Recovery and the church By Alysa Offman Suzanna Hayes says she was broken four years ago. She’d
been sober for 14 years but felt stagnant in her recovery. Around that time she saw a flier for Common Ground
Recovery Ministry based in Wyomissing, Pa., at her Alcoholics Anonymous meeting and figured she’d give it a try. But when she arrived, she couldn’t bring herself to walk inside. “I thought I was a disappointment to God and that I didn’t
deserve to be there,” she said. “I walked back and forth between the door and the sidewalk, and I was just screaming at God, saying, ‘What am I supposed to do? I can’t go in there.’ ”
Then something happened that would
change Hayes’ life forever. A woman came out from the church and took her by the hand. She led her into the service, sat with her, and every few minutes she leaned over to say, “You’re not alone.” From then on, Hayes has been going to
Common Ground (
atonementwyo.org/ commonground.html). She makes it a point to welcome newcomers in the same way she was. “There is always hope and if we don’t share it, how will people ever know?” she said. Hayes credits Tom Scornavacchi,
pastor of Common Ground, with both her success in recovery as well as that of the ministry’s. For Scornavacchi, building the
recovery ministry has taken a while. The former addict said he went from being a successful businessman to living on the streets. While homeless, he met a pastor named Luther Routte. “He set me right,” Scornavacchi said. “He started my journey back to life.”
This baptismal font was designed specifically for Common Ground Recovery Ministry based in Wyomissing, Pa. According to the ministry, the shattered pieces of glass used in the design represent “booze bottles, glass syringes … and other paraphernalia that separated us, not only from God, but also from all that sustains life.” The light blue cross represents the waters of baptism in which all are washed clean and given new life in Christ.
Photo: Courtesy of Tom Scornavacchi 22 FEBRUARY 2017 CONGREGATIONAL LIFE
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