New Ministry and updates

[reba]

I agree Deb .... I may be wrong but i kinda think the guys are wanting to keep this thread to ministry side of the drug world


ADDED
Deborah13 good time for me to be wrong

 

[Deborah13]

Sorry guys, I apologize, I let my emotions get away.

I take my hat off to each and everyone who gets involved in this ministry of saving our youth. My God bless you richly.

 

[stovebolts]

Deborah13
I don't have a problem with what you've posted and there isn't anything wrong with showing your emotions. It's all good and thanks for your heartfelt thoughts. They are well received.

 

[stovebolts]

That is quite a testimony! I'm sure that is only part of it. Do you ever share your full testimony in church or a group of people? I think drugs are definitely a tool of the devil and it seems like he is using it more and more these days. Lately I have been doing a lot of thinking and researching about how to reach people with addiction. There are many addicts who are already Christians (I was saved at age 12 but started using at age 15) and then you have the other group of people who are not Christians. How do you do think we as Christians should respond to an addict that shows interest in getting clean but doesn't want to have anything to do with God? That's a tricky one for me because I know a lot of people say that hitting bottom from their addiction is when they finally gave up on everything else and found Christ. As for me, I don't think my relationship with Christ would be as strong as it is if I had not had my battle with addiction.

I share parts of it with other people, including members but I do guard what I tell them and how I tell them. I teach the adult class a quarter of each year so this year they saw a bit more about my past since I was teaching on the transformational work that only comes through Christ. I do belong to FAN and Naranon and I've shared more raw material their than I ever would in church or to those who don't have anything to relate my stories to. Speaking of, I made the mistake of telling part of my story to a certain member at our church and it discussed him so deeply he won't look at me the same. In short, some people can't handle where you've come from, so I guard what I say and how I say it depending on who I'm saying it to.

As far as the non-christians, please don't take this wrong but I'm more concerned about helping them out with their immediate struggles than bringing them to Christ. Don't get me wrong, I don't hide what God has done in my life and I'll share it with another who is struggling if it helps them. Some may cringe, but I don't have a problem with other programs pointing the addicts to a "Higher Power". For instance, I know a recovering addict who is turned off completely by the whole church and Jesus thing, but she openly admits that she's a very spiritual person. I can connect to her spirituality along with practical application I've learned from the Bible and guide her to a better life and deeper spiritual understanding and God will do the rest (I never make apologies for sharing what I've learned from the Bible and I tell them that it came from God's word). As far as an atheist or somebody with no spiritual connection, well, I haven't ran across one yet. Regardless, if I'm part of the Body of Christ, then I feel like my calling is to help others in need now with the gifts God has given me. I simply help where I can and plant seeds where I can and as Paul wrote, God brings the increase.

As far as hitting rock bottom, as you know with opiates that rock bottom is often the grave. Opiates, especially when injected are the only known drugs that take away that natural instinct of fight or flight and a lot of heroin, methadone, roxycontin, etc addicts who inject don't care if they die. By disease, we need to know how the drugs are effecting the ones we love and treat the disease and when it comes to Opiates (including big pharma aka perscription pain pills), we need to understand that for these addicts rock bottom is the grave. This means we don't break communication with them and we don't enable them. In other words, we don't give them money etc. When we change, they'll change and we leverage anything we can to get them either in jail or rehab where they can get clean.

When we can get them clean, that's a great time to teach them about Christ and what he can do. It's a great time to let them know that the God of the universe loves them enough to help them make it through each day. You see, when an addict is actively using, the only thing they care about is where they are going to get their daily fix... and it doesn't matter if it's a drug addcit on the street or the addict that owns his own home and runs his own business making 100 grand a year.

 

[stovebolts]

Obadiah
Thanks for your great post! Please forgive me for such a short post, but I'm running tight on time.

I'm originally from Spokane and man, talk about a problem with Meth and Heroin... My brother who died was a heroin dealer in Spokane and he would go to Seattle twice a month to get his heroin. He made between 6 and 7 thousand dollars a month profit from heroin sales and guess what he did with it? He bought Oxycontin with it. He eventually died. My daughter was from the Walla Walla area and she died this January. The paper said it was the third death this year and it was only January 16th.

