A Tribute to the Important Christian Recovery Service of Pastor Joe Furey and His Place Church at Westminster CA

               

Thankful for His Place Church in Westminster CA

Postby dickb on Wed Jan 22, 2014 5:57 pm

I won't gild the lily in commenting on Pastor Joe Furey's recent account and article. I will simply say that we have worked long and hard to see Christians helping drunks and addicts, and drunks and addicts helping Christians. We have been warmly received at His Place Church when we spoke there. And Joe has given us a helping hand. We know from the great people who have been attracted to His Place and who help there that this is the kind of Christian recovery outreach which provides the model so badly needed. My understanding of the Friday meeting there is that the Big Book and the Bible are the announced texts for that active gathering. Freedom of expression abounds. And our particular hope is that, in looking at folks like Joe and the His Place Church, alkies, drug addicts, the dependents and others will see the importance of the Christian origins, history, cofounders, and original Christian Fellowship program of A.A. founded in 1935. There were no Big Books, nor Steps, nor Traditions, nor war stories, nor meetings like many today. The suffering souls looked upon the early Akron A.A. Christian Fellowship as a group where they participated in the same general way that First Century Christians fellowshipped as described in the Book of Acts: Daily action, praying together, hearing the Word together, breaking bread together, converting others together, witnessing and healing others together. It's a full-time effort and can produce full-time results. His Place, Joe, Jonny Ray, Roger, and others there that we know are helping build what we call a recovery friendly, Bible friendly, 12-Step friendly, prayer friendly, Christian friendly, fellowship friendly, and healing friendly band of recovered Christians who want others to know the role that God, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Bible have played and can play in recovery from the 1850's forward. The YMCA, Rescue Missions, Salvation Army, Evangelists, Congregationalists, Christian Endeavor youngsters, and even the later A First Century Christian Fellowship (later the Oxford Group) utilized God's love and power to help the "unworthy"--the Yale to Jail broken folks--the derelicts, down-trodden, and drunks who had constructed pits from which they could see no way out. Joe's church can, and so can participants in International Christian Recovery Coalition now in all 50 states and several other countries. Thanks, Joe, Jonny, Roger, and His Place. In His Service, Dick B., Kihei, Maui, Hawaii