Every Thursday night, at the Midtown location, there are men who gather from all walks of life, to begin, to continue or to support those who are on the journey of recovery and a journey of changing their character to reflect the character of Jesus Christ. Overcomers was forged, developed and written in 1987 by Mary Fear as she came out of a fiery trial with her foster son. Many of the men who attend the group at Midtown would say Overcomers has saved their life, both physically and spiritually.
Those that attend most are on work release, nearing the end of a sentence or close to parole. Some are on parole and living in a group home. Others have been out for years but attend the group for support and community. The heart of it is about being brothers to each other, in Christ, supporting each other and building good habits.
Most Thursday nights the men share a meal together provided by people and City Groups at Citylight. Afterwards, the guys open their books (a curriculum that is produced by Overcomers) and work through questions with the men at their table. They discuss a principle in the study or a particular Bible passage. They answer and discuss questions with one another that can include “how has having a good attitude impacted your ability to respond to people?,” “what does managing yourself look like?,” or “how do I live a Godly life in practical ways?”
They open their Bibles and read and look at scripture for applications and truth. The men then open the conversation to the whole group. After closing for prayer, everyone is welcome to stick around for more conversation. One of the facilitators for Overcomers is Jared Frye. In the beginning, Jared had a key to the room and offered to unlock the room. Today, he is a part of the group as a brother in Christ whose role is to support the men and teach them God’s Word and application.
“We meet every week at 6:30 pm,” Jared shared. “I love having people from Citylight come to the group. My personal goal is to create a space for men, whoever you are. No matter your past, you are not a JV Christian or outcast. This is a place that is safe to be who you are... broken, to meet Jesus, to have fun and to hang out in community. There are a bunch of Citylight guys who come to it, and I am grateful for that. It’s helped make the environment not just a ministry to guys in prison or in recovery. And I would honestly encourage other men to come. To show hospitality and welcoming people into the family of Christ. Also, if you are a City Group who wants to make food with guys and share a meal together, there are ways to do that. We also need drivers to help pick up and drop the men back off. There are lots of opportunities to help.”
Ruben Lopez has attended Overcomers since December. The group has been a "turning point" for Ruben allowing him to experience a new beginning since he's been down for 25 years. Ruben described his experience as,
"It's starts everything fresh. Overcomers is like a new family. It's helped me to see new things in a better way instead of the old way. It has helped me to make right goals for when I get out. God has given me in this group a North Star. I just follow the North Star and it will get me where I need to go. It feels great and wonderful and I feel welcomed. I don't see any judgement of me. The people see me as a regular person and not an incarcerated individual."
Ruben highly recommended the group to men, especially those "who need it." He concluded with,
"to give it a chance. Walk in and give the group a chance. Take it all in and slowly work at it. Allow God to do his work and he does come to you and show you the light. It's brought me relief and understanding. I'm hoping in November I get to walk out (parole)."
Kenneth Williams has attended Overcomers for two years. The group has showed him Jesus Christ and the miracles Jesus can do in a man's life when you follow him. "This program is a continuation of people working their way out of the system... and who can come to a church outside of that whole world. It's a group that helps one another along, offers tips and who's supportive."
Would you please pray for these men? Not all the men are believers. Pray that God would move in their hearts and call them to Him. That every man would believe, be saved, and be baptized. Even if their life might still be a mess, they have their core belief and identity hidden and protected by Christ. Second, please pray for more men from Citylight to join in. That it is not a jail ministry but a men’s ministry. Pray for the well-being of all the guys. It’s hard... and like all of us, there are impulses of the flesh. In some cases, because of cultural structures, when one gets out of jail, some of those structures that contribute largely to being in trouble, are still there.
For more information on attending or supporting Overcomers, please Email Cheri Rosenberry.