From the Desk of the Executive Director: December 2011

Christmas greetings from the National Association for Christian Recovery!

As a mom and minister, the special preparations surrounding the Christmas season seem intense and the actual experience short-lived.  When my children were young, I was amazed at how long it took to gather the gifts, wrap the packages, fill the stockings with care, prepare the Christmas feast and bake all those sugar cookies and other delectable treats that we try to avoid eating the other 364 days of the year.   Church isn’t much different.  We decorate the sanctuary, dig through closets to find the holiday trimmings and advent wreath.  In our recovery community, we provide special events and good food for the brave souls who will spend Christmas in treatment, jail or on the streets.  Our November “breathe” conference was a similar experience – months of preparation, with the event itself flying by in a flash.  It was a privilege and blessing to spend two days with 70 other men and women who are passionate about recovery.  Here are some of the “takeaways” from our time together:

• We want more experiences like “breathe…”.

Our time was short, but our intuitions were confirmed.  Helpers need time to get away and recharge their spiritual batteries.  In 2012, we hope to provide a modified version of “breathe” in various regions across the country.  Our dream is to provide resources and training for recovery ministry leaders, pastors, therapists and others, at a location within driving distance of their fields of service.  Let us know if you would like to host a “breathe” experience in your community!

• We want more connection and time to talk about the practical, day-to-day problems and opportunities that arise when we serve the addicted and those who love them.

It was fascinating to sit with fellow conference attendees and hear so many different perspectives.  People gathered from Alaska, Canada, California, Virginia and even down the street (in Texas).  One couple came hoping for a word of encouragement about how to begin a ministry to their addiction-ridden community.   Others came with decades of experience, eager to share what they’ve learned with those who need to know how to address the profound needs uncovered in their congregation, at work, and sadly, also at home.   Some were therapists; others were pastors.  We even had a couple of lawyers and a CEO in attendance.  One common frustration was our limited time together.  Some wanted a longer time for personal renewal; others desired more time to think strategically.

A suggestion was made that perhaps we could focus our efforts by dividing us up into experience levels – and we will look into that. Several people expressed appreciation for the chance to hear from people whose experiences were quite diverse from their own. We all agreed that we want MORE!   We’re working to find affordable, accessible ways for us to gather and learn from one another.  Our new website will be up and running soon, we’ve got some webinars in the works, we’re having interesting conversations with many of you who are willing to join the NACR and help fulfill its dream to provide a way to get more materials, more education, more consulting services, more curriculum, more opportunities for discussion.

We’ve only just begun…stay tuned!  Blessings to you and yours this holiday season,

Teresa

From the Desk of the Executive Director: November 2011

We breathed in Dallas on November 7th and 8th…and it was exhilarating.
Thanks to all who sacrificed time and finances to make the trip!
We came together from the extremes of the compass points, even as far away
as Canada. We breathed, talked, cried, worshiped, discussed and perhaps debated
a point or two. I hope we made new friends and found a person we could contact should
we need a listening ear outside our inner circle of community.

We plan on “breathing” in the future. We look forward to the possibility of hosting “breathe”
events in 2012 at regional sites across the country…this time we’re open to coming to you.

Participants considered joining the initiative of providing hope for the helpers of the hurting by
putting a shoulder to the plow. We are looking to add training, resources, consulting and classes in
the years ahead.  We are also looking forward to our new website in January!

From the desk of the Executive Director: August 2011

• A space for reflection; a spiritual “time out” for those who spend time serving others.
• Opportunities for conversation and connecting; ministry can be both isolating and lonely.
• Inspiration that births renewed energy, creativity and opens us up to new ways of imagining our place in God’s story; it is easy to stagnate as we are daily assaulted by the tyranny of the urgent.
• An overview of the six key initiatives of the National Association for Christian Recovery. We hope that some who attend will leave the conference committed to joining us in providing resources, training and hope to recovery ministry leaders and other frontline responders to the addicted and their loved ones.

From the desk of the executive director : Feb 2011

Dear Friends,

In 1989, three people – Carmen Renee Berry, Pat Means, and Dale Ryan – began a series of meetings that led to the formation of NACR. At the time, few churches had recovery ministries. Those that existed were mostly small, disconnected, marginalized, and confronted by resistance from elements in the Christian community. They were lucky to get a room in the basement.

