Christian Recovery Resource Centers—Worldwide

Christian Recovery Resource Centers—Worldwide The First Quarter of 2011 By Dick B. © 2011 Anonymous. All rights reserved As of January 1, 2011, our Web pages and letters will be used in part for publishing contact (and other relevant) information about individuals, groups, and organization which become “Christian Recovery Resource Centers” affiliated with the International Christian Recovery Coalition. Here Are Our Current Affiliates Please contact the following individuals, groups, and organizations if you would like to know about Christian recovery resources—such as Christian and Christian-track treatment programs, Christian sober living, Christian counseling, and Christian recovery fellowships—in their area (or in their state, in their country, and/or elsewhere in the world through the International Christian Recovery Coalition). We are pleased to announce that the following have established “Christian Recovery Resource Centers” in the first three months of the “Christian Recovery Resource Centers Worldwide” project which began January 1, 2011: ñ Manna House Ministries, James Moody, President, Jamestown, TN (931) 752-7075 http://MannaHouseMinistries.com/ ñ New Life Spirit Recovery, Inc., Robert Tucker, Ph.D., President, Huntington Beach, CA (866) 543-3361 http://www.NewLifeSpiritRecovery.com/OC_Recovery.html ñ Rock Recovery Ministries/ABC Sober Living/Soledad House, David Powers, San Diego, CA (619) 925-1879 http://www.TheRockSanDiego.org/Ministries/RockRecovery/ ñ Golden Hills Community Church, recovery ministry, Brentwood, CA http://www.goldenhills.org/about/staff.html; c/o David Sadler, 3220 Surmont Drive, Lafayette, CA 94549 (925) 382-6070 ñ Bruce A. Aspgren, Rocking A. Ministry, PO Box 211, Caldwell, TX 77836-0211 ñ Paul Popiel, A.A. believer, 504 Manor Drive, Pacifica, CA 94044 (650) 359-6794 ñ Christian Recovery Resource Center Satellite Office, Wally Lowe, 7835 1st Street SW, Vero Beach, FL 32968 (O) (772) 794-2485; (C) (954) 395-2743 ñ Maui Christian Recovery Resource Center Main Office, Dick B. and Ken B., PO Box 837, Kihei, HI 96753-0837 (C) (808) 276-4945. In partnership with the County of Maui Salvation Army ñ Christian Community Missions, Chaplain/Pastor Leonard Grubb, 773 Mentor Avenue, Painesville, OH (C) (216) 496-0406 ñ Mark Galligan, A.A. Christian Believer, 13 Telford Road, Collingwood, Ontario, Canada L9Y545 Office: (705) 445-9135; Home: (416) 453-6250; MagicJack: (716) 240-5243; Skype: mark,galligan1 ñ Robert P. Turner, MD, MSCR, Associate Professor of Neurosciences and Pediatrics, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Associate Researcher, MIND Research Institute, Basic Science Building, Room 344J, Charleston, SC 29425; Office: (843) 792-3307; (843) 792-1351; Paging: (843) 792-2123; Facsimile: (843) 792-3220 or 792-8626 ñ Grant Sharp, Quest Ministries, 24 Rushley Drive, Sheffield, Yorks S17 3EN United Kingdom Grantsharp7@hotmail.com ñ Roger McDiarmid, A.A. Christian believer, Salesman, Estuary Lane, Huntington Beach, CA 92646, (949) 836-4214 ñ Won Way Out Ministries Treatment Center, William Boyles, 327 Martin Street, Dover, DE 19901 (302) 674-8036 ñ Alcoholics For Christ, Neighborhood Church, Gary Seymour, 1001 W. Country Club Lane, Escondido, CA 92026, www.neighborhoodafc.com ñ Ken Jones, Pastoral Counselor, 2526 Ventura Circle, W. Melbourne, FL 32904 1 (321) 501-2014; kjones79@cfl.rr.com; http://www.aprodigalreturn.com/ ñ Steve Foreman, "Came To Believe" retreats, 2211 Lee Road, Suite 100, Winter Park, FL 32789, (407) 862-5900 Steve@CameToBelieve.org; www.CameToBelieve.org ñ The Oasis Recovery Center of Western PA (Oasis Institute), Dr. Karen A. Plavan, Ph.D., CEO/Executive Director, 960 Penn Avenue, Suite 105, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 (412) 281-8364 http://www.oasisrecoverycenter.org ñ Celebrate A New Life, Bobby Nicholl Director of Admissions, 27382 Calle Arroyo, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675 (800) 708-3173 http://www.celebratedrugrehab.com ñ Randall Minchew, StepCloser, Inc., 4001 Meadow View, Columbia, MO 65201 randysnetwork@gmail.com; http://stepcloser.ning.com/ ñ Jim Gaffney, former Recovery Pastor, Mariners Church, former pharmacist, counselor, 206 Hilltop Lane, Nyack, NY 10960, (845) 598-4957; jim.gaffney1@me.com ____________________________________________________________________________ Some Words about the Foregoing 21 “Christian Recovery Resource Centers” and Those to Follow Each of the foregoing Christian leaders has substantial sobriety and experience, and is an “A.A.-friendly,”“Bible friendly,” and “history-friendly” veteran who has worked to help others recover for many years. Most have heard Dick B. and Ken B. speak, have helped with or participated in our conferences, and are actively conducting one or more Christian recovery efforts in their area. You can feel comfortable about referring inquiries to them, or contacting them for referrals or information, or just plain networking. This list needs to be more substantial. The more the foregoing folks send us about their contact information, their programs, their plans, their emails and websites, and their suggestions and needs, the better In the next three months, we expect to have another 20 or more “Christian Recovery Resource Centers” added to the foregoing 21. Already, we know of Christian recovery leaders in Maui, Oahu, Northern California, Central California, Southern