January 2025 Newsletter
- Afterglow Life Services and Recovery Network
- Feb 10
- 10 min read
Updated: Feb 14
(This newsletter was emailed to our subscribers on January 25, 2025)
Afterglow Life Services and Recovery Network
Afterglow Christian Mission House
Hello Everyone!!!
Dave and I are so excited to report that since our last update, Afterglow Life Services and Recovery Network has a few things….
We have:
Zoning approval from the Mount Vernon Municipal Planning Commission to use 114 E Gambier St as the future home of the Afterglow Christian Mission House. This required a Conditional Use approval to operate as a Charitable Organization.
A Board of Directors!!!
Real Estate!!! We closed on 114 E Gambier Street as the new home for Afterglow Life Services and Recovery Network. We will operate as the Afterglow Christian Mission House, a Christian Mission in Mt Vernon!
A Website!!!
New and exciting NEEDS!!!
Needless to say we are in awe and full of gratitude for the great things that God has done as we watch Him bring about the vision He’s given us for loving people in the name of Jesus! Details below.
Zoning Approval!!!!
So to back up just a bit for those of you who may be new to receiving this Newsletter… Back in June of 2024, we (Dave and I / Afterglow Life Services and Recovery Network) held a breakfast to share our vision for this ministry. We had over 30 in attendance, many of whom we had just been introduced to through this initiative. These were other local ministry leaders, pastors, and local business and community leaders. We did this because Dave strongly believed that this was our next step- to cast our vision for a home for this ministry, one that could be used to expand our current services into a Christian Mission, opened to the public.
Praise the Lord, this breakfast exceeded our expectations of what we hoped to accomplish, including being informed by one of the attendees that 114 E Gambier St was going to be on the market. We were able to reach out to the owner, Mark Ramser, to share with him what we were looking to do. We had another breakfast with Mark and his wife Denise, to share about this ministry and our plans. This was another provision of the Lord, as we were able to start this purchasing process with Mark and Denise before it was ever listed for sale.
Step one was to get this approved by the city. The property was already zoned for business use, however for the type of zoning it was, we needed a Conditional Use permit to be issued for us to operate as a charitable organization. On October 10, 2024 we stood before the Mt Vernon Municipal Planning Commission and shared our hearts, and Dave shared his testimony. We are so excited to share that after some discussion with the Commission and a neighbor who came with questions, we received an unanimous approval!
Here is the link to this meeting. Our portion of the meeting starts around 12 minutes 30 seconds. https://www.youtube.com/live/PH5pcfxqoc0?si=VUGanYDGY_YgG72z
Introducing 114 E Gambier Street, the home of the Afterglow Christian Mission House!
After getting the Conditional Use approval, we started the purchasing process. The Lord’s hand has been seen every step of the way. I also want to say that 114 E Gambier St is perfect for how we want to use it.
The upstairs is an apartment and we were able to have our tenant in by January 1st. This is incredible considering we closed on December 16th!
We are using the entire downstairs and basement for the Afterglow Christian Mission House! Dave and I both have offices that will be used for counseling and small meetings. We have a fully operational kitchen, a laundry area, two meeting rooms, one for large groups and one for smaller groups. We also have a space that will make the perfect hobby room we have envisioned. There is a full bathroom as well as a half bath and ample storage space. The basement is not finished, however Dave and our Afterglow guys have envisioned a perfectly functional man cave down there, and someone has already offered to donate a pool table for it. (Of course, this “man cave” will also be opened to the ladies!) Finally, in back we have enough parking for six vehicles, and being downtown, there is plenty of public parking.
Below are pictures of our closing! It was a happy day for all! Thank you to Owl Creek Title Agency for doing such a great job with our closing!!!
We have a BOARD!!!
Now, of course, we’ve technically had a Board ever since we formed our nonprofit ministry and became a 501(c) (3) entity, however up until now, things have been pretty simple. Securing 114 E Gambier St for the ministry and moving towards opening a public Christian Mission is truly a “next level” process, and putting time and attention into having a strong Board has really become an important step!
