Faith, Recovery & Finding Hope

In this powerful episode of Dose of Reality, host Abby Weiss sits down with Pastor Lynda Keefer and Assistant Pastor Teresa Mankin for an honest conversation about faith, addiction, recovery, and the impact substance use has on individuals, families, and entire communities.

Together, they explore:
• The personal journeys that led them into ministry and recovery work
• The realities of addiction and the growing fentanyl crisis
• Breaking through shame, stigma, and feelings of unworthiness
• How faith and recovery can work together to create lasting transformation
• Celebrate Recovery, Recovery Church, and what support really looks like
• The challenges families face when a loved one is struggling
• Relapse, resilience, and finding hope when life feels impossible

Whether you're in recovery, supporting someone you love, working in the recovery field, or simply looking for encouragement, this episode offers real stories, practical insight, and a reminder that no one has to face their struggles alone.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hi everyone, welcome back to A Dose of Reality. This is a podcast where we have real conversations about what's actually happening in our communities when it comes to substance use, recovery, and the ripple effects it has on families. Today's conversation is going to be a little bit different, but one that's nonetheless really important. We're talking about the role of faith community and what it looks like when people are trying to rebuild their lives. I'm joined by Pastor Linda Kiefer and assistant pastor Teresa Mankin. Thank you both for being here.

SPEAKER_04 0:24

Thanks for having us. Thanks for the invite.

SPEAKER_00 0:26

Of course. So Linda, I want to start before the titles, before we get into roles, give me a good overview of like who you are as a person, what you're interested in, and kind of how you got here in the first place.

SPEAKER_03 0:37

Um a mother of three sons and a grandmother of five grandchildren.

SPEAKER_04 0:41

Congratulations. Thank you. I've been married to my husband, Kevin, for 40 years, almost 41. Um, and oh I grew up going to church, but had like an experience where it was a really rough season of my life and really encountered God and um just experienced this healing from him that really really made me fall in love with Jesus. So that's um that's a passion of mine, just to share the hope that I found in Jesus with other people. Um and I I love to listen to podcasts, so I think this is amazing that I get to be part of one. A little nervous, but I'm excited to be part of it. Uh that's one thing that I do a lot. I listen to a lot of different podcasts. Um I'm really interested in different topics. I love to see what's going on in the world of AI and um just what changes are coming down the pike for us as a, you know, a people, a humankind, and a nation. Um and um just love hanging out with my grandkids, taking them places and having fun with them. And I love to go to the movies and eat popcorn. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:51

Um, what grounds you when things like start to get heavy for you? Because I know you mentioned you were going through a rough season of life. Do you always like come back to the church and like that sort of thing as your as your saving grace, I guess?

SPEAKER_04 2:02

Definitely that's what grounds me. Um just going back in, um, quieting my heart in his presence and realizing that my identity is that I'm loved by him and that he has good planned for me. And that whatever season I might be going through or challenges I might face, he's there with me. Uh and I've experienced it, so I know it's real, and that's what grounds me. And that I get to be part of something purposeful in the community by bringing that kind of hope to others.

SPEAKER_00 2:36

Yeah, thanks for sharing. Teresa, do you want to give us a quick introduction for yourself as well?

SPEAKER_01 2:40

Sure, I'm Reverend Teresa. I am the assistant pastor. What a blessing it is to be part of uh Strasburg Wesleyan Church and Recovery Church. Um I'm a mom of three, and then two other pseudo-children, actually, three other pseudo children, um, and they're all married but one. Uh, and I get to uh serve over Recovery Church. Um, and I have a passion. I've been in recovery 39 and a half years.

SPEAKER_00 3:04

Congratulations.

SPEAKER_01 3:05

So praise God. And I give God that glory because when I surrendered to God is when I became clean.

SPEAKER_00 3:11

I want to talk more about Recovery Church in just a minute. Um, Linda, I know that you've been part of the church since the mid-90s, which is we got quite some time between when you started there and now. Um most people don't stay anywhere for that long. So what's what's your reason for staying? What has kept you there?

