How We Help

RLMO is a one-year, residential restoration and re-entry program in Rutherford County, TN, for men, ages 25+, who are overcoming addictions and other life-controlling issues. The program was founded in 1995 by Basil and Naomi Adams. We address the root causes of substance abuse and other addictions and, through our faith-based discipleship approach, help men to seek health on all fronts: physical, spiritual, emotional, mental, relational, and financial.

The Bible is clear, our identity is in Christ. Renewed Life Ministries is committed to teaching this truth to our students. Our instructors have overcome in these same areas and are now discipling other men as they walk into all that God has for their life.

When men are struggling with addiction, pornography, and emotional turmoil, we cannot take a “flash in the pan” approach. Our discipleship program follows a four-step plan: Identity in Christ, Christlikeness, Accountability, and Self-Evaluation.

In a world where media and statistics try to define us, it is imperative these men understand what God’s Word says about who they are in Him. We can walk in the truths promised in God’s Word as our solid foundation.

Read our full statement of faith here.

Our nine-bed facility is set up for men, ages 25+, who have successfully completed at least one long-term faith-based recovery program and need a place to live out what they’ve learned, committing to one year in an accountable community of fellowship. The year-long commitment is key: in our experience, significant growth happens all throughout the year in our program.

Our students are required to work in the primarily industrial jobs that we provide them through a local employment agency. We are not set up to accept men who are on disability or who are otherwise unable or unwilling to work.

We accept students from all over the country, though most come from neighboring counties and states. If a student is on probation, his coming into RLMO must be approved by his probation officer before he begins our program.

Our facility is not set up with nursing care or the staff required for direct medical supervision of detox. We are set up only for men who have already successfully completed a long-term rehabilitation program.

We do accept students coming straight from jail in Rutherford and other counties, and are often a great fit for establishing healthy life outside of institutionalization. Our director needs to receive a call from the applicant no less than one week before he is to be released. However, we are not a halfway house. Our residential program requires a one-year commitment and is highly structured, not allowing for the independence many halfway houses or similar facilities provide. Read more about our rules.

Our highly-structured program involves a combination of self-study, fellowship, work, and community service. During the week, students work full-time at jobs we provide them with the support of local employment agencies. After work, students eat dinner together at the residence. There is group programming scheduled most weeknights, from chapel services to Bible studies to attendance at recovery support groups and fun activities. Following evening programming, there is typically some free time for self-study (reading and reflecting on assignments made by the director and house manager) and relaxing before lights out. On the weekends, the ministry may volunteer as a group for various causes. Students attend church together, visiting many congregations around the area. Individually assigned mentors meet with students to go over their assigned reading from the week. Our facility functions as a large household, with daily and weekend-only chores rotating weekly and all students contributing to the good of the home. All transportation is provided, so residents are typically together for most all of the week, supporting each other in community.

We do not accept insurance, but it is not needed. We charge a one-time entry fee of $250. Then, students begin paying a $125/week program fee out of their employment earnings. These fees cover all essentials: full room and board, transportation, and case management.

Unlike a lot of traditional, expensive treatment or recovery programs, we are a nonprofit organization. The weekly program fees students pay cover about 20% of the actual cost for their stay; our team raises the additional 80% of costs through donations, church support, corporate sponsorships, and grants.

The balance of students’ employment earnings are placed in individual savings accounts, managed by staff during the program with regular weekly student financial status meetings. These earnings are used to gradually pay off any outstanding probation and court fees, debts, and other expenses while in our program; the balance of a student’s savings is received upon completion of the program. This is a critical component to our program: students with financial savings and paid debts are able to establish themselves independently upon graduation and are much less likely to revert to old habits due to the inability to support themselves.

We accept new students on a rolling basis, as soon as a bed is open. Because we are a long-term program, and not an emergency shelter or temporary housing facility, we spend some time vetting potential students, and allowing them to vet us, to be as sure as possible that the fit is right for us both. To get started, a potential student can complete the basic application here on our website, including primarily contact information, so we can be in touch for a screening call.

Potential students who are in jail can send letters to the attention of our director at: PO Box 330007, Murfreesboro, TN 37133, to start the process of applying.

While we remain at capacity most of the time, we like to say that we don’t keep a waiting list: if someone is serious about seeking help and we don’t have an opening or are not the right fit, we will provide referrals to other programs.

Counseling is provided as needed. Depending on individual needs, this may be via on-staff counselors or via external services, which may require students to pay using the money they make from their jobs. Weekly one-on-one male mentoring is provided to students for spiritual and emotional support. RLMO also has multiple chapel services led by different people in the community teaching and training the men to live out Christian principles. Students also attend weekly church services. Our staff handles case management, including communication with probation officers and others.

At intake, students must sign-off to indicate their agreement to our policies, which are based on decades of successful recovery work with clients. Please read about all of our regulations here and help us to uphold these standards.

Yes - we will not keep a student in our program against his will. Before he decides to withdraw, we will try to advise him in making a wise choice for his own benefit. However, once a student chooses to leave, he is not allowed to come back into the program. We work to help our students get into other programs even if they choose to leave prematurely. If a student’s enrollment in our program is part of his court-ordered sentencing, we will notify the probation office and others when a student chooses to leave.