New Jersey Church’s Discipleship Homes Build Routine, Mentorship Toward Recovery

Crossroads Community Ministries, an outreach ministry of Madison Avenue Christian Reformed Church in Patterson, N.J., has given about 250 men a start in recovery and life transformation through its residential discipleship program. With five properties along Madison Avenue, men are able to build community, grow in faith, and establish more productive lives.

The discipleship houses are one aspect of the Crossroads Ministries, an answer to the need for concentrated care and mentoring in one place. Thomas Henion, Crossroads director since 2001, said with multiple programs running at once, there’s no establishing of long obedience in the same direction—theologian Eugene Peterson’s definition of discipleship. The live-in discipleship houses provide a space to create rhythms and routine. Henion said to have the program remain in Patterson means having a place at the seat of the county, a place of influence. The houses have been running since 1997.

The men live together in shared or single rooms, depending on the number of weeks they’ve been participating, and grow in healthy habits, faith, and integrity. Madison Avenue church has seen many of the men become long-term members of its worshiping community and three who matured in their faith to the point that they have served as deacons.

John Grice, who has directed the discipleship house program for 11 years, is a former participant. Grice credits previous program coordinator, Luther Fryerson, who died in 2014, as being instrumental to who he is today. “Everyone deserves a second or third shot,” Grice said, an opportunity to be “a better example someone will follow.”

Grice works with Paul Reddan, another graduate of the program, who attends to the maintenance and mechanical needs of the discipleship houses. Participants are required to have a job, a bank account, and a sponsor to go through the program, which includes an intake interview, one-on-one sessions, and group therapy. The structure of the program allows participants to learn how to rebuild themselves and renew relationships over a year or 18 months, depending on the need. Grice said he’s seen many go “from hell to amazing—a piece of heaven while still on earth.”

Crossroads Community Ministries obtained the properties over time, starting with one building it used as an office, food pantry, and to facilitate programming. As donors assisted with down payments for additional properties, they purchased four neighboring houses.

Contributions from partnering churches and from Madison Avenue CRC members continue to support about 35% of the discipleship house costs. Participants also contribute, paying a $110 weekly fee. Other requirements include participation in Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous and consent to unscheduled alcohol and drug tests. The program currently has 23 participants with about 10 on a waiting list.