I say this to you because our youth isn't immune to this epidemic. Heck, I know of several teens in different youth groups who are struggling with prescription drugs (opiates, basically synthetic heroin). BTW, did you know more people die from prescription drugs each year than all other drug and alcohol related deaths (Including drunk driving)? So, while your talking to your teens, if you could squeeze this little bit in I would appreciate it.

If your at a party and somebody is drunk and passed out, go over there and shake them and wake them up. They should respond. If they don't respond by opening their eyes or they barely move, then call 911 immediately because they are dying.

You see, the new cool thing at a party is to take pills while your drinking. There is a reason why pain pills (synthetic heroin) say not to take them with alcohol. It's because the opiate slows the respitory system down. Add alcohol and your respitory system goes to sleep. That means the part of your brain that automatically caused you to just take that breath of air fell alseep.. which means you just stopped breathing... which means you just died. I know a gal who raised her kid in the church, he was a good kid. They were upper middle class and he got good grades. He died at a party just the way I described.

A biker buddy of mine is part of H.S.M.M and he does prison ministry. I love that guy and there is such a need for him! Teenagers listen to him because he's a biker and he's got a powerful testimony.

Well, take care and thank you for sharing. I'd like to hear more about the ministry your putting together.

 

[jeff77]

I share parts of it with other people, including members but I do guard what I tell them and how I tell them. I teach the adult class a quarter of each year so this year they saw a bit more about my past since I was teaching on the transformational work that only comes through Christ. I do belong to FAN and Naranon and I've shared more raw material their than I ever would in church or to those who don't have anything to relate my stories to. Speaking of, I made the mistake of telling part of my story to a certain member at our church and it discussed him so deeply he won't look at me the same. In short, some people can't handle where you've come from, so I guard what I say and how I say it depending on who I'm saying it to.

As far as the non-christians, please don't take this wrong but I'm more concerned about helping them out with their immediate struggles than bringing them to Christ. Don't get me wrong, I don't hide what God has done in my life and I'll share it with another who is struggling if it helps them. Some may cringe, but I don't have a problem with other programs pointing the addicts to a "Higher Power". For instance, I know a recovering addict who is turned off completely by the whole church and Jesus thing, but she openly admits that she's a very spiritual person. I can connect to her spirituality along with practical application I've learned from the Bible and guide her to a better life and deeper spiritual understanding and God will do the rest (I never make apologies for sharing what I've learned from the Bible and I tell them that it came from God's word). As far as an atheist or somebody with no spiritual connection, well, I haven't ran across one yet. Regardless, if I'm part of the Body of Christ, then I feel like my calling is to help others in need now with the gifts God has given me. I simply help where I can and plant seeds where I can and as Paul wrote, God brings the increase.

As far as hitting rock bottom, as you know with opiates that rock bottom is often the grave. Opiates, especially when injected are the only known drugs that take away that natural instinct of fight or flight and a lot of heroin, methadone, roxycontin, etc addicts who inject don't care if they die. By disease, we need to know how the drugs are effecting the ones we love and treat the disease and when it comes to Opiates (including big pharma aka perscription pain pills), we need to understand that for these addicts rock bottom is the grave. This means we don't break communication with them and we don't enable them. In other words, we don't give them money etc. When we change, they'll change and we leverage anything we can to get them either in jail or rehab where they can get clean.

When we can get them clean, that's a great time to teach them about Christ and what he can do. It's a great time to let them know that the God of the universe loves them enough to help them make it through each day. You see, when an addict is actively using, the only thing they care about is where they are going to get their daily fix... and it doesn't matter if it's a drug addcit on the street or the addict that owns his own home and runs his own business making 100 grand a year.

Those are some very good points you made about sharing your testimony. I feel the same way, that not everyone needs to hear every detail of the bad stuff. Especially if they cannot relate.

I had not thought of what you said about helping the non-Christians with their immediate struggles. Yet it does make sense that we cant just turn our backs to people that are turned off by God or religion. If someone is willing I think helping them get into a detox center is a good idea. I remember how I dreaded going into a hospital for detox and I would not have done it unless someone encouraged me to go. It could save their life and most addicts that fit into this category will at least be willing to listen to your testimony especially if you show them that type of love that Christ did when he helped the poor, blind, sick, etc.

