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[Pastor Matt]

Hello Brother. What a great testimony, thank you for sharing.

There is a great faith based program called RU. Are familiar with them? I know there are other good faith based program out there, this is just the one that I have worked in and am very familiar with for about 10 years now. 

Here is the website: https://rurecovery.com/

 

[HA Melton]

Yes indeed.  A great testimony indeed.  Thankfully I never had to deal with any alcoholism and have never touched any drugs other than prescribed by my Doc.  I do have an addiction toward tobacco however.  For many years the 'Broad Leaf' was king in my neighborhood and as a teenager I cropped it for a local farmer.  

Brother Stafford..., you hang in there and thanks for your honesty!      

[OLD fashioned preacher]

H.O.P.E. (Helping Others Put Off Entanglements) is another. It was developed by Rick Carter, Jr. when he pastored in OR. It is now home based at Beth Haven Baptist in OKC, OK.

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[Pastor Matt]

2 hours ago, Brother Stafford said:

I am familiar with them.  I attended some of their meetings several years back and had some pretty bad experiences.  There are also things that they are into that I disagree with.  I am glad that you have had good experiences with them.  Thank you for the thought.

I have been to about 10+ RU meetings in different churches. I have preached at some and I even preformed a wedding  during a RU meeting. Granted I have always been on the other side of you in the RU meetings as I mostly preached in them. 

I have noticed that each chapter runs independently and different. I have been to some that I did not like and would not attend, and  I have been to others with hundred in attendance and countless lives that have been changed. They tend to go in the direction that the church is in. 

Out of curiosity and my own information, what was it that you do not agree with? I'm not asking to argue with you, just so that I can look into it myself as I may have overlooked something. Things may have also changed in recent years. 

[Salyan]

RU is run by a couple of churches in our circles, so I'm curious to know your reservations as well. 

[OLD fashioned preacher]

7 hours ago, Brother Stafford said:

This one looks fairly promising.  I'll look into that one.  Thank you for the suggestion.  Out of curiosity, how did you hear about H.O.P.E.?

The founder's dad started the church I pastored in KS. We ran a chapter there for 10 years

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[Pastor Matt]

Thank you brother for explaining. I did notice a few things like book selling that was pushed, but some of the other things I have not noticed in RU meetings here in the Northeast. I too would be disturbed if RU was pushing that alcoholism was a disease and just referring to higher power. I too would feel uncomfortable and get out of there like you did. The RU meetings I have been to has been heavy of God, and scripture was the main teaching book. I'm wondering now how different that each chapter must run. RU meetings here are only 1 day a week on Friday nights, and its alot 1 on 1. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[swathdiver]

Those people left under conviction and rejected the Lord pulling them away from their sins.  As you have learned those programs are man-centered and not Christ centered.  My poor aunt is sucked into those things and the church makes her pay for them!  What heathens!  And after all these years she's still destitute and miserable and still in rebellion to Christ even though she attends "church".