May 2025 Newsletter
- Afterglow Life Services and Recovery Network
- Jun 14
- 7 min read
Afterglow Life Services and Recovery Network
Afterglow Christian Mission House
Hello Everyone,
Dave and I are excited to share with you the progress that has been made since our January Newsletter! This newsletter will have the following updates:
Where we are and where we still need to go in order to open 7 days/week as a Mission:
Start up expenses and progress
May fundraising events & matching donation offered
Volunteers and the opportunity to be a missionary in your home town!
Goal Date to open
Current Programming and Podcasts
Testimony from an Afterglow Attendee
Goal to open: September 2025!
Based on the progress made and the pace Afterglow Christian Mission House has been moving, we believe we can open September of 2025- Lord willing of course! By “opening” we are referring to our long-term goal of being a Christian Mission that is open 7days/week as a public resource.
That said, we have current programing available, which is detailed below.
What needs to happen before we open:
1. We are raising money, which is needed for several one-time start-up expenses and our first-year annual budget!
We’ve already raised $5,500, which has enabled us to install and pay for our camera system.
We are working on furnishings and most rooms are at least partially furnished.
We still need to raise financing for the following:
Additional indoor and outdoor furnishings
Outdoor ramp
Outdoor Sign
Security System Installation
This is in addition to the camera system we installed.
Stove top/Oven
We need one that will better suit our cooking needs once we open
Basement “man cave” remodel
The basement will be somewhat “man cave” rugged, but the ladies are equally welcome to use this space. This additional area will be helpful with our programming plans.
Business Insurance
We have been told the first year or two will be more expensive as a new ministry that is getting known and established. .
Great news!!!!!!
An anonymous business has offered to match $10,000 in donations!!!
We’ve had a little over $5,500 come in so far and we are having three fundraising dinners in May in hopes of raising the rest. Our total fundraising goal is $34,000, which will cover our start-up costs and the first years budget! So with what is already raised and the match that will be given, we are $18,500 away from meeting this goal!
Below is our flyer for our fundraising dinner- PLEASE COME! We’d love to have you as our guest and treat you to a homecooked meal! RSVP at 740-480-1933 (call or text) or afterglow.life.services@gmail.com.
If you cannot attend but would like to donate you can do so the following ways:
Checks can be written to “Afterglow Christian Mission House” and can be mailed to 114 E Gambier Street Ste A, Mt. Vernon, OH 43050
Venmo @Afterglow_LS
Paypal or Credit Card donations are accepted on our website: afterglowmissionhouse.com
Go to the menu and select “Get Involved”
2. We need volunteers! So far we’ve had people say they want to volunteer and we have been building a list. However given the time we are needing to get the home ready for this ministry, we have not put forth too many recruiting efforts. Soon that will be changing as this summer we will need to start recruiting and training volunteers.
What an amazing opportunity to be a missionary in your own home town! We are in the process of creating our volunteer program, which will involve an application, a required background search, and training so that our volunteers will be prepared to work with those who come to the Afterglow Christian Mission House.
We will be offering practical training such as CPR and first aid, as well as training on what is expected/needed as a volunteer and how to handle various situations you may run into as a volunteer here.
If you are interested in learning more about being a volunteer at the Afterglow Christian Mission House, please go to our website: afterglowmissionhouse.com and select “Get Involved”. There you can provide your information and select you are interested in volunteering.
Current Programming:
If you go to our website afterglowmissionhouse.com and select Events from the Menu, you will see our current programming that is in place!
IMPORTANT: Before coming, always check the Events page- we will post if there is a cancellation due to a conflict or holiday.
Sunday Dinners at 1pm every Sunday!
Redeemed Walk/Biblical Decision Making Class
Tuesdays at 7pm
God of All Comfort Service
This is a time of Worship, personal “check-ins” and prayer.
Wednesday at 7pm
Introducing AFTERGLOW PODCASTS!!!
Dave and I are quite excited about this addition to our programming! This is still a work in progress however we plan on making Podcasts a regular part of our ministry.