 

[Nick]

This is great, thanks for the update , Steve.

 

[Obadiah]

Obadiah
Thanks for your great post! Please forgive me for such a short post, but I'm running tight on time.

I'm originally from Spokane and man, talk about a problem with Meth and Heroin... My brother who died was a heroin dealer in Spokane and he would go to Seattle twice a month to get his heroin. He made between 6 and 7 thousand dollars a month profit from heroin sales and guess what he did with it? He bought Oxycontin with it. He eventually died. My daughter was from the Walla Walla area and she died this January. The paper said it was the third death this year and it was only January 16th.

I say this to you because our youth isn't immune to this epidemic. Heck, I know of several teens in different youth groups who are struggling with prescription drugs (opiates, basically synthetic heroin). BTW, did you know more people die from prescription drugs each year than all other drug and alcohol related deaths (Including drunk driving)? So, while your talking to your teens, if you could squeeze this little bit in I would appreciate it.

If your at a party and somebody is drunk and passed out, go over there and shake them and wake them up. They should respond. If they don't respond by opening their eyes or they barely move, then call 911 immediately because they are dying.

You see, the new cool thing at a party is to take pills while your drinking. There is a reason why pain pills (synthetic heroin) say not to take them with alcohol. It's because the opiate slows the respitory system down. Add alcohol and your respitory system goes to sleep. That means the part of your brain that automatically caused you to just take that breath of air fell alseep.. which means you just stopped breathing... which means you just died. I know a gal who raised her kid in the church, he was a good kid. They were upper middle class and he got good grades. He died at a party just the way I described.

A biker buddy of mine is part of H.S.M.M and he does prison ministry. I love that guy and there is such a need for him! Teenagers listen to him because he's a biker and he's got a powerful testimony.

Well, take care and thank you for sharing. I'd like to hear more about the ministry your putting together.

Ahh, you're from Spokane. So you know that we have problems here too. It's now spread into western Washington where I live, along with some gangs showing up in a subtle way out of the south too. The bad thing is that the parents and most church leaders are sticking their heads in the sand and not wanting to face up to what is happening. More than once now I've seen youth group web sites with pictures of groups of their teens, and seen a few of them subtly flashing gang signs in the picture! The leaders are clueless! How can they even allow a picture like that to be posted on their youth group web site???!!! In the meantime, I see some youth leaders teaching their teens elementary level cute Bible lessons out of some commercially prepared lesson plan full of cartoon pictures while those teens are saying "Yeah, that's nice but please help me with my real world problems because I don't know how to get through this, and if no one helps me soon I'm just going to kill myself!". (And one I know, who was a beautiful Christian sister at one time, has already tried to make good on that.) Right now where I live it's like a storm on the horizon getting closer every day, and I fear it's going to take a lot of oblivious people by surprise real soon.

I've dealt with all of this before as a youth pastor in one of the worst gang ridden areas where there were people murdered literally a couple hundred yards from our youth room door. I learned what it takes to get teenagers through that, and learned to recognize the signs of trouble. I've found I can get the teens to listen just fine (usually), but it's the adults that just don't want to hear or believe the warnings or learn what to do about it.

It's not me starting the ministry, it's a friend and I was asked to be part of it, so right now I'm just trying to help out where I'm needed to get it off the ground. This is all brand new, literally, like within the last few weeks, so none of us know how it's going to turn out. But things are happening that are giving it the feel that God is behind it and directing what's going on. Just the way things are falling into place gives it that feel.

We are bikers primarily (but will probably expand that as things get going), and I think like you say, that gets the teens attention. We have both Christian men and women who have been involved in drugs, crime, and who knows what (we're still finding out what everyone's background is!). I'm a little short on those experiences personally, but I have experience in working successfully with Christian youth struggling in a gang and drug environment. And youth are my main calling so I'm ready, willing, and anxious to put into this whatever God requires of me. If we can guide the youth away from the evil of the world, we can have a huge impact on the future of Christianity in our society! May God bless and guide us both as we work from opposite sides of the country, maybe some day to meet in the middle!!!