SPEAKER_04 3:28

I mean, it's interesting because I've grown with the church. So I started as the secretary. Okay. Then I was the business manager, so I handled all the money and the, you know, administrative end. Um and then just over time, the church actually went through some really challenging seasons. Okay. And um I really felt at one point, you know, um, maybe it's time to move on, but felt in my spirit that God was saying to me, No, this is where I want you. Um and so he's opened doors for me to, you know, be one of the lead pastors and, you know, be able to do things I never thought I would have the ability to do, let alone the opportunity. So that's what keeps me there. It's fulfilling. It's fulfilling to see lives transformed. And yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:18

So when did you experience a shift in your career within the church where it was something like you're waking up and you're going to work in the morning and having it just be that to having it become something so much more significant for you?

SPEAKER_04 4:30

I think well, there was a particular time when um there was a change in leadership before before I was one of the lead pastors. We I worked for, I don't know, four or five different lead pastors at the church, and there was a change in leadership, and um the pastor that was there resigned. Um and then it was interesting, but uh all of the other staff members that I worked for also resigned. Oh, that's a really big change. That was change. And it was very um I grieved really, because if you can imagine you're in a work and everybody that you've worked with is no longer there. Um so I felt compelled to kind of hold it all together. Okay. But beyond that is that's when I really felt the Holy Spirit saying, God's gonna do something amazing at this church. So just hang in there because I'm gonna I'm gonna have you here here to be a part of it. And I became convinced of that. Uh so that's when it changed from, you know, just a job to uh purpose and meaning and you know, something that is a blessing to be a part of.

SPEAKER_00 5:42

Yeah. Okay, Teresa, I want to talk more about Recovery Church. For people who don't know what that is, can you give us a a rundown?

SPEAKER_01 5:50

Sure. Uh Recovery Church is a bridge between the 12-step community and the church. It's all about Jesus, discipleship, and the 12 steps. Um we it's Sundays at 5 30, and uh it's geared towards the alcoholic and uh the drug addict, but all are welcome because families struggle too, right? So we bring everybody in it. We walk alongside, celebrate recovery. We walk hand in hand with the AA and NA, um, and we give support, prayer, love. It's a time of gathering, worship, and praising God, and it's a time where people can surrender their addiction uh to if you choose to call higher power. And then we are there to walk alongside of them, help them with sponsors, um, pray with them, and then we meet after for a meal and for fellowship and some more support, and then we're we're there to bridge the communities together. AA comes in and NA comes in, no names, and um celebrate recovery, and we just continue just to walk hand in hand and watch Jesus restore lives, which is amazing. Amazing.

SPEAKER_00 6:55

You just heard so so much information. So I want to first, what is celebrate recovery for people who don't know? Let's start there.

SPEAKER_04 7:01

So celebrate recovery is a 12-step ministry, just like um the same 12-steps, uh NA or AA, uh, but we are for all of life's hurts, habits, and hangups. So it's not just focused on um chemical dependency or substance use disorder. It's for everything. So I've been involved in Celebrate Recovery for uh I don't know, maybe 15 years now, um, because I'm recovering from things in my life. Uh and you know, I always say I'm a believer in Jesus who struggles with perfectionism, insecurity, anger, depression, and I'm in I'm in recovery for those things. And that's this just the slight difference between celebrate recovery and recovery church, is a recovery church is a very um substance use disorder, addiction focus. Celebrate recovery is for everybody. Okay, it could be addiction, but it could also be many other things. And what we discover on the journey, and I think Pastor Therese would agree, is that um it might be in many instances the addiction that brings a person through the doors, but then we begin to realize there's a whole lot of other stuff going on underneath that um need to peel back the layers and let let let God heal those things because that sometimes is what drives the behavior.

SPEAKER_00 8:19

Yeah, I think a lot of times we often see mental health or like other layers to this kind of coexisting with substance use disorder in any form. Um so I think it's important to have that holistic look at things. So you had mentioned that Recovery Church can support families as well, which through our podcast we've kind of touched on the importance of including the family landscape in someone's recovery. Can you just share how the family fits into that and what kind of support looks like in this, um, how it might feel the families experiencing substance use disorder?

