“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13
Few problems encountered by a 21st-century pastoral staff pose as complex and wide-reaching of a challenge as that of addiction. At the same time, few opportunities exist to reunite those who have drifted from their Christian roots back into the body of Christ as does a robust recovery program. Testimony after testimony reveals those who have their lives transformed by Godin this area to go from tepid religious participation to being on fire for Christ.
Research shows church hesitancy to provide an effective recovery program stems from two main concerns. First is a fear that an addiction program might attract a rough, edgy group of people to the church that differs significantly from the current congregation. The truth is that there are approximately 20% of your CURRENT congregation that potentially could benefit from help with their compulsive use disorders. People typically won’t travel across town to attend a church small group. If Jesus taught us anything, it was to quit seeing sinners as “Those People.” They are us, sitting in our pews, and occupying our staff.
The bigger concern is the fear that the staff doesn’t understand addiction as a disease or how to best approach recovery in a manner that considers both scientific and Biblical understanding. What is needed is professional education for the staff, an already trained group of volunteers, and a program that embraces the best of 12-step recovery and medical understanding while never wavering on the healing power of Christ. The Dunamis Initiative (DI) answers all these questions for a staff seeking to extend the discipleship component of their church.
Among the happiest members of any church congregation are those who have been set free from the slavery of addiction. Gratitude curses through their veins and they are always looking for an opportunity to satisfy the twelfth-step directive to pay forward the lessons they’ve learned to others. AA and other anonymous groups have drifted toward the secular, and some are agnostic at best. Allowing Christ to be the proudly stated “higher power” and the “god of your understanding” forever to be the God of the Bible, reassures many who look at 12-step recovery suspiciously. Thousands of Christian physicians and counselors with a Biblical worldview are available in every city. They are often eager to partner with the church willing to help with their recovery. Many rehabs also have a Christian track and are always looking for referral churches when working on aftercare planning.
DI offers teaching for staff and volunteers in both written and digital formats. The book and workbook bring language and medical understanding into the 21st century, all while teaching complete surrender to our Heavenly Father and the healing power of a life following Jesus. We will offer blogs, podcasts, and consultations with our staff. Dr. Middleton will also be available for in-person training and churchwide kickoffs as his time allows. We desire to initiate a comprehensive Christian addiction recovery ministry as easily as possible. While at the same time, uses His children to “provide a way out” so the suffering can stand up against the most difficult and devastating challenge of our time.
Featured Resource
The statistics on drug and substance disorder are staggering. We've put together this FREE downloadable resource for your church to use to better understand what is happening in today's world.
Use this form to access the whitepaper.
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