We Have a Mandate

Holy Smoke has been serving the community since 2012. Our vision is to reach the next generation of teens, youth, young adults, and millennials by giving them a platform to share their testimonies, God-given gifts, and talents with the world. Our desire is to see them encouraged, strengthened, and equipped in Christ to bring revival and transformation into the community.

Our mission is to continue impacting the next generation by providing them with an opportunity to network and connect with each other at a place outside of a church building where they can grow spiritually, freely express themselves and their talents, and enjoy a great free meal together

As the monthly meetings continue to increase, our goal is to purchase a place of our own where we can host larger gatherings on a more frequent basis throughout the month. The youth and young adults are looking for a place to gather on the weekends to hang out and have fun, and we desire to provide them with an alternative location where they can go instead of hitting the streets at night and going to wild parties, slipping away from their God-given destinies.

If you feel an urgency to help us reach our goal and fulfill this mandate. You can find out more information on how you can help by clicking the button below.

Our Team

Jerry DeFlorio

Founder of Holy Smoke and Vice President and National Director of The Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship in America. Jerry is a retired auto body mechanic who has been faithfully serving the Lord since the 1980’s. He is happily married and the father of three daughters, who are all married and on fire for Jesus. Jerry led Holy Smoke for over nine years before moving to Naples, Florida.

Tommy Kodel

Co-Leader of Holy Smoke and co-founder of River of Fire. Tommy first came to know the Lord Jesus Christ back in his teens and has been using his gifts to serve Him ever since. By the grace of God he has been blessed with a great job as a middle school Media Science teacher and has just released his first studio album, “The Unveiling.”

Abram Gonzalez

Co-Leader of Holy Smoke. Abram grew up in Norwalk, CT and came to know the Lord after being delivered from the gang lifestyle. He cuts hair on the side and enjoys spending time with his wife and five kids.

It was all a Dream

Holy Smoke Hangout was birthed out of the heart of Jerry DeFlorio in 2012. It was always on Jerry's heart to reach the young people, and to bring them hope and direction in their lives. When his good friend, Joseph Corley, caught the vision of what God wanted to do with the youth, he teamed up with Jerry and they began working together. Jerry saw that we were losing a generation of young people, caught up in a promiscuous society as referred to in the Bible:  

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 3:1-7, NKJ).

Jerry then began praying with a team of five people for about a year for a lost generation, asking God what to do. Shortly after, he attended a prayer meeting in Stamford, CT where the guest speaker that night prophesied over Jerry that he would start an outreach to a lost generation. The following week Jerry attended another prayer meeting, which he attended often. While he was there he shared about what had been prophesied over him and he received a large donation to start it up. It was at that time Jerry believed God had opened the door for him to start Holy Smoke Hangout. He immediately went out and found a place to meet that would hold up to 150 people. The name of the place was called, "Eunice Van Zilen Hall," in East Norwalk. The cost was very low, and the place could be used to meet on a monthly basis. This was another door that God opened, which showed Jerry that he was on the right track.

Together, Jerry and Joseph persevered in prayer and encouragement for each other to keep moving forward. When the meetings finally got started it was amazing to see young people show up out of the blue with such little advertisement. Now the meetings still continue to this day, and are very successful with so many attending that we need to expand further. Youth are being reached, talents are being shared, people are being connected, everyone is having fun, and God is being glorified! Since this outreach continues to grow, Holy Smoke is now looking for a larger facility to accommodate the ongoing growth of this ministry. Holy Smoke has become much more of an enlarged ministry than we could have ever imagined, and the reason is simply because God is in it!

Joseph and his wife, Mara, have been a huge help. Their simplicity, wisdom, and experience helped Holy Smoke to get off to a great start. Tommy Kodel has also come alongside to help with Holy Smoke since the beginning, and now runs it with Abram Gonzalez and the Holy Smoke team. In addition, many others have graciously helped out along the way through volunteering, giving financially, spreading the word, sharing their gifts and talents, and encouraging the growth of Holy Smoke. We are amazed at what the Lord has done through this ministry over the years, and are even more excited for the things to come! If you feel stirred up after reading this amazing testimony, see how you can partner with the vision the Lord gave us by clicking the button below.

Our Events

We recently made a big transition to Bridgeport, CT where we will re-launch Friday, January 20, 2023 at Universal Faith Outreach, located on 66 Harriet Street, Bridgeport, CT, at 7:00-10:00 PM. We invite different worship teams, guest speakers, Christian rap and hip-hop artists, dancers, singers, and musicians to share their gifts and talents every month while providing free pizza and ice-cold beverages for all who show up. Come out and join us! All are welcome! For more specific info about our events click on the button below.