The Agape Circle
By Dick B.
© 2012 Anonymous. All rights reserved
An event of great significance occurred recently with regard
to our work of unearthing, collating, reporting, and disseminating the history
of Alcoholics Anonymous and the Christian Recovery Movement.
We devoted 20-plus years to travel, interviews, examination
of books and records, visits to archives, acquisition of massive historical
documents and books, and then analyzing them and reporting them—one by one—as
the truth appeared.
The cost was quite large. It would have been far beyond my
reach, resources, and retirement income financially. It involved the cost of
printing, shipping, and storing more than 40 titles, a number of which have
gone through several editions and/or reprintings. It involved the large cost of
traveling with attendant air fare, transportation, meals, lodging, and
incidentals. It involved the expenditure of an immense amount of time and
effort by my son Ken B. and many others. And, of course, it involved acquisition,
maintenance, and replacement of office equipment, supplies, and incidentals.
Finally, one of the most expensive—yet productive—aspects was traveling to
meetings with scores of AAs, NAs, treatment people, significant people in
A.A.’s history, historians, curators, clergy, physicians, and large numbers of
Christian recovery leaders, workers, newcomers, and the concerned public—travel
which in some cases involved staying a week or more in a given area.
For the past six months, we have worked hard to scale back
all the typical past expenses of books, travel, printing, computers, storage,
Internet presentations, conferences, and meetings.
In doing so, we have made known to a growing body of
churches, clergy, recovery pastors, care pastors, and Christian recovery
leaders our plan to continue our work of making the application of time-honored
Christian recovery tools available to a host of people and institutions in the
recovery arena, including those who want God’s help, and may be receptive to
Christian fellowship of the kind manifested in First Century Christianity, the
early Akron A.A. Christian fellowship, and in the hearts and minds of hungry
recovered, recovering, and new alcoholics and addicts and those with
life-controlling problems.
The need exists because of the secularization of our society
and our recovery fellowships, programs, and movements. It exists because of the
dearth of information today about the effectiveness of Christian recovery
organizations, leaders, and societies long before and at the founding of the
modern-day Twelve Step and Anonymous groups. And it exists because of the
incredible lack of knowledge among those who treat alcoholics and addicts and
their families, those who counsel them, those who speak about them, those who
lead them, those who sponsor them, and those who serve them. Not to mention the
lack of knowledge among those who are new to recovery from the ravages of
alcoholism and addiction.
The Plan for the Agape Circle
Several churches have already recognized the modest need and
are contributing $50.00 per month each to Dick B. to support the continued
research, writing, expansion, counsel, and growth of the application of
“old-school” A.A. and its Christian principles and practices in Alcoholics
Anonymous, other 12-Step programs, and other recovery work today.
For large cost items, we still invite and do receive tax
deductible donations that enable the remaining work. And we still define the
needs and invite the gifts.
But for the day-in-day-out work right here on Maui, our
dream is to have a circle—an “Agape Circle”—of at least 20 Christian churches
or recovery groups and leaders who will graciously provide a monthly stipend
payable to Dick B. in amount of $50.00 each month to further work in the
Christian Recovery arena.
As stated, several are doing, or are about to do, just that.
We believe the amount is reasonable. We have specific plans to live within the
Agape Circle contributions. And we will deeply appreciate your becoming part of
the Agape Circle with your church or recovery program, or Christian fellowship.
The answer desired?
Yes, Dick. Our group will help your work by sending to Dick
B., PO Box 837, Kihei, HI 96753 a donation of $50.00 per month as our contribution
to the Agape Circle.
Name:
_______________________________________________________________________
Address:
_____________________________________________________________________
Phone and email:
_______________________________________________________________
Amount we will send each month: $
________________________________________________
For more information, please contact me:
Dick B.
PO Box 837
Kihei, HI 96753-0837
Email: DickB@DickB.com
Main Web site: www.DickB.com
H/O tel.: (808) 874-4876
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