Networking seemed the obvious first step. The NACR organized its first national STEPS conference, and began publishing STEPS magazine. The conference and the magazine were NACR’s public face for almost 15 years.

The past five years have seen dramatic changes – some good (such as the rapid growth of the Christian recovery movement) and some less so (such as the economic downturn). In response to these changes and to the evolving media landscape, the NACR has embraced a more digital focus. This allows the NACR to touch thousands of people every day through the daily e-mail meditation and the NACR website, which has received wide praise as a resource for Christians in recovery. The pioneering work of Carmen, Pat, and Dale has laid a solid foundation for us to build on, and I am very grateful to them.

My own church entered the world of recovery ministry in 1999. I did not know what I was doing, but I had some personal experiences and educational opportunities that fueled my passion for recovery within the context of the local church. My family taught me that everyone needs recovery, and some of us are blessed with a level of dysfunction that makes this need obvious and compelling.

My church acknowledged its powerlessness to help families in need of recovery, and gave our team permission to try to change that dynamic. I am fortunate to live out my passion for Christian recovery as minister of NorthStar Community (“NSC”), a recovery ministry of Bon Air Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia. This is what I do. But in keeping with working a healthy program, I need to confess I feel a kinship to Dale’s description of the recovery movement:

It probably should not surprise us that God chose a couple of hopeless drunks to start something important – rather than picking a couple of professors at a seminary or a couple of respected pastors. God did in this case what he has done many times throughout history – he picked people who did not have the respect of their communities to head up major advances in his Kingdom. Moses is the first example that comes to mind – he certainly did not have the credibility he thought he needed.[1]

The days of wondering if anyone will let us out of the basement have passed. A new day beckons. Christians around the globe are asking great questions about the role they can play in the recovery movement. The question is no longer whether a recovery ministry is a viable option for a church, but how it can best be pursued: How do we respond to the families suffering from substance abuse? How do we develop healthy leadership? How do we sustain this kind of ministry? How do we find the resources we need to carry God’s message of hope to hurting people? How do we remain faithful and healthy as we serve?

Last November, a small group gathered in Kansas City to talk about how we might encourage those on the front lines of recovery ministry. There is plenty of work to do – but that doesn’t mean we have made no progress. Thanks in large part to the efforts of Leadership Network, an organization that helps church innovators collaborate, a network of people with decades of widely varying experience in this field has begun to emerge. Our job at the NACR is to find those trailblazers and create a venue where they can share with us what they have learned.

In the months ahead, I will be introducing you to the team we are building to serve you. Our mission remains the same: to provide resources, training and hope to others who share our passion for Christian recovery. We are working to collaborate with recovery ministry leaders, pastors, therapists and others who can provide the support, encouragement and tools necessary to sustain recovery within the walls of our churches. In the near future, expect to see a revamped website, on-line learning opportunities, and intentional discussion communities popping up in both the virtual and real world – places for us to gather and listen and learn from one another.

As the new executive director of the NACR, I count it a privilege to follow in the footsteps of Dale, Pat and Carmen (and many others including Dale Wolery who served as NACR executive director for several years). I feel as though I were being asked to host a party where others prepared the food, set the table and cleaned the house. I am thrilled to be here, and hope you will accept our invitation to participate.

But fair warning – I’m wearing running shoes! As Dorothy says to Toto in the classic movie, The Wizard of Oz – “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” The recent transition in leadership of the NACR brings some exciting new opportunities. As Dale recently put it: “The combination of enthusiasm, visionary thinking and realistic planning that I see in the new leadership team is just what the NACR needs. I suggest fastening your seat-belts. The next stage of the NACR’s journey has begun and it’s going to be a grand, epic adventure.”

I ask you to join us. Please feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns or bright ideas you have for making the NACR a great association at nacronline@gmail.com.

Blessings,

Teresa J. McBean,

Executive Director,

National Association for Christian Recovery

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[1] “The Christian Recovery Movement: A Brief Introduction,” a talk given at the May, 2003, ISAAC convention in Madrid (go to www.NACRonline.com for the complete text).