Down a long winding, tree-lined road in the beautiful hills of Short Mountain in Woodbury, sits S2L Recovery. It is one of the first Christ-centered, Joint Commission Accredited detox centers in Tennessee. It combines faith and medicine to help men recover from addictions.
Founded in 2006 by a recovering addict, the organization came under the leadership of Pastor Adam Comer in 2017. Himself a former opioid addict, Comer’s passion and drive has brought the organization to where it is today. The organization currently has two residential facilities housing 26 men, and they hope to add space for 40 more through the monies raised from an August concert, silent auction and merchandise sales at LifePoint Church in Smyrna.
A partner with LifePoint Church, S2L Recovery ‘s mission is to illuminate the life of freedom that is offered through Christ using biblical training, innovative pastoral counseling and residential living as a means of helping men suffering from addictions. During the pandemic that faith was severely challenged, but the leaders of the organization’s grit kept them moving forward.
Comer came to S2L Recovery himself after other modalities in the recovery lexicon failed him. The story is the same for the organization’s one time Chief Operations Officer, Bruce Stanley, who found himself in a ditch in the pouring rain at his lowest point praying to God to help him from destroying himself, according to a 2021 news report on Fox 17.
“We were told it wasn’t possible to be a Christ-centered program,” said Stanley. “But we found many doctors and clinicians that were Christ followers who wanted to do this.”
The center gets people from all over the country seeking help, not just in Tennessee. During the pandemic, they saw a rise in addiction as other centers closed down.
What makes this program different is the combination of faith and medicine. It also does not label its participants as being addicts for the rest of their lives as most other addiction recovery systems do. And they provide a one-to-one ratio of life coaches, peer mentors and clinicians to each patient.
According to luxuryrehabs.com, “Clients learn to apply [seven] Christian virtues to their lives and are provided a strong, supportive environment by which they can achieve a sustained life of sobriety.”
The luxuryrehabs.com website goes on to explain that the facility offers a 42-day residential program for initial treatment. During this period, “clients attend group classes to learn the teachings of Christ and apply them to their recovery journey. Additionally, medical and clinical staff are on hand to assess and treat physical and mental needs. A recovery coach is assigned to each participant in the program. [They] will contact family as desired and promote healing of relationships. Clients can enjoy outdoor retreats to a local state park, canoeing, paintball excursions, and gym times as well as [attend] church services. Fellowship with other men in the program is also encouraged.”
The second phase of S2L’s program lasts 73 days. During this phase of recovery, patients are encouraged in further recovery, to dive deeper into Biblical principles, and explore personal freedom and responsibility.
“In this stage,” explains the website, “attendees learn family and work skills such as financial stewardship, cooking, and leadership as husbands and fathers. Once this stage is completed, men can return home or are eligible for a year-long Phase 3 for further support.”
Said one former patient, “I will be forever grateful for this ministry!! Jesus led me to the little town of Woodbury, Tennessee, and it forever changed mine and my family’s life!! Thank you guys for showing me that I don’t have to identify as an addict the rest of my life!”
The August concert at LifePoint Church featured performances by Travis Ryan, One Common and Ben Fuller. Organized by Chelsea McLeod, John McLeod, Sarah Hughes, Johanna Murphy, Tom Smith, and Pastor Adam Comer, the goal was to raise the $250,000 needed by S2L Recovery to build the additional residential living space for their addiction recovery treatment center. To donate to the building of the treatment center, click here.
Learn more about S2L Recovery on their Facebook page.
