New Ministry Opportunity

[Jerry]

Please pray for me and a new ministry opportunity that seems to be opening up for me.

At the Kelowna Gospel Mission, we have a men's drug and alcohol recovery program. I have had some opportunities in my time at the Mission to encourage them on an individual basis, and sometimes to study with them or help them find answers to their questions - but nothing regular or scheduled.

Now I have been approached by several men in the program (by about 3 of the six involved), and one of the house managers, to do a weekly study with the group. I have run it by the program director and he seems to think it would be a good idea - as the program men know me already through my involvement with the Mission. (The program just got its own house outside of the Mission and they moved there about 2 or 3 weeks ago - and this house is actually probably just a 10 minute walk away from my apartment, so it would be easy to get to.) He stated that he would check into the possibility (ie. by gauging interest and seeing how we could make this work as a regular scheduled activity), and in a few weeks (after they were all settled in and some of the renos on the house were completed), then we could set up a time).

I think this would be a great opportunity. I have led College and Career Bible studies in the past, so I do have experience in that regard.

Preaching at the Mission for the last three years has enabled me to put shoe leather to my own studies and share them in a practical way with those the Lord has brought through there. I know the few times that I have interacted with the program men (and others) and have been able to counsel them from the Bible, that the Lord has really blessed the devotional messages that I have been preaching, because I have then been challenged to consider the theme/passage from different aspects (ie. when I am sharing something with someone, and they have questions or their situation warrants me digging deeper into that theme or rounding it out more, then the Lord gives me wisdom that is applicable to them where they are at - in other words, not just what the Lord taught me personally in my study time, but also what He teaches me to pass on to these others) - and then I take this shoe leather (that has already been applied) and bring it forth in another message at the Mission.

For example, I have been preaching on The Lord Sees Us In Our Wildernesses (based on the two times Hagar fled to the wilderness), and The Lord Sees Our Needs (based on Genesis 22) - and I counseled a man who is an alcoholic, and has never been able to get lasting victory over his drinking - sharing what the Lord has taught me through these passages, I believe, brought some healing to this man - and he realized it wasn't some program he needed, but the Lord (not against Bible-based programs, just against the mentality that as long as I am in a program and following its steps that is all I need - then they fall again after they get away from that "safe" environment). I counselled the man for 1 1/2 hours on Saturday morning - and he was excited about getting into the Bible (KJV!), finding and claiming God's promises - I gave him a highlighter, marked the passages that we talked about (plus some more), and encouraged him to mark what the Lord gave him each day - so he could go back and be reminded of them. This man lives out at the campground where one of my coworkers lives in his trailer. Yesterday, my coworker told me that the man was still excited about what had been shared with him, and was enthusiastically digging into his Bible and still clinging to the Lord. Progress! Anyway, I took some of the meat from that counselling session (about the Lord bringing us out of our wildernesses), and presented that at lunch on Saturday. I am certainly looking forward to sharing these blessings with the men in the recovery house - if these insights/passages/promises encouraged and strengthened my walk and help bring healing and victory to others, then it would certainly be of help to them too!

Another good thing if this works is that I would be able to print up the outlines I put together and have the Mission print them out (rather than having to pay for it myself) - this may also give me legitimate opportunities to work and develop my studies at work (unfortunately, the morning shift is nowhere near as busy as the evening shift I worked till now - so there is some dead time, which is hard to fill - sometimes there is a solid rush for a couple of hours, and other times you are just trying to keep busy and find things to do). And, if I can develop these studies at work, and print them up, this will give me more time to put up studies on my blog or website. I have to put together at least 4 to 6 messages a week (perhaps even more, as now I am responsible to fill in for others too when they are not ready or running late, etc.) - but I find it hard to take the time to type out and develop those notes into a devotional study for reading online. This will potentially enable me to do so - I certainly would have to get together a working outline to print up and present to the men's recovery group.

Well, that's what may be on my horizon - I am looking forward to it if the Lord opens this ministry up. The Gospel Mission is not KJV only, though they are not opposed to the KJV, and they have never said anything against me reading, preaching and teaching from it. Several of the men in the program have actually seen some of the differences and don't trust the NIV and some of these other versions - and are content to use their KJV and Strong's Concordances which I have gotten them when they are studying on their own (I haven't asked them what they do in their classes yet). I am not there to rock the boat - but I will also not hedge my positions or convictions. I certainly would need wisdom in what to present, how to present it, and how to deal with those who are determined to read/study their own personal versions. That was the main thing I hated in teaching the C&C Bible studies - when you spent time presenting a solid Bible study, and then someone comes along and states, "My Bible says this..." and their rendering undermines what you just sought to teach them or reinforce in their lives. So I can see some potential problems, but if this is a door the Lord is opening - for me, where I am and in what ministries He is placing in my path for now - I want to willingly step into it with God's wisdom and see the work He wants to do through me and in the lives of those men.

Please keep me in your prayers. I do welcome any suggestions and critiques of what I have posted above. It is a unique situation for me - I have past experience I can use in this regard, some knowledge of what to incorporate or what to avoid - but there will also be some aspects of this situation that would require me to walk very circumspectly: I don't want to get caught up in any ecumenical junk or water down my stands or the Word of God - at the same time, if the Lord enables me to be in a position where I can help build solid foundations in these men's lives, teach them how to study the Bible, and along the way, open their eyes to some of the dangers in modern Christendom (as these men grow and consider the differences in Bible versions, denominations, teachers in Christendom, etc.), then I am looking forward to this ministry opportunity.

[Madeline]

Jerry, I have a friend who has his own ministry which involves encourging men and women in recovery and giving them a leg up. But I think that leading College and Career Bible studies is somewhat different than having a ministry in a recovery program. For example, my friend is a former drug and alcohol addict so it is much easier for him to witness and encourage recovering addicts because he has been down a similar path. Most of the time, those who overcome their addictions and have a testimony to back it up are usually the ones God uses to encourage men and women in recovery. I can speak to him later on and get back to you tonight with some suggestions. Either way, I feel that this is your calling so I will keep you in my prayers!

Love,
Madeline

[Jerry]

Sounds good - I look forward to your input later. I realize this is a lot different - I just meant that I have had experience in leading Bible studies for years, so I know I can handle being a Bible study leader in a men's group. I know I will certainly have to adapt to where these men are - however, our walks with the Lord will be my primary focus - they are already receiving material and counsel about their addictions, etc. I have had some experience at the Mission in dealing with addicts that were serious about overcoming in this area of their lives (as well as tackling some of these issues and principles in my public devotionals there), so it will just a larger step forward in some ways.

One thing I have learned, the principles that the Lord gave me to overcome my battle with depression and to put away my bad coping mechanisms (not sure what else to call them) is the same way the Lord will give them victory over their mental and spiritual battles. God's promises are the same and work the same, regardless of the specific trial or stronghold.

[Madeline]

Couldn't reach him. I work with him once a week so I have somewhat adapted to his ministry. I just need to get more involved. I've was never an addict, but I believe that having recovered from anything like a bad relationship, whether it be romantic or otherwise would help in a recovery ministry. I can draw from it because the message that is going to effect the most is the message of deliverance. Does that make sense? :lol