Here is a link to our first Podcast which is a tour of the Afterglow Christian Mission House as it is now:
1st Ever AfterGlow podcast- Touring the AfterGlow Christian Mission House!
“Voices” Podcast
One of the podcasts themes we are most excited about is a segment we call “Voices”. This started because one of our Afterglow Attendees was wanting to share some of her viewpoints in the arena of politics. We absolutely love this member of Afterglow because she is someone who comes from a very different point of view than we do, she is not a Christian, however she loves us and comes to most of our programming regularly. She is a seeker for sure, and despite our very different points of view, we have been able to find common ground and friendship with her.
Her request gave Dave the idea of creating this “Voices” podcast, and it’s basically an opportunity for us to get to know people beyond their “labels” that we so often tag on people. In this segment, Dave will more or less interview our guest and let them talk. This is an opportunity to “Seek to understand before seeking to be understood” as Steven Covey teaches is the book “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”.
“Voices” is NOT a:
debate
or
a chance to correct a view we disagree with.
“Voices” is a time to:
Listen
and
ask “what are you seeking?”
(as Jesus asked in John 1:38 NKJV)
and
to find common ground in areas that could be seen as polar opposite,
to give someone a voice who wants to be heard,
and
to show that we really care about them, care about where they are right here and now.
It’s an opportunity to say you matter to us, we want to know you and we want to hear you!
Now with that said, you may hear things that you completely disagree with and may find offensive. But there are guidelines we establish with each guest including the type of language used and keeping the conversation respectful.
We are pretty sure VOICES will be a really great segment in our podcast series, and a wonderful space to get to know people who may think just like you do, or not at all like you do, yet a beautiful soul none-the-less that Jesus created, loves and gave his life for- as he did for us.
Subscribe to our Afterglow YouTube Channel so you can tune into these PodCasts!
Brian’s Testimony:
How Afterglow has Impacted His Life
Hey Everyone,
This is Brian & I have been asked to write about how Afterglow has impacted my life. First, a little background on my story before I came to Afterglow. I was born in Decatur, Illinois & lived in the Land of Lincoln for my whole life before coming to Ohio. My parents Tom & DeeAnn were always good to me & I owe them more than I could ever repay but that’s what eternity is for, besides loving & serving the Lord Jesus Christ. I was a child who never felt comfortable in his own skin. I never had too many friends & the ones I did I had lost by the time I was a teenager. My grandma Iva passed away when I was 14. Life was so challenging. In large part it was because I didn’t know God. I knew of him but didn’t have a relationship with Him. The teenage years were a lesson in endurance. Our school Stonington school district consolidated with a bigger town. I was bullied & cried quite a bit before finally quitting school that year in the tenth grade when I was 16.. I ended up earning my GED when I was 18. Life was good materially but difficult emotionally for much of my life. I grew up Catholic but didn’t like going to church-I still don’t. My Mom always felt like the black sheep of her family & I inherited that feeling. I’ve run from my feelings much of my life. Ohio was a brand new start but the first few years were rough socially speaking as I didn’t know very many people & most people don’t reach out their hands to the stranger in their midst. That it is until I met Dave, Steph, Devon, Eric, Evelyn, & Jan among many other dear people at Afterglow who have treated me with such kindness & respect. I do love them. Their example has made my heart turn back towards God even though my rebellious flesh has not completely gone away. Afterglow has given me a family I can be close to. It has given me a purpose & my self-esteem is much better than it used to be. I actually like myself now especially as I don’t have to think about myself all the time. I can let go & not always have my own way. I feel at peace with just being with God. I don’t have to be afraid anymore. The good news is that Christ is growing in me & I can feel that. On the day before Mother’s Day I remember back to all the love my Mom always showed my sister Gina & me, & I trust that I will see her again. What a happy moment that will be! The greatest relationship I have though is with Jesus as He loves me more than I can ever know with my finite mind. I want to show Him love & by loving others, I am loving Him. My goal is to let Jesus continue to develop a servant’s heart within me both at Afterglow group, the Mission House, & in the larger Mount Vernon community, that will bless others in a multitude of ways. And so it will be.
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