settled, there the children of Israel would pitch their tents. ~Numbers 9:16-17
Now, although we don’t get a cloud or a pillar of fire from the Lord like the Israelite's did to guide us where we’re supposed to pitch our tent each week, He does, however, speak to us in a “multitude of other ways” (Job 33:14, & Hebrews 1:1). And let me tell you this, when He tells us where to take our metaphorical tent, He has never failed to meet us there yet! Amen?
After these three revelations of what God meant by “tent dwelling” the Lord began to show me that this time and season of “Dwelling in Tents” wasn’t to be a short season like some of the others mentioned above. Instead, He let me know that all of 2023 was to be “The Year of Dwelling in Tents.” The Lord then went on to confirm this truth again, and again, and again. Much in the same way that I couldn’t outrun Hebrews 11:8 all throughout 2020, I find that I cannot currently escape Hebrews 11:9 or the word “Tents” here in 2023, as well!
After these three revelations of what God meant by “tent dwelling” the Lord began to show me that this time and season of “Dwelling in Tents” wasn’t to be a short season like some of the others mentioned above. Instead, He let me know that all of 2023 was to be “The Year of Dwelling in Tents.” The Lord then went on to confirm this truth again, and again, and again. Much in the same way that I couldn’t outrun Hebrews 11:8 all throughout 2020, I find that I cannot currently escape Hebrews 11:9 or the word “Tents” here in 2023, as well!
Confirmations of this Season
You know how, when you or a loved one buy a car, then you start to notice or become aware of that same kind of car everywhere out there on the road? Likewise, everywhere I now go I can’t stop seeing tents or places in Covington to pitch them, even if my life depended on it!
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In fact, I’m so convinced about this year being the Year of Dwelling in Tents that I started saving and raising a little bit of money to purchase an actual tent in order for us to start having services outside. I even went so far as to get on Amazon where I found a great wedding tent for $1,659 that would be perfect for Recovery Community Church. Well, lo and behold, a week after deciding that this was the tent for us, I saw that exact same tent on the campus of God’s Bible School and College, thereby confirming the voice of the Holy Spirit in my heart saying, “This is the way; walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21). #Confirmation!
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Also, when I shared the majority of what I have just shared with you with my friend, and District Superintendent of the Eastern Kentucky District Church of the Nazarene, Rev. Doug Wyatt, he wrote back:
Chuck,
This is such an outstanding testimony and report and God’s working through you both and this new endeavor He has placed (on) your hearts. God is moving!!!! I read this to Joni at the end of our devotions and then we prayed for you. God is doing something great. We will continue to pray: For the People, For Provision, For Protection, and For Placement. I see a tent on the horizon and around the corner. Blessings!!!
Totally His,
DS Wyatt
Friends, if you knew this godly man as I do, then you would understand when I say that if that’s not confirmation that we have the heart and mind of the Lord for the next year, then I don’t know what is!
Chuck,
This is such an outstanding testimony and report and God’s working through you both and this new endeavor He has placed (on) your hearts. God is moving!!!! I read this to Joni at the end of our devotions and then we prayed for you. God is doing something great. We will continue to pray: For the People, For Provision, For Protection, and For Placement. I see a tent on the horizon and around the corner. Blessings!!!
Totally His,
DS Wyatt
Friends, if you knew this godly man as I do, then you would understand when I say that if that’s not confirmation that we have the heart and mind of the Lord for the next year, then I don’t know what is!
Knowing the Times and Seasons
As we start to bring this story to a close, I don’t know what season you may find yourself in as you are reading this, but there are three things I do know. First of all, God has chosen in His infinite wisdom, to operate in times and seasons. Once again, both in the natural and the supernatural! Have a look for yourself:
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To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven: 2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; 3 A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; 5 A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; 6 A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; 7 A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; 8 A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace. ~Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 |
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Second, I now know without a doubt that God used all of our seasons mentioned earlier for preparation for the time and season that Lisa, ASAP Recovery, Recovery Community Church, and I now find ourselves in. If I were to summarize those seasons, I would say they were as follows:
Third and finally, I also know that if we hadn’t embraced these seasons as sent from God, or had we tried to skip over or avoid any of these seasons (as unpleasant as some of them were), we would not have been ready or able to answer the call for the season that we now find ourselves in as we are trying to build something great for God and for our neighbor.
Therefore, if you take anything away from this testimony of recognizing the times and seasons, I hope it is this: not only is God is always working, but He is also always working towards something… even if it’s unknown or if you can’t fully see it yet.