SPEAKER_01 8:55

Mm-hmm. Sure, absolutely. So we have uh pastors and members of family who have lost loved ones, um, as Pastor Robin, right? And we walk alongside the family members and we support them. So they come into the church, the person who's struggling with the addiction walks in, um, but so does the family member. And we reach out to them, we refer them to other support groups to celebrate recovery, to our pastors, and we uh follow up with phone calls, and then we outreach to all the resources in the in the area. Okay and they can come and meet with any one of us at any given time. And we we acknowledge what they go through, their struggle, um, and we support them.

SPEAKER_04 9:36

And and they need recovery as well, actually. A lot you know, sometimes there's a codependency piece of it, or even just, you know, grief and trauma from just just watching their loved one go through that or losing a loved one. That's that's uh they they need that support and recovery as well.

SPEAKER_00 9:56

Yeah, absolutely. So are families or family members are they invited to come to Recovery Church or celebrate recovery without the individual who has a substance use disorder willingly participating in these programs? Yes. Absolutely. Okay, yes. Okay, awesome. So the church landscape I think is a little bit tricky for some people who may not believe that they're fitting into the box of a religion. Um where how do you support those people? Like maybe they're they're coming to your door, but they're not ready to believe in a God, or I know in the 12 steps it talks about having a power greater than yourselves, and the the language points to God Himself. Um what does that how how are those people brought into this and welcomed as as anyone else would be?

SPEAKER_01 10:44

We accept them where they are. We accept them where they are, and we don't um force anything on them. We just encourage them to come and we respect where they're at. And we don't um f as I said earlier, we don't force anything upon anybody. We just encourage them to come and listen, you know. Um and that i and if it's what's working in your life is going well, let us know. If it's not, maybe it's you could look toward a power greater than yourself when they're ready. Not not self-imposed.

SPEAKER_04 11:18

Yes, and uh this is something that I say at Celebrate Recovery practically every Thursday is that we are unapologetically Christ-centered um because that's who we are. But if you're not there yet, that's okay. We love you. We'll take a journey with you, keep coming, you know, and that's what we do is just embrace people, whatever, wherever you are on your journey, we're gonna love you here. You're gonna find people here who will support you, whatever it is that you believe.

SPEAKER_01 11:44

So I love what you said, Pastor and Louise Love. It's acceptance and love and not no judgment.

SPEAKER_00 11:51

Yeah, I think we use the word kind of meet people where they're at so openly in the recovery space and the substance use space. So it's nice to see that actually being portrayed in some of our community supports that we have here. Um so I want to talk about what's happening right now in our communities. This podcast obviously exists because we're seeing a real crisis with the opioid epidemic, with fentanyl. Um, you guys are a little bit more in it than I am. I'm kind of more behind the scenes. So, what are you seeing in our community when it comes to substance use?

SPEAKER_01 12:23

Um I'm actually seeing a lot of crystal meth.

SPEAKER_00 12:26

Really?

SPEAKER_01 12:27

I'm seeing an uprise on that. Um we still see some fentan, of course, we're seeing fentanyl overdoses. I think it they're down. Um we see a lot of people, I can tell you we see a lot of people surrendering. I guess I went right to the recovery aspect. We see a lot of people surrendering their addiction. Um 168 people we had surrender last year. Um, so uh but it's mostly I still see the fentanyl, the overdoses with the fentanyl. Um I know it's down, but it's still there.

SPEAKER_04 12:56

Um yeah, I think the um the trend in the fentanyl overdoses is down overall, but you we're not really clear on why that is. It could partially be because of the availability of Narcan and naloxone and those kinds of things that are saving lives, but the addiction is still present. Um and you know, there's so many people in in our community in particular that are working on behalf of people who are struggling. So that is an amazing, amazing thing. So we're very grateful that there's places to get help, you know.

SPEAKER_00 13:32

Yeah. Have you guys started to see it impact younger people more? Like what's the demographic that you're seeing affected, or the demographic that you're seeing participate in Recovery Church and celebrate recovery?

