2024 Difference Maker: Pastor Chad Fisher uses faith, experience to support foster kids

The story of Joseph in Genesis is one of redemption and reconciliation, with Joseph navigating the betrayal of his family and suffering through numerous injustices. His story crescendos in Genesis 50:20, where he proclaims to his brothers: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

Chad Fisher, the lead pastor at Discover Life Church and founder of Restore the Wonder Camp, uses Genesis 50:20 as inspiration after suffering through childhood abuse by an extended family member. Today, Fisher is meeting his past head-on and using his present to create a better future for children in foster care.

Fisher understands the challenge of balancing life experience with the teachings of the Bible, having spent years in the church before giving his life to Christ in 2006.

“I took a dual journey. My faith journey, where prayer and reading the Word and things like that helped heal me,” Fisher said. “But also the practical counseling side of things helped heal me there.”

Even with the help of counseling and devoting his life to Christ, it took Fisher years to share his story. The discovery that others shared similar experiences was a large step in his faith journey, especially as a pastor. But he wanted to do more to combine spiritual and practical redemption.

“I began to pray, ‘God, how can we not just tell the story? What is something tangible we can do to help kids through this process?’” Fisher said. “What we’re doing with the kids doesn’t meet the gamut of all the needs, but I think the kids are the most vulnerable.”

A big step for Fisher was connecting with For The Children, a national organization that supports camps, such as Restore The Wonder, with 200 camps in almost every state nationwide.

“And so we've said, ‘There's no sense in recreating the wheel,’ let's partner with For The Children,” Fisher said. “They've understood how to do things and help train, and that’s where all of our training and our curriculum comes through.”

Fisher knows supporting individuals at an early age to share and move past their abuse is vital. By establishing Restore The Wonder in 2022, Fisher’s goal is to provide aid to foster children, who are often disadvantaged. This summer will be the camp’s third year of operation. The goal is that 70 children attend the camp, with a 1:1 ratio of attendees to counselors.

“When you've been through something like this, the last thing we want these kids to feel is like they're part of a herd, that they're not noticed, they're just there,” Fisher said. “We want them to feel very seen and loved, so it's all intentional. You're never alone with a kid, and there are a lot of protocols in place for safety and accountability. But there is a dedicated, caring adult for that child.”

With a specialized child placement coordinator, who is a licensed therapist and counselor, Restore The Wonder provides layers of personal attention. The week-long camp is currently for 6- to 12-year-olds, but Fisher wants to provide aid for older children and teenagers, as well. Be it an “abbreviated version of camp” or a potential monthly mentorship program for children still in the foster system that occurs year-round, the goal is to continue growing the camp for all involved.

“We start 10 months out planning everything, recruiting volunteers,” Fisher said. “We work a lot on camps, but there's all these other little endeavors that we're doing along the way which allow us to serve the area.”

With at least 3,000 children in the foster care system in Southeast Missouri, time is of the essence. From becoming a foster family, to donating, or even volunteering at the camp, Fisher preaches the importance of giving back.

“One moment can change somebody's life. And I know that sounds cliche, but I look back over pivotal moments in my life. And it was a conversation like this, it was a moment in a church service, it was an intentional gesture by a friend, or by somebody I didn't know,” Fisher said. “And those little things changed my life, you know. That's really what camp is all about.”