Summer Staff Spotlight: Healing + Surrender with Corina

My name is Corina and this summer I am serving as the Support and Recovery Program Assistant.

I recently just finished my undergraduate degree in Psychology and Biblical and Theological Studies and I have been blessed to put my education, gifts, and experiences to use right away while serving in this ministry as I pursue graduate studies in Clinical Counselling. So far, I’ve been given the opportunity to partner with God in his work at Bethany and the Niagara community through various care ministries. This may look like preparing for and facilitating different elements of Celebrate Recovery and The Landing, planning for these as well as Celebration Place in the fall, meeting with care recipients within the church to facilitate the benevolence program, or administrative tasks to ensure all of these programs are running smoothly and are able to grow and flourish. 

I am so thrilled to be a part of this ministry and have already been so blown away by what God has been doing through the staff, volunteers and members of Celebrate Recovery. I am so passionate about this work because I have first and foremost experienced the healing power of surrendering every part of my

life, the good and bad, to Jesus and want others to know the same. His word tells us that in this lifetime, we won’t be without struggle, but we can take comfort in knowing that a loving God who understands our pain has made it possible to find hope and comfort here on earth before we are with him and without pain for eternity and follows through on his promises to give us life and life to the full. (John 16:33, Hebrews 4:15, 1 Thess 4:13, John 10:10) This has been made so evident as the rate of mental health struggles and addictions are at an all-time high, and the several ways that the struggles and complexities of life present themselves, as well as the way I have seen God use the many areas of this ministry and the people involved to shine light in those dark places. I think anyone else who has can agree that they desire for others, especially the hurting to know and walk in the victory that Jesus has already given us over anything we face in this lifetime.

In light of this, I believe that there is a serious need and the Church, the body of Christ, has a special role to play in this. This work is so important because Recovery and Care ministries foster a safe space for people to be vulnerable about their challenges, regardless of their nature or magnitude, and experience true fellowship and support, which are powerful tools for our walk. The Lord has met me in so many moments throughout working here. Whether it has been through something as obvious as listening to and supporting someone in their struggles, or less obvious such as photocopying documents, He has shown me that there are so many valuable pieces that make up this ministry. There is so much more I could say about how incredibly connected faith, mental health, and the church are, and I would encourage you to explore. If you are reading this and have yet to check out Celebrate Recovery on a Thursday (or it’s been a while!), this is your invitation to come out and experience all the great things God has to offer!