California, Washington, Maine, New York, New Jersey, Missouri, Georgia, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Florida, Arizona, Texas, and other locations who have contacted us and indicated they would like to establish a Center soon. The Immediate Plans for the International Christian Recovery Coalition Hawaii: We are working with some young men and volunteers on Maui with plans to work in partnership with the County of Maui Salvation Army to build a corps of clean and sober young Christians who will advance the cause of making known the role that God, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Bible have played in the recovery movement and can and should play today. There should be activities, with music, Bible teaching, prayer, praise, healing, and fellowship with God, His Son, and other believers. California: Later this year, when we have filled out the ranks of participants in the International Christian Recovery Coalition, those who have established Christian Recovery Resource Centers, and our Speakers Bureau, we hope to have what some might call a “summit” conference. The event would be in a large church such as Mariners in Newport Beach. It would have one or more outstanding recovered Christian personalities speak. It would have music. It would have a workshop where all participants can report on the progress of the last two years, report on their own programs, raise questions and comments, make suggestions, and suggest any needed changes or any special needs of their own. We would expect to have a large gathering with lots of Orange County and Southern California support, plus the attendance of the many leaders who have helped us for so long. Speaking engagements: To a limited extent, we would be willing to speak at conferences and meetings such as the 20 or more we held in 2010 and early 2011 – provided there are hosts, funds for travel and meals and lodging, and a real area enthusiasm for the event. Other opportunities: Enabling participants and others to purchase the 29-volume “Dick B. Christian Recovery Reference Set” at a substantial discount to assist them in their Christian recovery work. Continuing to encourage and support the establishment of Christian recovery fellowships, study groups, Eleventh Step meetings, prayer groups, and history presentations. A Report of the Coalition’s Accomplishments Membership: In less than two years, we have established the International Christian Recovery Coalition with members from all over the world. And we are inviting new participants by newsletters, blogs, articles, Facebook announcements, Twitter announcements, and personal contacts. Publications: We have published: (a) The Dick B. Christian Recovery Guide, 3rd ed.; (b) the “Introductory Foundations for Christian Recovery” class on four DVD's—available with or without a Class Instructor's Guide; (c) The Dick B. Handbook for Christian Recovery Resource Centers. Conferences: We have spoken at over 20 conferences and meetings in California and Oahu. “Christian Recovery Resource Centers”: To date, 21 “Christian Recovery Resource Centers” have been established worldwide. Public presentations: We have spoken on two radio shows, twice at the Association of Christian Alcohol and Drug Counselors Conference, to the staff at Pacific Hills Treatment Centers, and at the Betty Ford Center Alcohol Awareness Hour Program. Free history materials: We have distributed 350 cases of Dick B. A.A. history titles in the last two months and made the distributions free except for a $30.00-per-case charge for U.S. Postal Service Media Mail Shipping and Handling (including Delivery Confirmation for many cases). Established: (a) International Christian Recovery Coalition offices in Maui and in Southern California; (b) The website www.ChristianRecoveryCoalition.com; (c) The blog www.internationalchristianrecoverycoaliti.blogspot.com. The Purpose of It All The International Christian Recovery Coalition is not a highly-structured organization or fellowship. It grew out of the need to bring the recovery community back to the truth about the Christian origins and successes of the original recovery movement; back to the truth about the history and founding and original program of the Akron A.A. “Christian fellowship”; and back to the truth about the development and change in 12-Step, treatment, counseling, and recovery fellowships since A.A. began. The simple purposes are to serve and glorify God and His Son Jesus Christ; and to give witness to the efficacy and availability of the power, love, forgiveness, healing, guidance, new life, everlasting life, and deliverance from the power of darkness available to those who want God’s help and establish a relationship with Him through His Son Jesus Christ. A Request of You Please love and strengthen us and the participants with the love of God. Please feel free to contact Dick B. at dickb@dickb.com and Ken at (808) 276-4945 (after 8:00 A.M., H.A.S.T.). Please feel free to tell us of your own programs, your own discoveries, your own suggestions, and your own successes. And keep ever in mind that the major functions of this Coalition are to help alcoholics, addicts, and those with life-controlling problems, as well as those affected by them, to seek God’s help, establish a relationship with Him through His Son Jesus Christ, and become new men and women in Christ—overcomers, victors, servants. Gloria Deo

How Do I Participate in the Fellowship?

