Collaborative Christian Recovery Resource Effort - What does this mean?

A brief note on why so many Christian recovery resource leaders, programs, counselors, centers, and fellowships are recognizing the importance of bringing together for information, discussion, and dissemintion the full, accurate, complete data on the role that God, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Bible played in the origins, history, founding, original Christian A.A. Fellowship in Akron, the astonishing successes, and the later changes in 1939.

There is every reason in today's march away from God, Jesus Christ, the Bible, and Christian recovery to get the facts before those who labor to serve the alcoholic, addicted, and affected. Some efforts are simply unaware of the facts and the need. Some are working as separate entities with no effective collaboration or sharing with other effective programs and purposes. Some may be adversely affected by the distorted and erroneous histories, critiques, causes, and writings which do not address the true effectiveness of seeking God's help by those who want it.

In other words, recent conferences, meetings, discussions, and communications have made it clear that all who are engaged in Christian recovery efforts could profitably and purposefully share with others what they do and don't do, know and don't know, include and don't include in the following vitally linked spokes in the whole Christian recovery wheel:

1. Assessment, information, referral.

2. Intervention, counseling, detox, and medical assistance.

3. Recovery programs, residential recovery programs, outpatient programs, family and children programs, at-risk programs, after care, alumni contacts, and transitional housing.

4. Alcoholics Anonymous and Twelve Step Fellowship history, "old school" roots and origins, early Christian fellowship days, Bible study, prayer, devotionals, Quiet Time, decisions for Jesus Christ, required belief in God, daily Christian fellowship, regular attendance at religious services, and witnessing to and helping those who still suffer and want God's help.

5. Valuable adjunct groups such as Alcoholics for Christ, Alcoholics Victorious, Celebrate Recovery, CityTeam, Footprints, Overcomers, Overcomers Outreach, Teen Challenge, and a host of other Christian and Christ-centered recovery fellowships.

6. Chaplaincies, peer assistance, study groups, pastoral counseling, Christian counseling, and history groups.

7. Thorough introductory information on the roots of Christian recovery in: (1)The Great Awakening of 1875 in St. Johnsbury, Vermont; work of YMCA brethren; Evangelists like Dwight Moody, Ira Sankey, F.B. Meyer, Billy Sunday; Salvation Army; Gospel Rescue Missions; Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor. (2) Later relevance of the Oxford Group and Rev. Samuel M. Shoemaker. (3) The Christian upbringing of Dr. Bob and Bill W. as youngsters in St. Johnsbury, East Dorset, and Manchester, Vermont. (4) The immense influence of conversions to God through Jesus Christ as attested by the conversion of Bill W.'s grandfather in Vermont; revivals, conversion, and temperance gatherings; Carl Jung, William James, Dr. William Silkworth, Rowland Hazard, Ebby Thacher, Calvary Rescue Mission, Bill Wilson's "white light" experience at Towns Hospital; (5) Sharing for confession, sharing for witness, and service to those still suffering. (6) Details of how the first 3 AAs got sober without Steps, Traditions, meetings, drunkalogs, or texts--simply relying on the power of God and information from the Bible. (7) The principles and practices of the original Akron Christian A.A. Fellowship. (8) The AA of Akron pamphlets. (9) The documented 75% success rate in Akron and the documented 93% success rate in Cleveland. (10) The effective work of Clarence Snyder in AA. through the years.

8. Sober living, sober housing, food, clothing, shelter, social agencies, government assistance, Veterans Administration help.

9. Outreach to youth, correctional facilities, ex-cons, parolees and probationees, homeless, abandoned, at-risk people, families.

10. Resources in training, job interviews, trade and vocational schools, high school and higher education experiences, unemployment and job assistance, areas such as non-profit, government, and social work.

11. Building nutrition, physical fitness, personal hygiene, public health, exercise, sports, wholesome entertainment and hobbies, wholesome social exchange, wholesome recreation, church and religious contacts.

The importance of these efforts does not concern their value, but rather the lack of knowledge, cooperation, collaboration, and networking among those who labor in various parts of the picture without passing along the remaining parts and building store houses of resource information.

The current efforts will involve radio, web, TV, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, audio presentations, classes, conferences and seminars, renewal leadership meetings, newsletters, blogs, and area cooperation.

The resources exist, and the job is to get them known, get them networking, get them cooperating, get away from isolated efforts, and perceiving the value of serving rather than criticizing or opposing.