SPEAKER_01 13:43

Oh, we vary. We go all the way from very young, because we we have uh a children's program, we have the teen program, and then we have uh the adults. So we can go all the way from you know 18, 17, all the way up to 70s, 80s, right? Yeah, we have all ages.

SPEAKER_00 14:02

Okay, and you're having people in all of these age groups affected by substance use, I'm assuming then as well.

SPEAKER_01 14:06

Teenagers and I've seen people as not here, but I have seen people as low as nine. Really? Right, but not here. Not here. Um here mostly 17, 18 and up.

SPEAKER_00 14:20

So how do people when they're it's hard to reach out and and get help when you're struggling with a substance use disorder, right? How are you guys reaching, reaching out to people, or are they solely coming to you guys? Like, what's this dynamic?

SPEAKER_01 14:35

Oh, so we're involved in uh Monroe County um jail. We bring in uh Hope in Christ. Okay, and there we bring in Celebrate Recovery Inside. Um we do individual pastoral visits as needed. Um we are also involved in the rehabs, we bring life ceiling choices, which is part of Celebrate Recovery, into there. Um so and we're always available to go out and speak and um give support.

SPEAKER_00 14:57

Okay. So when someone walks in for the first time, they're brand new to you guys, what are they usually carrying with them? Um do you see a lot of fear, shame, guilt? Um, like on a on a deeper level, what kind of bags are they bringing with them?

SPEAKER_01 15:13

It's hard for them to walk through that door. The fact that they even walk through the door for the first time is like we want to make sure we're greeting them, celebrate recovery. Does that recovery church does that? There's a handout, Pastor Linda and I always come up and give a hug. We'll ask, you know, can we hug you? We're so happy you're here.

SPEAKER_00 15:31

I think that's the most important step. It's really just like getting people to walk through the doors of whatever form of treatment and support um and aspects of recovery that they're willing to enter, right? Yes.

SPEAKER_04 15:41

And it's a victory if they walk through the doors. Yes. You know, so we celebrate that. Big step. We celebrate that. Give them uh your chip, a coin, you know, this is this is the first step to freedom, and we celebrate that.

SPEAKER_00 15:54

So what could someone expect their their first day experience to be, their first night experience?

SPEAKER_01 16:00

Do you want to share first with celebrate recovery?

SPEAKER_04 16:02

Celebrate recovery. Uh well, Pastor Teresa has already hit on some of it. They're gonna be welcomed with uh open arms, hugged if they're open to hugs. Um and uh they're at at Celebrate Recovery, they're gonna hear some worship. So we have a worship band, which is phenomenal. They do a fantastic job. They're gonna hear some testimonies of what you know what people have experienced in their own recovery. So maybe someone they can connect with. Um they're maybe gonna hear a lesson on one of the twelve steps. Uh, and then after that, large group time, oh, and that's also where we give the chips and the coins away, so we celebrate milestones. Okay. Uh, and then they break into small groups. And in celebrate recovery, uh it's guys with guys, ladies with ladies. Okay. Um, and so there's multiple groups um for men and women depending on what you know what struggle they are working on. Um, and that's a you know, support group, a place to talk about. Um if you're willing to share, you don't have to share, but a place to just kind of open up and then you get to hear other people open up too, and you realize I'm not alone in this, right?

SPEAKER_02 17:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:13

So yeah. I think that's that kind of connection that you're building where you're stripping down the walls of shame and making people realize, like, hey, you're not the only one experiencing this, has such a significant impact on a lot of people's lives. So I would just want to break it down a little bit further, even. So, what are people still not understanding about addiction? Um, whether that be families, individuals actually living through addiction, what's kind of a big barrier that you're seeing that they can stop, you know, on their own.

SPEAKER_01 17:44

You know, that they can stop on their own, that it's their fault, and it's not their fault. It's it's you know, we take responsibility, we take full responsibility for our actions. Um, but it's a disease. It's a disease that affects everyone. It affects families, it is affects the person, it it it it um it's more powerful than a storm. And um what do you see?