Below is our current Board. In addition to the below voting Board Members, we have two “Advisory Board Members” who are consultants to the Board. Lastly, I (Stephenie) am not on the Board, however I am the Treasurer.
God has blessed us with an INCREDIBLE Board of Directors!!!!!
Introducing:
David Maggert Sr.
President and Chairman of the Board
David’s story birthed this ministry! In September 2024 Dave crossed over six years of sobriety from an addiction to alcohol. This addiction was his main coping mechanism for dealing with a lifetime struggle with depression and anxiety that was further complicated by PTSD from being a victim of childhood sexual abuse. While David celebrates living alcohol-free, the real miracle is the healing and deliverance he received in all of these areas from his relationship with Jesus. After trying everything else, Jesus literally was the answer for David, and as he poured himself into the Bible, he received a healing and deliverance that far exceeded anything he had ever hoped for in this life. Now, all he wants to do is share the good news of Jesus, and come along side hurting people to “friend them to Jesus”. This, my friends, is the heart and soul of the Afterglow Christian Mission House!
In October 2019, Dave and Stephenie completed the IAOCC Chaplain Certification Course and have maintained their Chaplain certification with IAOCC ever since. In February of 2020, Dave completed the Masters program for Biblical Counseling with Light University, which is affiliated with the American Association of Christian Counseling.
Mike Hajjar
Board Member
Mike is an active community leader in Knox County, former board member and board President of Starting Point in Mount Vernon, and the owner of several businesses. He is a family man who believes that everyone is made in the image of God and has a natural desire to find peace with God regardless of their circumstances or past failures. God is faithful and earnest in his pursuit of every soul that he created.
Leah Goulter
Secretary and Board Member
Leah is a deputy clerk working at the Morrow County Probate/Juvenile division for the last three years. Her previous work experience includes working with adults with disabilities by helping them to find and maintain community employment. Leah has attended Afterglow meetings for the past several years and would like for others to experience the love and acceptance she has felt there.
Pastor Tim Overly
Board Member
Pastor Tim Overly has been the senior pastor at Covenant Church since 2005. Before that he served as youth pastor and associate pastor for 15 years. He has a heart to reach the lost with the Gospel and the love of Christ and to help people grow in their understanding of the Word and in their experience of the fullness of God’s Spirit in their lives.
Pastor enjoys hiking, golfing, and jet-skiing. His favorite pastime, however, is spending time with his family.
His favorite Bible verse is Psalm 46:1-2
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear….”
Roger Tickle
Advisory Board Member
Roger has served as a pastor and church planter for 35 years. Deeply involved in his community and region, he ministers as a community chaplain, leads ministry in correctional facilities, and supports and invests in more than 40 pastors in his region.
Dr. Karl Benzio
Advisory Board Member
From Dr Karl’s website: www.drkarlbenzio.com : “I am a Christian psychiatrist who is also board certified. My passion is integrating cutting-edge psychiatric science with Biblical truths. With over 35 years in the field, I have developed key insights to help you renew your mind by becoming consistent Godly decision-makers. One of my God-given callings is to re-ignite the Behavioral Health Revolution Jesus started to combat the behavioral health pandemic of anxiety, depression, addiction, and suicide. God allowed me to combine my passion & calling to start a unique Christian residential treatment facility, Honey Lake Clinic. We are able to integrate spirit, mind, body with depth in all three spheres to bring a psychospiritual healing that is truly life-transforming.”
Dave had the privilege of going to Honey Lake Clinic in October of 2018, and was able to work with Dr Karl there. Dave went 31 days sober and has been sober ever since. While on the waiting list to go to Honey Lake Clinic, Dave watched many of Dr Karl’s online video teachings and God used him greatly during that time, which is one of the reasons he went there 31 days sober. Since leaving Honey Lake, Dave and Dr Karl have stayed in touch and he’s followed this Afterglow Life Services and Recovery Network story. Now that we are opening the Afterglow Christian Mission House, he’s pleased to serve as an Advisory Board Member as we move forward and grow!