Consequently, this is why it is so important to daily seek the Lord’s face and He will make you aware of the times and seasons you find yourself in; He may even reveal upcoming seasons before they even happen! Amen?
- 2012-19 was “The Season of Preparation”
- 2019 was “The Year of Open Doors”
- 2020 was “The Season of Uncertainty”
- 2021 was “The Wilderness Season”
- 2022 was “The Year of Waiting”
- 2023 will be “The Year of Dwelling in Tents”
Third and finally, I also know that if we hadn’t embraced these seasons as sent from God, or had we tried to skip over or avoid any of these seasons (as unpleasant as some of them were), we would not have been ready or able to answer the call for the season that we now find ourselves in as we are trying to build something great for God and for our neighbor.
Therefore, if you take anything away from this testimony of recognizing the times and seasons, I hope it is this: not only is God is always working, but He is also always working towards something… even if it’s unknown or if you can’t fully see it yet.
Consequently, this is why it is so important to daily seek the Lord’s face and He will make you aware of the times and seasons you find yourself in; He may even reveal upcoming seasons before they even happen! Amen?
How to be a part of our season
So, as promised, not only do you now know what the Lord is sharing with us for the coming year but, now that you know, you are also a part of it! However, if you have read this and have been encouraged or touched by it and would like to become more involved in our “Year of Dwelling in Tents” there a quite a few ways to do so! Such as:
1) Prayer
1) Prayer
- We would love for you, your church, or organization, to come into agreement or even a prayer partnership with us for the:
- People in recovery (individuals and the community at large)
- Provision for our ministry
- Protection from the enemy and those who would hinder the Lord’s work
- Placement of our own church home and program meetings
- God’s Presence in all of our coming in’s and going out’s!
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2) Giving
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3) Buying or Donating our ASAP Recovery Book
- Our ASAP Recovery book will be available for $30 through Amazon, Barnes & Noble or anywhere else books are sold. However, not everyone is in recovery or knows someone in recovery. Therefore, through My Well Ministry, we have a “Donate a Book” giving option for those who wish to purchase a book and have our ministry donate it to someone in recovery who needs it but cannot afford it. Such as: those in jail, treatment, unemployed, or on the streets.
- When you donate a book, I will personally write you back with the first name and a little of the backstory of the person who received your book donation. That way, you can continue to be a part of our season of dwelling in tents by praying for this individual and for them to encounter Jesus while reading the book you provided them on God’s behalf.
4) Invite us to your church or organization to speak
- Every church and denomination in the world has a drug and alcohol problem within their community. Therefore, Pastor Chuck, Lisa, and the ASAP Recovery Team would be happy to come to your church or organization to speak about this new Christ-driven, God-honoring approach to recovery.
- Not only that, but Pastor Chuck graduated second in his class at God’s Bible School and College and is available for revival messages, pulpit filling, or a much needed Bible teaching of any kind at your church (no matter how tough or delicate the subject).
5) Invite us to start a Recovery Presence/Ministry within your community
- If you would like to do something about the addiction problem within your community, ASAP Recovery will come to your church (or organization) and set you up with our program’s ASAP Recovery meetings and help you facilitate the program on your own, while still being available for assistance, questions, etc.
- We offer a wide range of services such as:
Recovery Consultations
- For Pastors, Staff, Volunteers, and your church members
- Phone, Zoom, in person (when available), etc.
Basic Recovery Training
- For Pastors, Staff, and Volunteers
- For serving/ministering to individuals, loved ones, and church Members
Intermediate Recovery Training
- For Pastors, Staff, and Volunteers
- For mentoring individuals in recovery
Advanced Recovery Training
- For Pastors, Staff, and Volunteers
- For starting and leading an ASAP Recovery small group in your church
Referral Services
- Local referrals within your own community and beyond
- In-patient, out-patient, residential, meetings, professional counseling, detox centers, behavioral centers, etc.
6) Whatever else the Lord lays on your heart
- Perhaps while you have been reading this, the Lord has laid something else on your heart that we didn’t mention. If that’s the case, we would love to hear about it. Please feel free to contact us [email protected]
7) Dwell in Tents with us
- If you are in recovery and do not have a church home, we would love to invite you to be some of the first members of Recovery Community Church. You can do this by joining us for church every Sunday this year as we travel and dwell in tents wherever God leads us.
- If this is you, then check us out at: recoverycommunity.church
- Also, if you need transportation, we would be happy to pick you up on the way (within reason).