PLEASANT HILL, Mo. — Lonnie Smith credits his family and the family he found at Celebrate Recovery for helping him bounce back from rock bottom.
“The sign behind me — I was dealing with probably three-quarters of those,” he said, “so, sex addiction, anxiety, shame, fear, grief, dysfunction, people pleasing — believe it or not, right? — probably even had somewhat of an eating disorder, adultery, codependency. Pretty wild.”
Smith found hope through a Celebrate Recovery group in Kansas City, Missouri, but he switched meeting groups when The Mission Church opened a chapter in Pleasant Hill nearly three months ago.
Already, nearly 30 people attend weekly meetings on Wednesdays at the Mission Church — 1208 Missouri 7, Suite B, in Pleasant Hill.
“We have a meal, a free meal, that we offer at 6 o'clock, and at 6:30 our large meeting begins,” Pastor Paul Webb said. “We have a worship song. We go over the eight principles, which are the Beatitudes that Jesus spoke about in scripture, then we talk about the 12 steps that you talk about in AA.”
After another worship song and the Serenity Prayer, there is a lesson or a personal testimony before small-group sessions for men and women at 7:30 p.m.
“That's part of the group therapy, in a way,” Webb said. “... I can't wait to get here to enjoy time with — we call it our forever family. We sit down and just connect with each other, talk and become a family here.”
The group isn’t run by licensed medical professionals, but it can help bridge the gap for certain mental health services in rural areas like Pleasant Hill. Meetings draw members from Lone Jack, Harrisonville and other parts of Cass County.
Smith’s Celebrate Recovery journey started three years ago.
“I started recovery with the help of my wife (Sarah), pushing through that,” Smith said, becoming momentarily choked up when thinking about his wife’s support. “I went through counseling, then started Celebrate Recovery, which has been essential in my healing to where I'm at today.”
He appreciates the chance to welcome newcomers at the emerging Pleasant Hill chapter.
“Whatever they're dealing with — whatever their hurt, habit or hangup, whatever their addiction is — we're all here together,” Smith said.
Webb believes there are similarities between an addict’s journey of recovery and the journey of redemption for members of his congregation.
“There's so many people walking around with a mask on,” he said. “We've become accustomed to that. We're not living in a place of freedom, and we believe that every person deserves the opportunity to be free. We believe that can be accomplished through recovery.”
That can mean overcoming substance or alcohol abuse, but it also involves a range of other addictions and trauma.
“Every person needs recovery,” Webb said. “The gospel is all about redemption, so it's about recovery.”
Smith, now 50, suffered abuse beginning around 7 years old.
“It created, even as a child, an addiction, coping mechanisms I wasn't aware of, but that childhood trauma is real,” he said. “It seems like a lot of people that are dealing with issues today, it started in their childhood. Fast forward through life, man, I'm going into adulthood, and I'm still dealing with addiction and coping mechanisms. I buried it, and I was still operating, I was functional, but I got caught having different addictions and hit rock bottom.”
With Sarah’s support, counseling and the ongoing support of Celebrate Recovery, Smith has transformed himself. He let go of the lingering shame he felt, confronted his past trauma and came out healthier and happier on the other side — even if he remains, as we all do, an eternal work in progress.
“I would not be where I'm at today in life,” Smith said. “I’ve got four beautiful babies. It's been a game changer.”
That's music to Webb’s ears and reinforces the mission of The Mission Church to make a positive impact in the community.
“I know that it's working when they look me in the eyes and say, ‘I'll be back, I'll see you next week’ without another invitation,” Webb said. “I know that it's working in their life, because Jesus is doing something already.”
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KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County. Share your story idea with Tod.
