HOW IT ALL BEGAN

Randy Abbott and Jon Schultz met at a St. Louis homeless shelter where they felt led by the Spirit of God to reach out to the homeless. After going separate avenues in ministry to the homeless, they joined together to create Misfits for Jesus to serve the homeless of St. Louis from May 2007 until April 2012.

Thursday night cookouts and bible studies at an abandoned building in downtown St. Louis soon transformed into brief interactive messages, the distribution of food and clothing items and the opportunity to meet many new friends and brothers and sisters in the Lord who very likely would not be attending church. The heart of Misfits for Jesus was to bring church to them.

MISFITS CHURCH TODAY

But, that chapter of the Misfits for Jesus came to an end when Jon became involved in a church in O’Fallon, Illinois.  He is focused on raising a growing family, including twin boys, and going back to school to try and get out of the back-breaking trade of bricklaying. He continues to be involved in many Misfits for Jesus outreaches and is occasionally a guest speaker.

After prayerful consideration, Randy and a core group of Misfits decided to go to the Warrenton and Wright City, Missouri areas and continue to focus on spreading the good news about Jesus Christ.

The Church is people, not a building.  God put it on the hearts of Randy and Jon to feed the homeless both physically and spiritually through brief encounters.  But, even more than that, they long to disciple whom ever the Lord brings their way.  That is the heart of the Misfits for Jesus ministry that always remains.  The ministry has grown with Randy Abbott as the Pastor and Barry Price as Associate Pastor.

MISFITS RECOVERY GROUPS

With so many people hurting and in need of recovery from various addictions and life controlling problems, Misfits for Jesus is holding Misfits Recovery Group meetings throughout the area.

As each of us struggle to find some kind of effective coping mechanism to address the emptiness we feel inside, we often resort to self-medicating in hopes of relieving our emotional pain. But, the addiction that inevitably develops soon begins to control us and ultimately produces painful negative consequences.

Any addiction left unchecked will destroy your life, including those addictions that appear to be harmless like workaholism, relationship and religious addictions. Eventually, self destructive and self-defeating behavior becomes a lifestyle for the addict, destroying relationships with loved ones and leaving us feeling distanced from any hope of a meaningful relationship with God. Eventually addiction can take our very life…or at least we may wish it would.

Science and medicine have not been able to come up with a lasting solution to the problem of addiction. But, Good news! There is an answer–recovery is available! Jesus Christ is still in the business of healing and transforming lives!

Addiction is ultimately a spiritual problem, and there is no true recovery without Jesus. We use simple principles that have developed into a successful model that is used in all Misfits Recovery meetings. Our simple approach to recovery has proven to be effective for many who suffer from a variety of addictions. We offer hope, Help and Healing through Christ, Community and Connection!

Join us in a Recovery Group as we work together through our addictions. You will be meeting with others who are seeking hope and healing, as well as those who have already found the joy and peace of recovery that is offered in Jesus Christ.

What happens at a Misfits Recovery Group Meeting?

Christ centered support groups are an essential part of recovery. At Misfits, you can expect support, encouragement, fellowship, motivation and guidance from real people that have been right where you are. There is no judgment, no condemnation and no criticism. Completely non-traditional, Misfits Recovery Group meetings consist of a straightforward approach outline:

• Opening prayer
• Award of recovery chips
• Scriptures based on the weekly word
• Discussion of weekly  word (3-4 minutes each depending on attendance)
• Prayer cards – filled out, collected, and chosen to pray on during the week
• Word choice for next meeting
• Closing prayer