A Word from our Chaplain, Rev. Stanley Maneikis
As Chaplain, I consider it my great privilege to attend to the spiritual needs of our residents and guests. Daily, these brave people face challenges unimaginable to us, and engage in a spiritual warfare in gargantuan proportion to those of us who have the security of homes and jobs and comfortable lifestyles.
Critical to the restorative work available to residents and guests at UGM-TC is our Spiritual Development Program. While we take a holistic approach to meeting the needs of body, soul, and spirit, we make it a priority to introduce those who stay at the mission for any length of time to God’s love and care for them.
Each week we offer 32 chapel services in our beautiful Deborah Hall Chapel, the true sanctuary in our community. Ninety trained chapel leaders volunteer their time to lead these services.
In addition, AA, Celebrate Recovery, Moms in Touch International, and Overcomers Recovery Support Groups provide residents with excellent recovery and support. These groups meet weekly. Volunteers from the community assume leadership in all these groups.
We set Thursdays aside as Spiritual Development days. We have the privilege of using three Alpha materials: The Alpha Course…the “Challenging Lifestyle” course on the Sermon on the Mount…and the “Life Worth Living” course on Philippians. Trained Alpha leaders from community churches assist in leading these Kingdom-building classes. To learn more about Alpha, visit www.alphausa.org.
My job description requires me to spend time with our residents—it is what I love to do most! We talk and pray together. I have the joy of seeing men and women whose families and friends—in fact society—have given up on, become new creations in Christ.
We never know what to expect. That’s why each day I pray, “Dear Lord, don’t let me get in the way of what you have planned.” Every day brings a blessing!
Every Blessing to you!
-Chaplain Stanley Maneikis