SPEAKER_04 18:07

Yeah, that uh well uh uh uh what you are saying uh is that you really need a support network. Like everyone needs a support network. Like I'm not gonna generally speaking kick this on my own. And even if I, let's say, for example, stop drinking and but I don't connect to a a support network, um, the danger for relapse is very high. Uh and but also there's a bunch of other things, you know. Um, you know, it it could be not drinking, but um dealing with all this uh, you know, anxiety and shame and depression and all of that. And guilt need a support network for that. Really, really needed.

SPEAKER_00 18:45

Yeah, we always say that um isolation is like a catalyst for substance use disorder. So even if you think that you're out of the weeds a little bit, um sitting in that isolation often is far more detrimental than opening up and finding that connection with another people. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 19:03

You know, in a 12-step program, they'll say it's like the 10,000-pound telephone. So it's just that reaching out to someone, you know, making that phone call. Hey, I really love you know, meeting you.

SPEAKER_00 19:13

It's like the same thing as when people first walk through the door picking up the phone. That first step is always the hardest. Um we keep using the word shame a lot in this conversation, I think. And shame is like such a heavy weight to carry around with you. So, how do you break through that shame with someone who especially like doesn't think that they do they're deserving of the help that you guys have to offer?

SPEAKER_01 19:34

I would say that um one of the things I always say to someone, thank God you're not doing that today. You're winning today. You know, and they get a smile on their face, yeah, I'm not doing that today. Yeah, I'm not doing that today. Um, and uh they they made a choice, and I and we say, But you should be proud of yourself. You you came here, you walked through the door, you're not picking up today, one minute at a time, one day at a time. You're not doing that. So we just want to, you know, say we're so happy you're here. So happy you're here.

SPEAKER_04 20:05

You know, yeah. But and just hearing other that other people have uh done some things, right? You know, um that and we don't we all could have reasons to carry shame, but we don't have to. Through through our higher power, through Jesus, there is no shame, no guilt, no condemnation. And one of the things that we always say when you when you get a blue chip, which is like the thing you get when you first come, is that if you relapse, remember there is no shame in coming back. So we say that every week, you know, just to hear it over and over again. And sometimes I say, um, and forgive me again because I'm very Jesus centered, but no forgiveness then But I always say, you know, sometimes I'll just say whatever it is that you're, you know, that I might be struggling with, you might be struggling with, you in the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. Like to hear somebody say that I think is powerful. So Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:06

You just mentioned relapse, which is like what I wanted to kind of shift gears to next anyway. So in addition to feeling shame around it, there's also like a really heavy feeling of failure, right? How do you handle being supportive of someone through relapse when they feel like they failed and and you're kind of here like, but you still showed up?

SPEAKER_02 21:25

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00 21:27

So what is what would that look like? Kind of walking back in after sitting with the the idea that they failed.

SPEAKER_01 21:35

I think it goes back to again, I'm so happy you're here. And that you came back. And I'm and I'm gonna say it again, I'm happy you're alive. I'm just happy you're here. And thank you for having the courage to come back.

SPEAKER_00 21:45

Yeah, I think that goes back to the back.

SPEAKER_01 21:46

Thank you for having the courage to come back.

SPEAKER_00 21:48

So, you guys, in addition to like working in this and like having your own lives that go on behind the scenes, you're taking on like a heavy emotional toll from other people. So, how do you stay emotional? grounded um when not all of these stories like end the way that we would like them to.

SPEAKER_01 22:05

God's in charge. Yeah God is in charge. We we can't do it only the Lord Jesus can. We c we cannot. And we center our I mean we will do the very best we can but it's God's working through us. We we can't be so centered and we're not on like it's us, it's not us. Right. I mean if any one of us could have done it I would have done it a long time ago too. Right? So but it's Jesus that restores lives and he's doing it and it's transforming.

SPEAKER_04 22:30

Yeah I think that I think the serenity prayer is a good a good response to that you know the serenity to accept the things I can unchange the courage the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference that's how that's how we stay balanced to to let go of the things that put it without God's help I get those backwards. I try to control the things I can't and and don't do anything about the things that I actually could so I need God's help to do that. But yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:58

You're kind of talking about like the faith that goes along with changing lives. So what does that look like in your guys' role when you're when you're dealing with someone battling addiction like having that faith and and holding on to that when you feel like the world's kind of against you prayer.

