God’s Way Ministries hosts second Smoking for Recovery
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The second annual Smoking for Recovery event, hosted by God's Way Ministries, on Saturday was well-received by the community.
Organizer Rob Ackerman of Iowa Falls said he was happy with the turnout. Last year, roughly 350 people attended. Five hours into this year's Smoking for Recovery, he did not have a head count, but was confident more were in attendance.
"It's even better than last year," he said. "We've had more people show up. We added four live Christian artists this year. We had so much success last year, and we were happy with it that there was no way we weren't going to do it two years in a row."
Ackerman, who is also the founder of God's Way Ministry, said not only are more people and 14 businesses supporting the event, but also the mission to help people who are in addiction recovery.
"People really enjoy watching the guys in the house thrive in their recovery and continue to give their lives to Christ," he said.
As people stood on the stage in West End Park to give their testimonies about how Jesus Christ had positive impacts on their lives, as attendees enjoyed the culinary delights provided by meat smoking contest competitors, children played in the giant inflatable bouncy houses and played with bubbles and games.
"We've had beautiful testimonies throughout the day," Ackerman said. "We cooked 400 burgers for lunch. We're going to cook 400 burgers for dinner."
He is already making plans for event growth in 2027. A five-year goal is to get a Ferris wheel.
"Some people say I'm crazy, but I don't think I'm crazy," Ackerman said. "When I put God first in everything, He'll provide. As long as we're doing everything for Him, under Him, He's going to provide for us."
As he talked about the event, he reflected on his favorite aspect which was the people and the loving feeling in the park.
"Everyone is walking around with a smile on their face," Ackerman said. "Everybody's happy. It's a family event, not just for people in recovery from substance abuse. It's for family members, people who know family members. Smoking for Recovery is for everybody."
In addition to the growth of Smoking for Recovery, God's Way has grown from three men residing in a sober-living house in 2024 to 20 in two houses.
"Marshalltown is our home," Ackerman said. "We're not going anywhere. We're going to continue expanding and growing."
Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.