 

[jasonc]

This is great, thanks for the update , Steve.

lol, steve tracker alert.

 

[Nick]

lol, steve tracker alert.

Couldn't resist.

 

[AirDancer]

Prayers for these different ministries...may our Lord bless you as well as those who participate in these amazing adventures in reality!

Great to hear from you, StoveBolts

 

[WIP]

Couldn't resist.

I think we should just change his username to Stevebolts to quell the confusion.

 

[stovebolts]

Obadiah
Well, I am coming to Spokane late August

You'll have to keep me posted on how your ministry is doing! I find that very exciting!
Also, I agree about the issue being the adults. We have that problem in our small Michigan community as well. We are trying to change that as well as change the perception of the average addict because there is such a stigma to the word addict.

 

[jeff77]

I am praying for your ministries this morning Obadiah and StoveBolts. Even though we live on opposite ends of the country (I live in Texas) we can still help each other through the power of prayer! Have a blessed day!

 

[jeff77]

Update on the addiction ministry. I met with my pastor a little over a week ago and briefly discussed the ministry. He said it was very interesting because I was the second person in 2 weeks to come to him with an idea of an addiction ministry. Yesterday I had a meeting with one of the associate pastors and gave my testimony and he said that he would like for me and the other man that came to start a Bible study and that there are already 11 people interested in joining. It will be another week before we start but I am so thankful to the Lord that it is underway!

 

[Danus]

I share parts of it with other people, including members but I do guard what I tell them and how I tell them. I teach the adult class a quarter of each year so this year they saw a bit more about my past since I was teaching on the transformational work that only comes through Christ. I do belong to FAN and Naranon and I've shared more raw material their than I ever would in church or to those who don't have anything to relate my stories to. Speaking of, I made the mistake of telling part of my story to a certain member at our church and it discussed him so deeply he won't look at me the same. In short, some people can't handle where you've come from, so I guard what I say and how I say it depending on who I'm saying it to.

Some times this is me. I've often found myself in my own little bubble where everything is orderly and logical. Not perfect, but "sterilized for my own protection." Anyone outside that bubble often must remain outside for fear they may infect my area. I can't handle some truths; some realities are so beyond me that I cant process them.

I know two people who have lost children (Adult Children) to drugs. How does that happen? I tend to want to look for blame, and I often blame everyone, or every thing in their "bubble". Worse of all, I tend to think that could never happen to my kids, and the reasons I give for it not happening are not only not true, but not compassionate to say or think. It's not worth even saying what those thoughts are.

Steve the only thing wrong in your statement above is saying; "I made the mistake of telling part of my story to a certain member" I understand what you mean there, but telling your story is never a mistake. If some people can't handle it then they need to hear it the most.

Someone once told me that God has a way of knocking over the little towers we build. That resonated with me to be true.

In my life I've built, and still do, "little towers". Some have been quite high, and some low, but all of them serve a function. I build them to protect me, to impress others and to keep the world at bay. In my little towers I have all the answers stored away in my own library of truth, but God has always knocked down my walls to let His truth in, or invite me to come out. All of man's little towers are built with the mud of fear and bricks of pride.

You can not make a mistake telling your story to anyone. So if you feel anyone looking down on you from their little tower, or turning away from you because of it, know that while they may not be able to "handle it" God is using you as a wrecking ball of truth to them.

You don't have to force it, or be angry at them. They can't hurt you. They have to deal with it. You don't have to deal with them not dealing with it. God will take care of the clean up for them, and it will be good for them. You just be you. God will heal you in your efforts to them.

 

[stovebolts]

Thanks for the encouragement.

While I understand, and even agree with what you've written, I have to say I'd rather spend my time talking to people who appreciate and can get something that helps move them forward rather than defending and being looked down on because people don't know how to handle the Grace God iscsble to extend.

Life is short and I'm tired of the arguing and fighting and I have little strength to defend and less patience for the ignorant who is trained in the art of throwing rocks and always defending their view. I've learned I don't have to be right and if one has a strong view, it is their right... Why open myself up to them? The same effort to change one mind could easily help many others.

 

[GrannyJ]

What you are doing is such a worthwhile thing. I will be praying for all of you involved in this ministry.