SPEAKER_01 23:14

We prayer we keep taking it back to Christ. You keep surrendering you know you heard me say surrender when someone comes into a recovery church we celebrate that celebrate recovery celebrates with coins and we celebrate with crosses and we ask people if they want to surrender. So we ask them to come on up and surrender and we we center in on Christ knowing that he is the author of all of all of it. So we can't take it on as us. It's not that we don't mourn if someone is struggling we pray for them and we keep going to him and ask him for help.

SPEAKER_00 23:46

How can someone a family member translate that faith into trying to help a loved one so the family's experiencing this and everyone's just kind of like feeling stuck going through the emotions how can they translate that faith into something actionable come in come in and talk to us can we pray with you?

SPEAKER_01 24:06

Always ask permission to pray can we pray with you we can refer them we also refer them to celebrate recovery and al Anon um support groups right and how can we walk alongside you as a family pastors meet with Pastor Dana Pastor Linda myself Pastor Robin we meet with individuals and families daily come and talk to us.

SPEAKER_04 24:29

Yeah and I think what you said there is super important is that uh you work on your own your own recovery like that's why those other sport groups are there you know some of that recovery or Al Anon or um because you know that's what you can focus on. I can't I can't fix anyone else. Right. But I could focus on my journey and um how I navigate this. So find a support network for yourself. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:59

Yeah I always like to ask people on these like what's your favorite moment in the roles that you guys have worked was there a moment then you've where you've kind of seen something really shift in someone or when you're looking back throughout your career like this is my favorite day of my job.

SPEAKER_01 25:15

Like this is where I feel like I've done the most oh wow but so I would say God does it right so when you see someone transform and surrender and they had enough and they finally just it and they come back you know years later and all of a sudden it's like wow you didn't recognize them. Yeah like they came out the other side like you know when you watch Jesus transform their lives and you know you can't that's just a beautiful moment to watch. It's so beautiful to watch you just gotta sit back and watch. Yeah. Stop to trying to take the wheel just sit back and watch.

SPEAKER_03 25:50

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_04 25:51

Just just hearing people like I was just meeting with someone today and just you know before she started coming to church and celebrate recovery um if some of the things that were happening in her life right now had been happening then she would have been struggling with suicidal thoughts and um perhaps hurting herself right and now she's I'm talking to her today and it's it's difficult but the those thoughts are aren't you know overtaking her and she's doing all the things that she needs to do. She's coming out she's talking she's staying engaged and she's she has hope. So to hear somebody go from hopelessness to hope is just so rewarding.

SPEAKER_02 26:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:45

Yeah I like that. Thank you for sharing that um the work that you guys are doing is important and I know that you're you're saying that so much of it is coming from Jesus but you guys are the ones like kind of in it. You're there one-on-one with people um if someone's listening and they feel like they're a little too far gone to receive this help what would you say to them as well?

SPEAKER_01 27:05

You're never too far gone. We love you.

SPEAKER_04 27:08

No one is too far gone no one is outside the reach of the power of God and the grace of God. No one.

SPEAKER_00 27:18

Right. And then if someone wants help or wants to learn more about what you're doing where should they go? Who should they contact?

SPEAKER_01 27:26

How can they get a hold of you well they could check it out on the website strasbergwesleyan.org they could come through the front doors they could call the the church number uh 570 421 0750 ask to speak to a pastor ask for information on celebrate recovery or recovery church um yeah you don't have and there's no special way to to come just come doors open just show up to show up always show up Thursdays at 7 uh first uh Thursday in the month at 6 for dinner for celebrate recovery recovery church is 530 we have a website and we're all linked together in our websites and you can also call actually 5708720126 that's a shelter number and we use that for Recovery Church also.

SPEAKER_00 28:14

Okay great thank you guys thank you both for being here and for the work that you're doing and to anyone listening if this conversation hits close to home just know that you're not alone all you have to do is show up and there are people in places that want to help you. See you next time on a Dose of Reality