St. Paul's United Methodist Church Grace and Addiction Mission

For the past several years, the Grace and Addiction mission group at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in downtown Sykesville has provided support to those suffering from addiction in Carroll County. According to its vision statement, the group seeks to provide “a loving, safe environment” for “those seeking nourishment, be it spiritual or physical.” Each month, the mission hosts a Saturday Supper that is free for anyone to attend. St. Paul’s welcomes dinner guests to its sanctuary for prayer and reflection, provides a resource table with information on addiction support throughout the local community, and offers testimony from Grace and Addiction mission members. Many attendees also choose to pray with one of St. Paul’s pastors or submit prayer requests to the mission, which distributes the requests to congregants to lift up in prayer throughout the month. Many dinners have holiday or seasonal themes, and members of the St. Paul’s congregation often provide special music. The monthly dinners began as small group gatherings, with fewer than five guests. Over the past year, the dinners have expanded, with St. Paul’s welcoming upwards of 70 guests each month.

In addition to the monthly dinner, the Grace and Addiction group sponsors community outreach efforts. Four times per year, representatives from the group host an ice cream social during family visiting hours at a Baltimore-area recovery center. These visits provide the opportunity for fellowship with those recovering and their families. Another important aspect of the mission is an annual Prayer Service, which takes place at St. Paul’s each October. The group has held prayer services for the past two years. Past speakers include Tim Weber, formerly of the Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office and Tammy Lofink, founder of Rising Above Addiction. After each service, representatives from recovery and treatment centers throughout the community are available to provide information on their services.

What began as a small mission of three volunteers and a vision to provide support and outreach to a struggling community has expanded to a large mission that supports a variety of local activities. The Grace and Addiction ministry would love to see more members of the community attend its monthly dinners and annual prayer services. Dinners are offered on the third Saturday of each month at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church on the corner of Main and Church Streets in Sykesville. For more information, please contact Lisa Shifflett at ilovepeanuts222@gmail.com.