The Community
Real people. Real Thursdays.
Photos from Surge gatherings — shared with permission. These are the faces of the room.
Stories from people who walked through the door at Surge — and found something they weren't expecting.
Every person in the room on Thursday night has a story. Most of those stories are still being written. This page is a place for some of them — with permission, in whatever form people are comfortable sharing.
Some names are used. Some are not. What matters is that these are real — not testimonials written for a brochure, but honest accounts of what this community has meant to people who came and stayed.
I came because my friend asked me to, and I almost said no. I was three years out of treatment and doing okay — I didn't think I needed anything. What I didn't know was how isolated I'd become. I had sobriety but I didn't have community. After about the third Thursday, I realized I'd been waiting for someone to call me by name. Jim called me by name. So did everyone else in that room. I've been coming for two years.
In recovery · Attending Surge 2 years
My son was in active addiction. I came to Surge because I didn't know what else to do. I thought it was a group for addicts and I almost felt like I didn't belong. But what I found was a room full of people who understood exactly what I was going through — not just the people in recovery, but the families too. They prayed for my son by name every single week. That meant everything to me. He's in recovery now. I still come.
Family member · Attending Surge 3 years
I'd been to church my whole life. I knew scripture. I could quote Romans 12:2 from memory. But I had never been in a room where people actually applied it — where someone would say "I've been thinking this lie about myself all week" and then the group would find the truth in scripture together and pray it over them. That's what Surge does. It's the most practically Christian thing I've ever been part of.
Christian seeking community · Attending Surge 18 months
I came in angry. I wasn't sure I believed in God anymore. My marriage had fallen apart, I'd relapsed twice, and I was done with anyone who had easy answers. Jim didn't have easy answers. He had scars. He'd been where I was. That's the only thing that could have gotten through to me. He didn't pretend recovery was simple. He just kept showing up, kept pointing to Christ, kept making it safe to be honest. That was enough. It still is.
In recovery · Attending Surge 1 year
I'm not an addict. I want to be honest about that. I came because I was in a really dark season — grief after losing my father, anxiety that wasn't getting better, a faith that felt very abstract. I wasn't sure I'd fit in. I fit in completely. The room is just for people whose life is hard, who want to walk through it with Christ and with other people. That's exactly what I needed.
Not in addiction recovery · Attending Surge 8 months
If Surge has meant something to you and you'd like to share your story — with your name or anonymously — reach out to Jim.
Share Your StoryPhotos from Surge gatherings — shared with permission. These are the faces of the room.
One of the most powerful things a Thursday night produces is a story someone can tell the next person who is hesitating at the door. If Surge has meant something to you — in any form — consider sharing it. Your name or anonymous, long or short, it doesn't matter. Just true.
Reach out to Jim directly. He'll handle it with care.
Thursdays, 7:00 PM. Conference Room 1. Towne Place Suites. Chesterfield, MO.
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