If you would like to become and be listed as a participant in the International Christian Recovery Fellowship, the steps are simple: 1. Read the Mission statement on our website www.ChristianRecoveryCoalition.com. 2. Decide that you want to be listed as a participant because (a) You are a Christian. (b) You are a Christian recovery leader or worker. (c) You wish to support the mission and projects of the Coalition. (d) You want to promote "old school" A.A. and its simple reliance on the power and love of God to heal, guide, forgive, and strengthen alcoholics, addicts, and affected others. (e) You believe it is important to report and publish the Christian origins, history, founding, original program, and astonishing success rates of the early A.A. Christian Fellowship in Akron (founded in 1935). These five thoughts are not the only reasons, but they suggest most of the reasons people have listed themselves. Any one is sufficient. 3. Remember that there is no charge or cost whatever in joining as a participant. It's free! 4. Send an email to dickb@dickb.com; or phone Dick B. at 808 874 4876; or write Dick B. at PO Box 837, Kihei, HI 96753-0837 and provide the following information (and here is an example) Richard G. Burns, Christian and A.A. Historian, Kihei, Hawaii In other words, give us your name, your status or ministry, and your city and state. 5. It will be helpful, of course, for us to have additional information such as the following: (a) Your occupation. (b) Your mail address (c) Your Christian ministry or affiliation. (d) Your email address. (e) Your phone number. (f) The URL of your website, if any. That way, we and others can contact you no matter where you are in the world. Please contact either Dick B. or Ken B. (at 808 276 4945) if you have any questions. God Bless you, Dick B., Executive Director

International Christian Recovery Coalition Mission

This is the first of our blog posts. International Christian Recovery Coalition is an informal, worldwide, no cost fellowship of participating Christian recovery leaders and workers. Its basic mission is to disseminate the role of God, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Bible played and can play in the recovery movement. We have a website: http://www.christianrecoverycoalition.com/ The Coalition likes to say it is A.A. friendly, Bible friendly, History friendly, and exists to serve Yahweh, Creator of the heavens and the earth; His Son Jesus Christ; and the purpose of the Bible. Our main office is in Kihei, Maui, Hawaii. Our Southern California office is in Huntington Beach, California. Our mail address is PO Box 837, Kihei, HI 96753-0837 Phone: 808 874 4876 email: dickb@dickb.com Our major projects our these: 1. To encourage Christian leaders and workers all over the world to list themselves as participants in our mission. 2. Participants, area outreach people, and leaders are listed on our website. 3. Our major project for the first quarter of 2011 was the distribution free of about 350 cases of Dick B. A.A. history titles - with a charge of only $30. per case to fund s & h costs. It was and is the plan to have recipients distribute the books free to those needing and wanting God's help in overcoming alcoholism, drug addiction, and other life-controlling problems. The project has just been completed; and the free cases have all been shipped to those requesting them. 4. Our ongoing project is to encourage the establishment of Christian Recovery Resource Centers where those afflicted and affected can find out who to talk to, where to go, what options are available, and how to find Christian recovery resources throughout the world. Individual Centers may have their own Christian counseling, Christian fellowship, Christian treatment, Christian intervention, Christian after-care, Christian sober living, and even Christian detox capability. If they don't have a particular resource, they can and will refer the inquirer to a source which can help if that source is known and in the area needed. We now have 20 of these centers established in the U.S., UK, and Canada. They are listed on the International Christian Recovery Coalition website. 5. We have a speaker's bureau, and speakers are listed on www.ChristianRecoveryCoalition.com. 6. If funded by the area, we are pleased to speak on radio, TV, in churches, in treatment programs, in Christian recovery fellowships, at A.A. and N.A. meetings, at seminars, at conferences, and at personal meetings to inform and train leaders. 7. There is a pilot program on Maui in partnership with the County of Maui Salvation Army where the ideas and resources are being tested, presented, and evaluated. 8. We have many resources to assist participants: (a) "Introductory Foundations for Christian Recovery" a 4 DVD class with instructor and student guides. (b) The Dick B. Christian Recovery Guide. (c) The Dick B. Handbook for Christian Recovery Resource Centers. (d) A substantially discounted set of 29 volumes of the Dick B. Christian Recovery titles. (e) Individual titles on the history of Alcoholics Anonymous and Christian Recovery. Richard G. Burns, J.D., CDAAC is Executive Director of International Christian Recovery Coalition. He lives on Maui and travels widely. He is materially assisted by his older son, Reverend Ken Burns, M.A.. Richard writes under the pen name of Dick B. and has authored 42 titles on A.A. history and over 500 articles on the history and Bible roots of A.A.