Urgent care situations often require an immediate response from church leaders. This overview outlines major steps you should take in addressing substance abuse. These steps are explored in greater depth and detail in the remainder of this packet.
Immediate Concerns
Obtain immediate emergency medical aid if any indication of a drug overdose or an alcoholic coma is evident.
People high on drugs or drunk on alcohol can be violent and dangerous. Do not attempt to restrain them unless heroic efforts are called for.
Anatomy of a Fall Substance abuse is a subtle sin that can trap unlikely victims. James D. Berkley
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Gordon Weekley was a pastor who, by all indications, appeared destined to preside as a prince of the church. He was born into a godly home in Atlanta, the heart of the Bible Belt. His home church, First Baptist, was pastored by a statesman of the denomination who later became Gordon's seminary president, "and he had a great influence on me," Gordon once said.
A Sober Look at Substance Abuse Alcohol and drugs take a devastating toll on families, communities, and churches. James D. Berkley
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One of my earliest memories of comedy involved an aging vaudevillian named Mr. Pastry. While music played, Mr. Pastry acted out a group of men drinking, dancing, and cavorting until they passed out. Our family laughed and laughed at this act.
But looking at it now with life (and pastoral) experience, drunkenness isn't very funny. Countless individuals are devastated, careers ruined, families split, ...
Even Good Women Get Hooked Substance abuse is a reality for women in your church, but so is hope for recovery. Sharon Hersh
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An article on Christian women and addiction may disturb a congregation denying the realities of the church. But there are women in the pews who are neither shocked nor amazed. They know about the desperate addictions seldom described, much less acknowledged, at church meetings.
Perhaps the most difficult part of the recovery process is admitting you're addicted, and facing it squarely:
What does my behavior look like in its darkest moments?
“Hit by a Ton of Bricks” How to minister to parents who are facing the addiction of a child John Vawter
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Slightly more than ten years ago, my wife and I received the dreadful news that drugs had invaded our family. One of our adult children was an addict. The pain was unbearably deep; the shock, paralyzing. I was pastoring a church in Minnesota at the time, and all I knew how to pray was, "God, can you help us?"
A decade later, life looks much better. Our child is sober and has a good career. But the ...
Confronting the Addict Understand and practice the process of persuading substance abusers to get help. James D. Berkley
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The crisis of substance abuse often is that the abuser does not or will not seek help. How does a church drive an addict into the arms of rescue?
A Guided Confrontation
One of the most successful—and also problematic—ways to stir an alcoholic into seeking help is the guided confrontation or intervention. In an intervention, a small number of significant people in the addict's life (spouse, ...
Many churches have determined to reach substance abusers and offer biblical approaches to this difficult problem. In light of sin's ability to produce feelings of powerlessness, compelling solutions are essential. This means that rather than offering sophisticated new techniques, church leaders must offer a meaningful and true model of biblical change.
Understanding Recovery It isn’t easy or quick, but church leaders can support addicts as they journey toward sobriety. A BuildingChurchLeaders.com Interview
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Drug and alcohol addictions are seldom conquered—even controlled—on the first attempt. This poses a pastoral-care dilemma: What does care look like when you're dealing with a long-term process? What about the addict's family—how can pastors minister to the people who have to watch these struggles play out in front of them?
BuildingChurchLeaders.com asked four people who know both addiction ...
Pastors and church leaders who invest even a small portion of their time in rescuing kids from drugs have a major impact, not only on these youth, but on their community as well.
Stopping It Before It Starts
Prevention involves educating adults and teaching them to educate their children. It also means reminding adults about the power of modeling. Even the best facts or the finest example need to be ...
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