Local church offers recovery ministry for those who struggle
By Katelyn Petty
Pastors Brian and Dawn Rousse say they moved to the City of Gulfport seven years ago with encouragement from God to create a church where people would feel loved. In 2015, Connect Fellowship Church was created.
The Roussels say Connect Fellowship Church, which is located on 28th Street in Long Beach, desires to be a warm, welcoming, connected, and informal church where people can meet Jesus through prayer, ask for God’s help and engage in a life-giving community. As pastors, Brian and Dawn say they accept each person as they are and make them feel welcome, because Connect Fellowship Church welcomes everyone from children to adults and individuals to families.
One of the church’s outreach programs for the community is their Connect Recovery Ministry, a fellowship for both men and women of the area to come together to share life’s struggles, their experiences, strengths and hopes, whether it be someone dealing with grief, depression, anxiety, loss or addiction.
Pastor Dawn says the church’s Recovery Ministry was established after the loss of one of their leader’s sons, who struggled with addiction.
“It absolutely wrecked all of us,” she said. “During that time of grief, four people within the church came to us with an idea to begin our Recovery Ministry with a goal to do our best not to lose anyone else from these areas.”
It took several months to gather and put together content and create the ministry structure that backed the lead Pastor’s visions.
“October 2022 was the very first meeting of the Recovery Ministry, and it has grown since then,” said Pastor Dawn.
Connect Recovery Ministry is open to anyone who is struggling with grief, depression, anxiety, loss or addiction, no matter where they may be in life or in their struggles.
“We want to help people recover and help them be spiritually free and fully engaged followers of Jesus Christ,” say the Roussels.
The ministry meets every Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m. at the church at 18381 28th Street. Those who wish to attend can just show up, coming into the gym on the left side of the building.
Those who would like to contribute to the church or serve with the ministry can donate a meal for one of the Connect Recovery weekly meetings. Meal donations are asked to include a dish and a dessert, serving approximately thirty people, and can be dropped off at the gym side of the church on Tuesdays by 6 p.m.
For more information about the Connect Recovery Ministry, visit ConnectFellowship.church/connect-recovery, or call 228-224-4830.
