Studio RC - 2026 Rooted Conference: The Aftermath #6 - Hugh SargentStudio RC - 2026 Rooted Conference: The Aftermath #6 - Hugh Sargent
Studio RC
Pastor Max talks with Hugh Sargent about his journey to sobriety, his call to serve veterans, and the early days of launching a Recovery Church campus in North Sacramento. Their discussion highlights practical challenges, quiet victories, and the role of faith in reaching people on the margins.
19:02•26 May 2026
Faith, Fireworks, and Recovery: Hugh Sargent on Planting Church in Sacramento
Episode Overview
- Planting a Recovery Church campus can start small and still matter, even when attendance drops after launch-day excitement.
- Focusing on fundamentals and consistency is more helpful than obsessing over numbers or visible results.
- Hospitality—simple things like coffee, cookies, and time—can open doors for people to hear about Jesus and recovery.
- Recovery Church communities can act as a bridge between traditional churches and people in twelve-step or recovery settings.
- Veterans’ mental health and suicide remain a heavy burden, and personal loss can strengthen a commitment to share hope where possible.
“We’re ambassadors to the church and we’re also ambassadors to the recovery community about Jesus.”
You’ll meet Hugh, the lead of the Sacramento Recovery Church campus, who shares how his sober date of 4 July 2020 means, in his words, "I get fireworks every birthday." He talks openly about using alcohol as a so-called solution after eight years in the Marine Corps, failing out of seminary while still drinking, and the moment a second motorbike crash pushed him to say, "All right, God, you got my attention." The episode focuses strongly on what it looks like to plant a new Recovery Church community in North Sacramento, right across the street from a methadone clinic.
What makes a recovery story truly inspiring? This conversation between Pastor Max and Hugh Sargent gives a grounded answer, mixing honest humour with raw honesty about faith, sobriety, and service. Hugh describes offering "coffee, cookies, and tell them about Jesus" to people walking in off the street, and the reality that launch-day hype quickly gives way to the steady grind of week-to-week ministry.
He jokes about homeless guests nodding off during teaching, but uses it as a reminder that his job is simply to keep pointing to Jesus. This chat is especially relatable for anyone starting something new in recovery or church life. Hugh admits the temptation to obsess over numbers and instead leans into “just doing the fundamentals" and trusting God with the growth.
He also highlights being an "ambassador" between church and recovery communities, helping traditional congregations see their own brokenness and the value of twelve-step tools. Pastor Max rounds things off with a heartfelt prayer for Sacramento and every Recovery Church location, and a tender moment where Hugh says he’d love to sit down with a veteran friend who died by suicide and introduce him to Jesus.
If you’ve ever wondered what faithful, imperfect, work-in-progress recovery looks like on the ground, this conversation might stir some questions about your own next step.
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.
Related Episodes
Similar episodes from other shows in the catalogue.