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Tim rested his arm on Dacia's knees, his voice soft. "It's a mirror in front of my face, saying, You are vulnerable. You are capable of bringing ruin to your family. Realizing that has changed me."

Jadyn pushed her pink stroller. Simeon climbed onto his father's lap. "The Chambers family," Tim said, his voice strong, "will not have secrets. It's black and white. That's it." Simeon plunked a lime-green slinky on his dad's head. Tim looked at Dacia, eyes smiling, voice intent. "We will not have secrets in this family."

An hour earlier in church, Tim had grabbed a friend's hand and repeated what he had just told two other men in the congregation: "We're getting together for breakfast this week."

"Yeah, I'll call you," his friend replied.

Tim pointed his finger. "This week, man."

Copyright © 2006 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

"Devastated by an Affair," which accompanies this article, tells how churches heal after a leader falls.

Christianity Today's full coverage of the Ted Haggard scandal is available on our site.

News articles on New Life's and Ted Haggard's recovery processes can be found on weblogs from December 1, November 21, 17, 16, 15, 13, and 6. Recent articles include:

Church looks to find its next life | Like many megachurches that have lost founders, New Life Church is in uncharted waters (The Denver Post)

New Life begins pastor hunt | With brisk efficiency, New Life Church in Colorado Springs has taken the first step toward finding a successor to disgraced Pastor Ted Haggard (Rocky Mountain News, Denver)

Shelving Ted Haggard's marital advice | What's in From This Day Forward, Making Your Vows Count a Lifetime (Jennifer Hunter, Chicago Sun-Times)

Arizona may figure into Haggard renewal | Exact plans for counseling are unclear (The Gazette, Colorado Springs)

Their demons make them do it | On the scale of despicableness, the hypocrite is king (Robyn Blumner, St. Petersburg Times, Fla.)

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January 2007, Vol. 51, No. 1