Scott Reall was a Senior Wellness Director at the Green Hills Family YMCA in Nashville Tennessee in 1988. Over several years, Scott knew that he could help people reach their fitness goals but often found that underlying issues of the heart and spirit needed to be addressed before lasting transformation could really take place.  Scott knew that a healing process and an opportunity to be truly known in trusted community was vital to the overall process, so he began offering 12-Steps groups in the basement of the YMCA.  With incredible success of the 12-Steps groups, Scott saw a need for this type of spiritual development to be a permanent part of his YMCA offerings and in the year 2000 Restore Ministries of the YMCA of Middle Tennessee was formed.

In 2005, renowned Christian publisher Thomas Nelson approached Scott about writing his own series of books. A year later, Journey to Freedom was published as the first of five books in the Journey Series. This book became the cornerstone for Restore Ministries’ small groups. In 2007, the other four books – Journey to a Life of Significance, Journey to Living with Courage, Journey to Healthy Living, and Journey to a New Beginning after a Loss – were published. 

With the growing national and international popularity of the Journey Series and the small group process that accompanies it, Restore Ministries branched out in 2015 to form its own Non-Profit, focusing on equipping partners to launch this life-changing curriculum for themselves. Thus, ‘RESTORE SMALL GROUPS’ was formed!

Journey to Freedom has been translated into Russian, Spanish, French, German, Ukrainian, and Swahili. It has also been adapted for youth, inmates at various jails and prisons, as well as breast cancer survivors. In nearly 20 years of ministry, Restore has perfected the sacred, safe space that peer-to-peer small groups provide for participants to find hope and healing!

As Restore continues to see what they have developed with the small group process and the growing struggles around loneliness, addiction, uncertainty, depression, and chronic illness across the world, they continue to adapt and serve the need by offering Journey to Freedom and other groups.  Restore has made the connection that the key to lasting change is finding the path of transformation. This path is found in healing community. The key is staying on the path for encouragement, accountability, and hope- in all seasons.

Our Commitment to Inclusion

Restore is dedicated to making employees, participants and volunteers feel welcome, valued, respected and engaged. Our organization is enriched by the many different perspectives and approaches of our employees, participants and volunteers. Restore is committed to creating and maintaining an environment where everyone can reach their greatest potential. It is Restore’s belief that we strengthen our organization by effectively utilizing and celebrating the different backgrounds, talents and cultures of those who are part of our work. We practice and support behavior that is both tolerant and inclusive as central to our mission.