Recently, I had the privilege of speaking at the national conference for the Christian Medical Dental Association (CMDA) on how to support people going through 12-step recovery for addictions of all kinds. It was great to be at a conference where 1200 professionals could proudly bow their heads and give thanks to their savior, Christ Jesus. Unfortunately, this doesn’t happen at other conferences. God knows that medicine isn’t suffering from a lack of knowledge; it often lacks love, compassion, empathy, and the desire to see patients through God’s eyes. This week, Cincinnati was packed with medical and dental providers.
The keynote speaker was the most recent past Surgeon General, Vice Admiral Jerome Adams, who spoke passionately about the need to step up our efforts in treating addiction in the United States. His heart-moving story includes his frustrations with being in charge of the nation’s response to the opioid epidemic while only a few dozen miles away, his own brother was incarcerated for 10 years due to his criminal behavior while suffering from addiction.
His call to action included prayerful mobilization of churches and the medical community together in an “all hands on deck” response to our nation’s greatest medical issue. Currently, 20-30% of our country’s population could technically be diagnosed with a compulsive use disorder, and the key to recovery is good medical care and reprogramming the thinking regarding how to soothe the self when disturbed.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.” Romans 12:2
I was grateful to be able to meet with him afterward to share thoughts on getting churches to become involved in the social/spiritual components of this devastating epidemic. He agreed with me that most pastors have an abundance of compassion for the issue but limited bandwidth because of the dozens of hats they are required to wear and frequently very limited resources to expand capacity. The Dunamis Initiative is prepared to show you how to leverage bandwidth that already exists within your church and local community. Many churches find a robust addiction recovery ministry draws unchurched people from the local community back into the body of Christ.
When the church community, modern medical care, and counseling with a Biblical worldview combine efforts, we unleash the potential power that can only be attributed to our Heavenly Father. Around our office, we call that potential power “Dunamis,” and it’s all the power any of us could ever need. We are looking forward to meeting you and discussing how we might support your ministry and the people you serve. Drop us a line today!
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.
By submitting this form you agree to receive updates and information from The Dunamis Initiative via email. We are careful with your information and do not redistribute it in any way.