We didn’t grow up knowing Jesus. After a long battle with substance abuse and addiction, we found recovery in the rooms of a 12-step recovery fellowship. It was there that we found each other! Nick, Andy, Diana and Julie. We are the McKinney family!

We are forever grateful for the fellowship that brought us from the depths of addiction and showed us how to live a life that we could be proud of. However, after many years clean and sober, we found that there was still something missing and a deep emptiness that was still lingering in our hearts.

After coming to Champion in May of 2021, we found the cure to that emptiness. His name is Jesus. He is the only thing that can satisfy that deep anguish in our hearts.

We spent many years in the secular recovery fellowships and it brought us all to a much better understanding of ourselves— our strengths, weaknesses, defects, and assets. It helped us develop a sense of a “higher power” and a community. But there is so much more to discover beyond that… our living God, Jesus Christ. He is the only way, the truth and the life!

After we found the true and living God, our hearts began to ache for all the people who didn’t know HIM. It weighed heavily on us to lead others to Christ. We wanted to become a “bridge” for people. A bridge between secular 12-step recovery and Jesus— a bridge between the transient and the eternal. A bridge to LIFE in Christ.

As we began to grow in our faith and our community within our church, we also began to see that there were people in the body of Christ who were hurting and needing support and fellowship. It wasn’t just about addiction anymore. We not only wanted to draw in the lost souls from secular recovery but we wanted to help the body of Christ step into the victory that God has called us to.

This weighed heavy on our hearts for 2 years and in June of 2023, “Bridge to Life: Life Recovery” was born. Bridge to Life meets every Thursday from 6:30-8 p.m. in the Washington Sanctuary of Champion. It is open to EVERYONE. The group consists of a time of worship, a testimony, or Biblical teaching and then we separate into men’s and women’s small group discussions.

There can often be a stigma attached to the difficulties we face in life, such as addiction, depression, or anxiety, but at Bridge to Life, we are judgment-free. We share our experience, strength, and hope and stand on Biblical principles to step into the fullness of what God has given us through Christ. No matter what difficulties come your way, come and join us!