Fun fact: before leaving Honey Lake Clinic, Dave asked Dr Karl to lead us in renewing our wedding vows. Below is a picture of that beautiful moment, and there has been no looking back for us!
We have a WEBSITE!!!
Please come see us online! Currently you can see our upcoming events (and RSVP), read about what we do and our story, and “Get Involved”. On the Get Involved tab you can sign up to receive our newsletter, show interest in volunteering as well as donate to our ministry. Future website enhancements will include a calendar where you will be able to book meetings and the use of our meeting room, a blog section, and a Member’s section.
New and Exciting Needs!
Where we are and where we’re going!
The Afterglow Christian Mission House, as a public Christian Mission in Mt Vernon, is not yet opened. With that said, we are 100% already using this property for the Lord’s work!
Our Sunday Dinners have relocated here, which started on Sunday December 22, 2024.
We opened the house on Christmas day at 5pm for anyone who wanted to come out, knowing that some do not have families to spend Christmas with. We had about ten in attendance and it was a nice time together.
Dave has started a hobby/hang out time on Saturday mornings. Currently the main attraction has been the 4 miniature RC cars racing on the track they lay down in our large meeting room!
We are starting a regularly held “God of All Comfort” service that will be a time of worship and “check in’s”, this will similar to our Check-In times on Sunday, however with a time of worship added.
In addition to the God of all Comfort service, Dave will be leading on a different weeknight an extended time to discuss the teaching from the previous weeks Sunday Dinner devotion time.
So at the very least, these are the ways that we can use this property and ministry to love and serve the Lord, as we love and serve others! As is, this is sustainable, and if this is all this ever is, we will PRAISE the Lord forever for his goodness and this incredible opportunity! However we genuinely believe that God has a BIGGER vision for the Afterglow Christian Mission House as he’s given us a heart and passion to work towards becoming a Christian Mission that is opened 7 days per week from 7am-7pm. We want to be able to have consistent hours of operation where people can come a experience the good news of Jesus as they receive practical support in the areas of meals if they are hungry, a community of friendship, connection to local help as we collaborate with other ministries and community resources, and opportunities for pastoral counseling and regularly held classes.
For this to happen, we will need the following:
Volunteers
This ministry is 100% volunteer ran. We are looking for fellow believers in the Church who share our heart to love people in the name of Jesus. If you are interested, please go to our website www.afterglowmissionhouse.com and select the Get Involved tab and check that you are interested in volunteering.
Start-up Funding
We have some one time purchases we need to make before this can open to the public. These include:
Camera and Security System for safety protocols
A ramp to make this handicap accessible
Furniture for the various room
Items to stock the kitchen
Signage for the front of the property
We have gotten estimates on the bigger ticket items and it will cost about $12,000 to accomplish all of the above.
We have already received $1940 towards this goal!!!
Ongoing Expenses
Since this is 100% volunteer ran, our overhead is mostly the cost of having the property, utilities, website and security system ongoing expenses, and food costs once we are serving breakfasts and lunches daily.
We anticipate our monthly budget to be around $2000.
We currently have $350 in reoccurring monthly donations!!!
If we had 83 more people willing to give $20/month- we would have this need met!
If you, your business or organization are interested in financially helping this Christian mission get up and running you can donate on our website on the Get Involved tab. It’s below the newsletter and volunteer sign up area. You can donate using credit or debit cards. We also have our Venmo account listed, and you can send checks to 114 E Gambier St Suite A, Mt Vernon, OH 43050. Make checks out to: “Afterglow Christian Mission House”
Please know that we fully expect God to provide for whatever he wants this to become. We never want anyone to see $$’s in our eyes, but instead, the love of Jesus. But we also know it is such a blessing to give and to be able to participate in the work of the Lord! So if you’d like to get involved, or if you are wanting to have a conversation with us about it- please don’t hesitate to reach out! We’d be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Hobby Room Donations
Please reach out if you have any of the following you would like to donate:
Christian Books, fiction as well as non-fiction. We are creating a library of books that people can read there or check out and return
Puzzles
Adult coloring books and supplies
Model Car Supplies
Board Games
Please call or text us at 740-480-1933
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