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Managing a recovery ministry can present as many obstacles as it does benefits for a church and its surrounding community.
Leading churches identify three principal areas that can affect the ultimate success of a recovery ministry: the sponsoring church, dynamics within the recovery ministry itself and the larger community.
Obstacles exist in each of these areas, such as the stigma attached to those in recovery, lack of volunteer leaders and difficulty attaining community trust. Churches that are successfully overcoming these barriers are finding strategies that help them thrive in each circumstance.
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Overcoming Barriers Within the Sponsoring Church
In churches involved in recovery ministry, stigma is a major issue that takes many forms. It shows up in stares and disparaging comments from church-goers, church leaders from |
church-goers, church leaders who relegate recovery meetings to the back room of their facilities, and hurting people who would rather suffer in silence than be seen at a recovery meeting.
Leaders have taken some daring steps to break down the stigma and face these real-life situations.
Bill Hale, minister of the Atlanta Outreach program at North Atlanta Church of Christ in Atlanta, GA says acceptance in the sponsoring church often begins with involving key congregational leaders.
"We have three elders who are mentors in our recovery ministry now," Bill says. "You have to find ways to get people to renew their minds about what it is we are trying to do. We have been able to pull in people who have seen the value of the ministry, who are also influential in the church."
Bill stresses the importance of elders taking an active role in the ministry, versus serving merely as an advisor. North Atlanta Elder Ken Shurmard adds that even with elder support, the ministry is not without detractors. "If folks don't like what the ministry is about, we realize they will leave," he says. "That is OK. They need to find a place they can serve, but our church family is committed to this direction."
Overcoming Barriers Within a Recovery Ministry
When a recovery ministry has the blessing of supportive senior leaders and a sponsoring church environment that promotes its growth, obstacles such as a shortage of volunteers. . .
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Americans Misinformed About Poverty, Help the Poor Anyway
A new survey says most people are actively involved in trying to alleviate poverty, although they typically believe it's primarily the government's job to do so.
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U.S. Racial/Ethnic Population Reaches 100 Million
The U.S. Census Bureau recently reported that the U.S. racial/ethnic population now tops 100 million, up from 98.3 million a year ago.
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29% of Americans (Still) Not Using Internet
Although, 7 in 10 Americans who go online from home now connect via high-speed lines, approximately 29% don't use the Internet at all—with a pronounced generation gap.
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Pursuant Group
The Pursuant Group, an alliance partner of Leadership Network, offers strategic, creative and technical services to fundraising professionals who desire to utilize the Internet as a relationship fundraising channel. |
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Outreach Cheers Church Planting, Supported by Leadership Network
The current issue of Outreach magazine (July-August 2007) focuses on church-planting churches and ranks "America's Top 25 Multiplying Churches," a list that includes many long-time friends of Leadership Network.
Access to Free Downloads Streamlined and Customized
With concept papers now exceeding 75 in number (and downloads totaling more than 100,000), Leadership Network has streamlined access to downloads in several ways . . .
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The Road to Recovery
Henderson Hills Baptist Church in Edmond Oklahoma, a participant in one of Leadership Network's Recovery Ministry Leadership Communities, is touching the lives of hurting people through its Ministry of Jesus recovery program. Read this inspiring story to see how God turned a man's life around through the obedience of one young girl, who refused to let societal taboos limit her personal ministry.
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You can peruse articles on a myriad of ministry topics in the Advance Archives, including these past articles:
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