Friday, June 22, 2012

Interview of Recovery Pastor Dale Marsh of Oroville CA


The Dick B. interview of Christian Recovery leader Dale Marsh on the June 22, 2012, episode of the "Christian Recovery Radio with DickB" show. www.ChristianRecoveryRadio.com



Dick B.

Copyright 2012 Anonymous. All rights reserved



How to Hear the Dale Marsh Interview Right Now



You may hear Dick B.'s interview with Christian Recovery leader Dale Marsh on the June 22, 2012, episode of the "Christian Recovery Radio with DickB" show here:



http://goo.gl/VjyWP



or






A Brief Synopsis About Dale’s Interview and Dale Himself



Dale Marsh is the Recovery Pastor at Oroville Church of the Nazarene in Oroville, California.

He is also a Christian Recovery Leader, married, two children, and was formerly a successful businessman operating a Tile enterprise which sported facades on some very important buildings.



Long ago, he was deep in alcoholism and addiction; but he lined up with his church and Alcoholics Anonymous and was delivered by the power of God. Finally leaving his business to do full-time recovery work with alcoholics, addicts, their families, and their kids within the Twelve Step Fellowships and the churches. And he has sponsored lots and lots of people in Alcoholics Anonymous. He is currently studying to become a licensed alcohol and drug counselor as well as being a recovery pastor.



Dale says he once was a poster child representing those who said “no” to Jesus in meetings. But he worked through that, partly by reading A.A.’s Big Book chapter to the agnostics and concluding that all he had to do was believe as they had believed. He leads Serenity Group in Oroville where there are recovery classes; his group endorses AA and NA; its members are comfortable in A.A. meetings living out their lives as Christians in front of others; and people are coming up to them and hearing the stories—all in conformity with the Traditions of A.A.



Twenty or so years ago, Serenity Group started out with 3 or 4 people. But Dale’s sponsor told him always to set up 40 chairs and God would fill them. Today, more than one hundred attend. They hold four meetings a month – on Saturday with dinner and the topic of recovery. Wednesdays, there is devotional time where members connect  the dots between Christianity and the history of A.A.



Meetings have a Step topic. They are open. They have music and a praise and worship time. People are invited to give bullet point praise from the floor on what God is doing in their lives today. They then have small groups: Men newcomers, women newcomers, couples in recovery, and a meeting for children – called “Kids Like Me. One meeting is conducted by a pharmacology specialist who explains the effect and power of drugs. They use our audio tapes on the  history of A.A. They take people through the Twelve Steps, often using the Our Legacy workbook by three Clarence Snyder oldtimer sponsees and their wives. They have a Saturday Speaker Nite with speakers from outside the area. And one of our Christian Recovery Leaders, Dominic D. from the Big Book—Good Book Group at Cornerstone Fellowship, will be speaking soon.



They have a birthday night where chips are given out; and the person with the most sobriety gives a chip to the person with the least sobriety. Dale’s wife Valerie leads a codependents group. They make frequent use of the Serenity Bible—pointing up the relationship between the Twelve Steps and the Bible



Serenity works with judges and Child Protective Agency people providing faith based study of children’s problems, a parenting class, and networking with other groups and leaders doing recovery work.



In short, Dale is a hands-on laborer in the vineyard—endeavoring to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those outside a church and by IN-CHURCH work (dealing, for example, with sexual purity) with the basic problem—which is sin. There is strong effort to encourage other churches and fellowships to inaugurate and implement Christian Recovery work, to network with each other, and also to help others without being judgmental concerning their faith or lack of faith or wrongdoing or sickness.



Dale Marsh is one of the strong pillars supporting the International Christian Recovery Coalition. He spreads the news, personally engages in newcomer work, and keeps in mind the central objective of enabling those who want God’s help to come to Him through Jesus Christ.




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