Bible Center Church | Charleston, WV
Initiative: Skills Classes for Men & Women in Recovery
2023 Grant Award: $25,000
In the heart of the Appalachian Region of the United States lies the city of Charleston, West Virginia—a place where many families struggle with poverty, joblessness, mental illness, and drug addiction. For more than 80 years, Bible Center Church has worked to bring hope to the area through programs designed to welcome the lost.
The Maker’s Center is one way Bible Center Church carries out its mission, offering hands-on opportunities to dream, learn, innovate, and create—all while being paired with mentors who motivate creativity through cutting-edge technologies.
“We have the only woodshop, the only art studio, and the only technology lab in the entire area,” says Hampton Andrews, director of The Maker’s Center. “Our Woodshop and Industrial Arts program is offered to men and women in long-term recovery and to middle- and high-school students in need of alternative programming. The participants in long-term recovery are learning skills to obtain better-paying jobs.”
Through the Kingdom Advancing Grant, Bible Center Church received $25,000 to put toward adding and expanding programs at the Maker’s Center. The funds will help The Maker’s Center renovate their building to begin offering food-handling certifications and cooking classes that prepare people for jobs in the food service industry.
The West Side of Charleston is home to various addiction recovery programs, and leaders at Bible Center Church wanted to come alongside those programs to support people in recovery by helping them develop practical skills that could change their future. The Maker’s Center came to life in 2018, designed to provide hope to individuals starting over after homelessness, addiction, or incarceration.
People who visit The Maker’s Center can attend technology and skills classes that equip people to use 3D printers, augmented reality computers, laser etchers, and more. Other classes prepare people for employment as florists, cake decorators, and appliance-repair technicians. Driver’s education classes assist adults who want to get their driver’s license, allowing people to apply for jobs that can’t be easily accessed via public transportation.
In addition to career classes, The Maker’s Center supports people in recovery by teaching soft skills to prepare them to succeed personally, whether it’s a class on behavior and appearance or a workshop about budgeting.
“We had a young woman who came to us awhile back who was addicted heroin—she was skin-and-bones and had no support system around her,” says Hampton. “Our team went with her to her court hearing, helped her get involved in a recovery program, and mentored her in job interview skills. She now she works for the mayor on the Quick Recovery Team for emergency services. It’s such a privilege to walk with people and see their transformations from where they are when they first come to us compared to when they complete their recovery program and find a sustainable job.”
Bible Center Church uses The Maker’s Center as an outreach opportunity to meet people where they are. All classes are free to attend, and many people also attend weekly Celebrate Recovery meetings hosted at The Maker’s Center. The wide variety of class offerings allows church attendees use their unique gifts through volunteering, from teaching classes to helping guests with tax preparation.
“We believe that those who come to The Maker's Center to attend our classes will also reap long-term benefits,” says Hampton. “It has been proven that a hobby helps individuals who have struggled with addiction stay clean and avoid going back to their unhealthy habits. As we spend time with these individuals and build a relationship of acceptance, trust, and care, we hope they will open their hearts to the true source of love and care: Jesus our Savior.”
Funds from the Kingdom Advancing Grant will help The Maker’s Center expand its programs even further, allowing the initiative to acquire a new building across the street from its current location. The building, which is empty at the moment, will be renovated to create a kitchen space where people can take cooking and food-handling classes.
As people learn new skills at The Maker’s Center, they are also receiving the gift of hope. They have a community of people supporting them, equipping them, and showing them the love of Christ. As they pave their new path forward, they receive an invitation to redemption—and they get the opportunity to serve and inspire others as well.
The Kingdom Advancing Grant supports innovative church programs and initiatives that are unique in the way they bring people closer to Jesus, that can be sustained over time, and that can be replicated by other Christian churches. Learn more about the Kingdom Advancing Grant and the Brotherhood Mutual Foundation, including the application deadline and eligibility requirements.
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2024 Brotherhood Mutual
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2024 Brotherhood Mutual