Substance Abuse and Addictions

Live to Forgive Through Empathy (Jason Romano – 11/22/19 – NCS New Canaan)

November 22, 2019 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment

With tremendous transparency and authenticity, Jason Romano shares the painful story of estrangement from his father. He takes us on a journey from childhood to the depths of hurt, resentment, unforgiveness and bondage, and then explains how that journey finally took a God-orchestrated turn toward forgiveness, freedom and healing. Romano also reflects on the rampant unforgiveness in our society and the damage it is doing.

In recounting the journey, Romano admits how difficult it is to truly forgive as Jesus forgives us. He vulnerably shares how for many years he responded to hurt by hurting back from a place of bitterness and anger. He finally came to understand that forgiveness is not about the other person–it is about you. But most importantly, he came to understand that the key to forgiveness is empathy–what Romano now calls “the antidote to life”. Romano shares that being able to finally have empathy for, and forgive, his father, started him on a life of forgiveness.

God’s Amazing Grace Transforms Lives (John Simontacchi – 10/11/19 – NCS New Canaan)

October 16, 2019 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment

With great transparency and humility and extraordinary energy, John Simontacchi shares his extraordinary journey of transformation. John describes the numerous times that God’s amazing hand of grace rescued him from life-threatening situations and guided his career, even before he really even “believed” in God. Most dramatically, John explains how the escalation of his career was accompanied by the slow deterioration of his heart until in his 60’s he was given just a few months to live. Once again, God’s amazing grace provided a 20-year old heart for his aging body, and with that heart came direction toward a new career. John Simontacchi was given a new heart both figuratively and literally, and the message of this transformed man is to trust and surrender.

An Amazing Journey from Death to Life (Richard Williams – 5/24/19 – NCS New Canaan)

May 24, 2019 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment

With great humility and vulnerability, Richard Williams shares his amazing journey “from selfishness to servanthood . . . from death to life”. After talking about growing up in a loving home of 13 children with a mother who cared for everyone and a father who learned to read at 54, Williams explains how the desire to “succeed” and “fit in” as a college graduate in a professional career led him to years of drug addiction that eventually destroyed his “successful life” and even his relationships with his family.

He then tells us about the amazing journey back to “life” that began when he arrived at Pivot Ministries in Bridgeport, CT. Richard transparently shares his 12-year transformation from a new Pivot student whose life was “all about me” to the Executive Director of the ministry–a position that is “all about the well-being of others”.

God Gave Me A New Heart (In More Ways Than One) (Gerardo Lambert – 3/8/19 – NCS New Canaan)

March 8, 2019 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment

With remarkable humility, Gerardo Lambert shares for the first time publicly “the truth”–the incredible FULL story of how God pulled him out of darkness and gave him a second chance.

Gerardo vulnerably talks about his first marriage (with three daughters) and becoming lost in the world of fashion modeling–endless parties, drugs and alcohol in order to “fit in”. He talks about the pleas from his mother to seek God and his repeated dismissals of her pleas. He then takes us through the decision to run away from that life and transition to becoming a fitness trainer and amateur bodybuilder, all while ( unbeknownst to him) his heart was deteriorating and growing to the size of a football.

Gerardo shares the excruciating journey from a fit and healthy fashion model, trainer and amateur bodybuilder in his 20’s to suddenly: being unable to lift weights; having a defibrillator implanted; being upgraded to a pacemaker; suffering multiple heart attacks and life-saving shocks from the devices; flat-lining; being put into an induced coma for 3 months waiting for a new heart (in which he lost 1/2 his body weight as well as most muscle function); getting a new heart accompanied by a miraculous encounter with God; and, finally, being inspired to develop a fitness routine he calls “BodyShock”. It is the encounter with God that Gerardo has kept to himself for a decade for fear it would be met with ridicule and disbelief. Gerardo finally shares what he refers to as “the truth”.

A God of Second Chances (Rev. Albert Ray Dancy – 10/19/18 – NCS New Canaan)

October 19, 2018 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment

Rev. Albert Ray Dancy shares with tremendous vulnerability a life story that proves beyond any doubt that we worship a God of second chances. Dancy tells how he went from a prisoner serving time for armed robbery to a prison chaplain. He transparently notes that while his role had changed, his heart had not been transformed. For the heart change to occur, Dancy had to experience a “dark night of the soul” in which he lost everything–including his home, marriage and children. He explains how he felt like a “beast”. Although he was back in prison, God sent hope through a prophetic word and then miraculously restored him to his marriage (which had been dissolved for seven years), his children and his home.

Stay Connected