The Dick B. ChristianRecoveryRadio.com
Interview on July 5, 2012 with Christian Recovery Leader and A.A. Member
Dominic D. of the Cornerstone Fellowship—Livermore Campus Recovery Groups
On
Dick
B.
Copyright
2012 Anonymous. All rights reserved
An Extremely Helpful Talk on How to
Conduct a Winning Christian Recovery Fellowship
______________________________________________________________________________
You May Listen to this Important
Interview Right Now:
You may listen
to Dick B.'s interview of Christian Recovery leader Dominic D on the July 5,
2012, episode of the "Christian Recovery Radio with Dick B." show
here:
http://goo.gl/cDb3K
or here:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/christian-recovery-radio-with-dickb/2012/07/05/dick-b-interviews-christian-recovery-leader-dominic-d
Episodes of
the "Christian Recovery Radio with Dick B." show are archived at:
www.ChristianRecoveryRadio.com
Synopsis
of the Dominic D. Interview Today
Undoubtedly, the most important
aspect of Dominic’s talk is its nuts and bolts disclosure of exactly what a
vigorous and growing Christian Recovery Fellowship is doing right now at the
Cornerstone Fellowship—Livermore Campus, in Livermore, California. It will
bless those who want to know the answer to “How Do I Start A Group in
Conjunction with my church? There is no one-size-fits all pattern. But those
who listen will hear invaluable facts about how one area is doing it with great
success today!
One question often raised about
recovery groups today is that there is a proliferation of “court-card” people
being sent to A.A. Some seem to think this is contrary to the A.A. idea of “attraction
rather than promotion.” But Dominic joins a large number of alcoholics and
addicts in recovery—some already interviewed on our radio show--who received a “nudge
from the judge” (as he calls it) and then, by what Dominic believes was “divine
intervention” in his case, eventually dive in to the A.A. program and succeed in the manner they
succeed at Cornerstone in Livermore, California.
What Can I Do to Establish and
Conduct a Christian Recovery Group with My Church?
This is a question that has been
asked of Ken and myself with increasing frequency over the past six months. And
we believe that four important tools are emerging for your “spiritual tool kit”
that will provide the answers you need.
·
Listen to the Christian Recovery Radio Interviews by Dick B. that are now
going full speed ahead with Christian Recovery Leaders around the world.
Dominic’s talk today provides an excellent model. And, in the archived
interviews, there are others talking about their successful approaches.
·
Acquire the Dick B. and Ken B. Stick
with the Winners How To Conduct More Effective 12-Step Recovery Meetings Using
Conference-Approved Literature: A Dick B. Guide for Christian Leaders and
Workers in the Recovery Arena, 2012.
·
Acquire the Dick B. “Stick with the Winners!” 27-Video Class that
complements and illustrates live the process described in the guide. Just one video
at a time is good medicine and easy to swallow.
·
Acquire the Dick B. and Ken B. The
Dick B. Christian Recovery Guide: Historical Perspectives and Effective Modern
Application; and the new Fourth Edition is now about to be released and
available.
Here is Dominic’s Description of the
Cornerstone Fellowship Approach
Dominic first went to Alcoholics Anonymous,
but after 10 years of unsuccessful sobriety
efforts, he changed course. He began his new recovery march with
Christian facilities in Southern California. Specifically with Christians at
Saddleback Church and Celebrate Recovery. But he soon reached the conviction
that a meeting a week in a church at the beginning of recovery is not enough to
build a successful recovery effort, smash the old addictive behavior scene, and
establish a walk with God and Jesus Christ and build a spiritual life.
In 2004, Dominic became a
member of Cornerstone Fellowship in Livermore and was invited to establish a
12-Step Christian Recovery Ministry. It was not and is not an alternative to
A.A. Instead, it is a bridge to Christian recovery and a complementing Church
support of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Originally, there were two
meetings a week.
One started out as a “Good Book/Big
Book Workshop” that flourished. Then it became permanent with a regular
Thursday meeting. The meeting is open to those in the church as well as those
seeking recovery in A.A. And the approach it has used involves the following efforts:
·
Reading through the Big Book – page by page. And reading parallel Scripture
stories and verses. They use the Life
Recovery Bible because it has an index, making it easy to find the
parallels in the Bible. The group is small and therefore allows open discussion
covering the Spiritual Roots of A.A. and their connection to the Big Book and
Steps.
·
A study of the 89 “musts” in the Big Book, and a comparison with the
commandments of Jesus in the Bible.
·
A study of prayers in the Big Book and parallel prayers in the Bible.
·
A study of the “Promises” in the Big Book and parallel promises of God in
the Bible.
·
A study of Christian recovery long prior to the 12 Steps of Alcoholics
Anonymous.
The other group is “Turning
Point.” This is a larger group that is more like an A.A. meeting. Dominic
regards it as a hybrid A.A. opening and closing with prayer—as early AAs
did. They read Scriptures and freely talk
about the Bible and Jesus Christ and their walk with Jesus. On the first Monday
of each month, they invite outside speakers, often from other churches—a recent
example being Dale Marsh, Recovery Pastor at Oroville Church of the Nazarene
who also leads recovery groups in his church. The second Monday, they do a Step
Study. It is like a teaching in the
sense that an experienced AA shares his experience with a Step and shows how to
do it.
The remaining meetings are “topic’
meetings. The lead shares and then covers the parallels. After the share, they
read the 12 Steps and Bible parallels; and Dominic believes there is “rich
sharing.” Those attending consist of A.A. church members and other Christians
plus those seeking God. There is a fair number of newcomers.
There are two Women’s 12-Step
meetings per year, and men’s workshops as needed.
Dominic summarizes the
essence of the program as follows: They invest in others where they are at.
They do their best to love God and love others. They try to live this in their
daily lives. He believes it should not be called “teaching” but rather sharing
about Jesus Christ and his love and how he transforms lives. They regard
themselves as front row by standers. There is an impact on newcomers coming
from reaching out, meeting them, bringing them to church and the Big Book and
the Bible and helping on their journey with Jesus Christ. They either stay
sober and in church and working with a sponsor. Or they return for more.
Dominic closed with three
points: (1) Cornerstone is engaged in networking with other Christian recovery
leaders and fellowships. (2) It does so to share and to learn. (3) It is now
considering use of the Guide written by
Three Clarence Snyder Sponsee Old-timers and Their Wives, Compiled and Edited
by Dick B., and titled Our A.A. Legacy to
the Faith Community: A Twelve-Step Guide for Those Who Want to Believe.
Gloria Deo
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