Recovery Church Serenity Willmar MN

I have been a follower of Jesus since 1991. As I grew in my faith, I thought I felt the call of God to serve Him in full time ministry. Through that process, I dealt with a lot of things that didn’t go “my way”. When the adversity of pursuing that path became too great, I chose to live life on my terms and the bottle became my best friend. As the big book says, “That decision based on self placed me in a position to be hurt.” The sad fact is that the bottle had such a grip on my life that I lost hope, didn’t care, and was willing to settle for what my sponsor called a “sub-par” life.

But God had other plans. My wife and I attended the only Recovery Church in our area. We immediately knew this was where we belong. Seeing where the Gospel intersects with recovery and where recovery intersects with the Gospel is precisely what God had intended for us to be a part of. He has shown us that we can experience freedom from alcohol through working the steps of AA and growing in our faith along with experiencing “abundant life” found in the Gospel.

I now have a renewed call of God on my life to be of maximum service to Him and to carry the message of hope in Jesus and recovery to the addict and alcoholic who still suffers!!

Jeremy is a “pickle” who God has chosen to serve people in recovery. His favorite phrase is “I am willing”. Jeremy can lead others through the Big Book and point to where the Bible lines up. He is always learning and sharing his experience, strength, and hope. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

My name is Mary Jorissen.  I am a grateful recovering alcoholic who loves Jesus and serving God.  My journey of sobriety began in earnest on September 22, 2002.  I say ‘in earnest’ because I had tried to get sober prior to that, but relapsed several times.  It wasn’t until I really believed that I was powerless and needed God to help me that I became sober.  It is my sincere desire to be a part of Recovery Church Serenity in Willmar that is open to all those who are still suffering and supporting those who have found the joy of sobriety.

I am a wife, mother, grandmother, retired teacher and attend church consistently.  I love reading the bible and communicating with God through prayer.

I feel humbled and honored to be a part of the leadership team of this new ministry and pray I can be of some help to those who come through our doors.

I know what it means to be broken, to lose, to struggle, and to find my way back to Jesus. After entering recovery on March 2, 2023, I discovered that recovery was about far more than sobriety. It was about surrender, healing, and letting God rebuild her life.

My journey through recovery, grief, loss, and life’s hard places has given me a deep compassion for people who are hurting and searching for hope. I am passionate about Jesus, recovery, prayer, and creating a place where people can be real, accepted, and loved without pretending to have it all together.

I am grateful to serve with Recovery Church Serenity and help create a safe community where people can find Jesus, recovery, connection, and hope. I am a wife, mother, bonus mom, gramma and child of the King. I consider those roles among the greatest blessings of my life.

I am a daughter of the Most High. I’m 37 years old and a mom to four—two sons and two daughters. Right now, I have my girls with me.

I spent a long time walking in darkness, and eventually I hit my rock bottom. I cried out to God, and He met me there. I left everything I knew, moved to Willmar, and met Jesus. That’s where everything changed.

I don’t walk like I used to. I don’t talk like I used to. I’ve been washed from the inside out—not by my own strength, but by the blood of Jesus. I was saved. I was set free.

I’ve always had a huge heart for the broken, but now I know what that passion is for. I want to serve the Lord by walking alongside the lost and broken in recovery—especially those who don’t know Jesus yet. I want to plant seeds, love people where they are, and point them toward the One who saved me.

I’m learning to walk by faith and not by sight.

I am so incredibly grateful for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And after everything He has brought me through, there is one thing I’ve always wanted to say:

“Yes, Lord. Send me.”