^{photo submitted by Life Recovery Church}

Bryan Stalder
Contributor

What began in a living room with seven people—six local residents and one participant joined by Zoom—has grown into a recovery-centered church reaching some of the most vulnerable people across Sugar Creek, Independence, Kansas City, and the Northeast area.

Life Recovery Church, (415 N Sterling Ave, Sugar Creek, MO) was founded in January 2025 by Lead Pastor Tommy McGee, himself a longtime Kansas City resident with lived experience in addiction, incarceration, homelessness, and recovery. Every founding member came from a 12-step recovery background, many deeply connected to programs such as Healing House, Welcome House, Oxford House, Heartland, CMHS, Rediscover, and other transitional and treatment services.

“We had seen firsthand the broken people who were often dying of homelessness and drug addiction,” McGee said. “Life Recovery Church was birthed in the belief that broken people could best help other broken people.”

The church’s guiding vision—“broken people helping broken people”—is not just a slogan. It shapes how the congregation supports one another and how they serve the broader community.

Members of Life Recovery Church lean heavily on their own recovery journeys to help others rebuild their lives. Many work directly in recovery services as case managers or certified peer specialists, while others are alumni of nearly every major recovery program in the city.

“If someone comes in looking for housing, treatment, or support, we usually know exactly where to connect them,” McGee said. “Supporting each other with these resources is key.”

That network is expanding. The church recently partnered with the Authentic Life Foundation, (224 W Maple Ave, Independence, MO) to offer weekly process groups led by a licensed clinician, along with low-cost or free therapy options for members.

“We’re not replacing services,” McGee said. “We’re connecting people to what best suits them.”

Rachel, a church member and outreach leader, is one of many whose story reflects the church’s mission. She found Life Recovery Church through the recovery community while living in an Oxford House, rebuilding her life after addiction and domestic violence.

Since then, Rachel has secured stable housing, reunited her family, earned her Certified Peer Support credential through the state of Missouri, and become a cornerstone of the church’s outreach efforts.

Her partner, Gerry, served 17 years in federal prison and reentered the community with few resources. After being invited to the church, he committed quickly—never missing an event. Over the past year, Gerry earned his CDL, secured a union job, rebuilt his credit, purchased a new truck, and now serves as a church greeter.

“Most—if not all—of us have, at one time, run the streets of the Northeast,” McGee said. “Now we’re giving back to the same places that once held us.”

On the second Saturday of every month, volunteers gather at 9 a.m. to prepare meals and pack outreach supplies. A box truck is filled with coats, sleeping bags, blankets, socks, shoes, hygiene items, Narcan, fentanyl test strips, food, water, and information about treatment resources.

Teams then head out to known areas in Independence and Kansas City, including libraries along 24 Highway, Noland Road, and Independence Avenue.

“Every month we have twenty to thirty people show up to serve,” McGee said. “Hot food, socks, sleeping bags—those things matter when it’s cold.”

The need, he added, continues to grow.

“Since I got clean in 2015, homelessness and overdose have risen significantly,” McGee said. “People are dying every day. Sometimes it looks like a third-world country. And the people affected seem to be getting younger.”

Life Recovery Church is currently leasing its building in Sugar Creek, but hopes to purchase it outright to expand services and provide stability. The church is hosting the first of three building fundraisers on March 7 at 2 p.m. at Mike Onka Hall in Sugar Creek.

The event will include bingo, a live auction, silent auction, and a guest speaker. The goal is to raise funds toward purchasing the building for $125,000—a price made possible by owners who want the property to remain a church.

“Owning the building allows us to grow,” McGee said. “We’ve already hosted celebrations of life for families who couldn’t afford funeral homes. This space matters.”

Long-term, Life Recovery Church hopes to become a one-stop resource hub—offering food assistance, life skills classes, housing connections, case management, and recovery support directly on site.

“We want people on the street to say, ‘Go to that recovery church—they’ll help you,’” McGee said. “Church isn’t about the building. It’s about the people.”

McGee’s motivation is deeply personal. After more than 20 years of addiction, incarceration, and homelessness, he found recovery in 2015. One of his brothers died from a fentanyl overdose in 2023.

“What’s one life worth?” he asked. “My life was worth everything to my children. I’ll give everything to honor those of us who didn’t make it.”

Volunteers are welcome at monthly outreach events, and donations of supplies are always needed.

For more information, contact Life Recovery Church at liferecoverychurchkc@gmail.com or Pastor Tommy McGee at 816-219-5161.