Dick B. interviews Christian Recovery
leader Don Z. on the January 13, 2013, episode of the "Christian Recovery
Radio with Dick B." show.
On
Dick B.
Copyright 2013 Anonymous.
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You may hear the Don Z Interview Right Now!
_____________________________________________________________
You may hear Dick B. interview Christian Recovery leader
Don Z. on the January 13, 2013, episode of the "Christian Recovery Radio
with Dick B." show here:
or here:
Episodes of the "Christian Recovery Radio with Dick
B." show are archived at:
Synopsis of the Don Z Interview by Dick B.
Don Z. is our guest this evening. We met Don not long ago
at a vibrant Christian 12-Step meeting in Los Gatos, California. It was held in
a special meeting room at Calvary Church. And we discovered Don is no stranger
to 12 Step recovery programs and Christian recovery fellowships.
Don has been sober since December 28, 1989, and his home
group is Saturday Nite Live in San Jose, California. Don received his
ministerial credential in 1991. He lives in Saratoga, California, and is the
founder/director for Joy of the Lord Ministries which was birthed from Don's
home from within Saturday Nite Live. It is a ministry of the Abundant Life
Assembly of God Church in Cupertino, California. JOTL Ministries has a website
at www.joyofthelordrecovery.com.
Don has been married 16 years to his bride Robin who runs
her own Christ Al-Anon meeting. They have four children between them and are
grandparents to Cruz Sunrise who is 7 weeks old. Don’s father introduced him to
Jesus Christ, and Don himself had a white light experience after hitting bottom
and crying out to God for help. Don had the usual “accidental” DUI’s—four of
them. He entered A.A. in 1982 for some 17 days, and did not return for help until 1989. This despite the fact that
his mother and grandmother died of alcoholism But, he says: "Our family
has been revolutionized by the Lord Jesus, the anonymous power in the 12 Step
rooms of recovery; and they are committed to being the best children of God
that they can be.”
As Don knows, Ken and I are very enthused about
establishing a working group, workshops, and network of Christian leaders and
workers in San Francisco’s South Bay Area. This is a major mission of
International Christian Recovery Coalition for 2013; and we were eagerly
awaiting some information today from Don about Saturday Nite Live, Joy of the
Lord Ministries, Abundant Life Assembly of God Church, and bringing the
Christian Recovery Network back to life. We understand he is working to that latter
objective with Doug Nunes, Director of Recovery, Calvary Church in Los Gatos.
Such a network of Christian leaders and workers in recovery now exists in various
parts of the United States; and we look forward to working with one in the San
Jose-South Bay Area extending at least from Livermore, Brentwood, Pleasanton,
San Jose, Los Gatos, Palo Alto, and Foster City.
Some key points made by Don as to what he calls his
bridge efforts in the secular community.
First, after a year and a half of sobriety, he was on
fire for the 12 Steps, A.A., and love of Jesus. But like so many these days, he
was rebuffed by a fiery few bleeding “deacons” who told him he could not say
what he was saying. Then, in 2001, he met a woman believer and asked her if she
would like to study Scripture. Her answer was, “Yes.” Then a born again
gentleman joined them, and their little meeting included music, prayer,
sharing, and speakers who were teachers—a much-needed commodity in today’s
divergent, mixed-message, secular-leaning recovery world.
Second, they stressed what the A.A. pioneers stressed,
and Dr. Bob emphatically mentioned in his last major talk—found in full in Co-Founders of Alcoholics Anonymous:
Biographical Sketches Their Last Major Talks (A.A. General Service
Conference-approved pamphlet P-53).
Early AAs believed the answers to their problems were in
the Bible. And the parts they considered absolutely essential were Jesus’s
Sermon on the Mount, 1 Corinthians 13, and the Book of James. See Dick B., The James Club and the Original A.A. Program’s
Absolute Essentials, www.dickb.com/JamesClub.shtml.
Third, they stressed the importance of a relationship
with God for those who want help. They offer information about the love of God
and the opportunity to grow in grace.
Finally, Don told us about the Christian Recovery Network
he hopes to see revived. This group was formed in 2001, had a website—since expired,
and listed the many solution-oriented Christ-centered groups in their area.
These had dynamic leaders who were born again; but their names and locations
were not known to those seeking God’s help. A Christian Recovery directory was
put together and posted, and met the need. But the site and directory expired.
Today, we urged Don to continue his work with leaders in
his area, as well as with us for resources. This so that the Christian Recovery
Network can be restored to life, a Directory can be assembled and disseminated,
and leaders in the area can work together for growth in Christian recovery, led
by devoted leader-believers in the San Jose-San Francisco South Bay recovery
arena. Strong groups already exist, and success is a matter of restoration not
experimentation.
Gloria Deo
Take it away, Don.
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