Celebrate Hope
at Hope by the Sea
Christ-Centered Addiction Treatment
By Dick B.
© 2014 Anonymous. All rights reserved
A Few Words about
Our Review of Christian Recovery Facilities
My
son Ken and I formed the International Christian Recovery Coalition in July of
2009 (www.ChristianRecoveryCoalition.com); and that same
month, we held a conference on the grounds of Hope by the Sea in San Juan
Capistrano, California, at the invitation of its staff member Bobby Nicholl. The
Coalition is an informal fellowship of participating Christian recovery
leaders, workers, newcomers, and members of the public who see the role that
God, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Bible played in the recovery movement and
can play today for those afflicted alcoholics and addicts who have suffered
long enough and want God’s help. The Coalition is Bible-friendly,
recovery-friendly, and 12 Step-friendly; and it today has participants in all 50
states and more than 15 brother and sister countries.
But
the story of healing by the power of God which played such a vital role in the
origins of the recovery movement from about 1850 forward surged with Christian
organizations and individuals who turned their attention to helping the down
and outers recover from their misery and troubles. Those who labored the
hardest and produced the most effective results included the Young Men’s
Christian Association; Gospel Rescue Missions; great evangelists like Dwight
Moody, Ira Sankey, and F. B. Meyer; the
Salvation Army; Congregationalism; and the Young People’s Society of Christian
Endeavor. Beginning in the early 1920’s, A First Century Christian Fellowship (later
to become known as “the Oxford Group”) made contributions to aspects of some
recovery efforts.
Out
of these efforts grew the successes of the Christian recovery people, based
primarily on several simple principles: (1) Cessation of all use of liquor and abuse
of drugs. (2) Belief in God and coming to Him by accepting His Son Jesus Christ
as Lord and Savior (which was known in early Akron A.A. as making a “full
surrender”). (3) Obedience to God’s will. (4) Growth in understanding and
service through Bible study, prayer meetings, “Quiet Times,” and the reading of
Christian literature. (5) Helping other suffering alcoholics and addicts find a
way out by the same method.
But
the scene changed. Focus began to shift more and more toward battling liquor,
eliminating saloons, Prohibition, and medical-psychological remedies. Then came
A.A., with its focus on God and relying on Him for cure of alcoholism, and
simple principles much like those of the First Century Christians as seen in
the Book of Acts, such as Christian Fellowship, Bible study, prayer, Quiet
Time, restitution, and helping others.
But
the scene changed again not long after A.A. was founded. Medical models,
counseling, dual addiction treatment, secular theories about how to prevent
relapses and how to help patients recover, the funding of recovery with
insurance backing, the erecting of huge treatment institutions, and focus on “evidence-based”
recovery rather than “faith-centered” recovery began to dominate the recovery
scene. And reliance on God began to slip through the cracks. Hostility toward
religion, promotion of atheism, efforts to suppress talk of God, His Son Jesus
Christ, and the Bible appeared. And thousands upon thousands of suffering
Christians were baffled by the new “believe in anything or nothing” attitude
that was emerging.
Today,
the Christian recovery movement is again charging ahead. We have spoken at many
12 Step and Christian recovery meetings; met their leaders; noted the degree of
focus on the power and love of God, on God’s son Jesus Christ, and on the Bible;
and found a number of fellowships, leaders, and facilities which are involved
in helping Christians and potential Christians(!) seek healing and a new life
through reliance on the Creator of the heavens and the earth.
Celebrate Hope
at Hope by the Sea is Today’s Subject
Here
is the description that Celebrate Hope at Hope by the Sea provides of its
Christian treatment program:
Celebrate Hope
is a Christian residential drug and alcohol treatment center located in the beautiful
coastal community San Juan Capistrano, California. Our faith-focused mission is
to minister the love of Jesus Christ to those who are in pain and are suffering
from drug and alcohol addiction. Christ centered treatment is the core component
of our program, along with Celebrate
Recovery® which is a ministry of Saddleback Church.
[“Celebrate Hope
at Hope by the Sea” pamphlet/brochure/folder--consulted
8/17/2014]
As
I mentioned earlier, my son Ken and I have visited the main office of Hope by
the Sea and have spoken at a conference held there. And our principal contact
was and is Bobby Nicholl, Admissions and Intervention staff member of Celebrate
Hope at Hope by the Sea. His address is PO Box 1480, San Juan Capistrano, CA
92693. His email address is Bobby@celebrateanewlife.com. He has a
strong Christian background and long experience in treatment industry. And he
is welcoming, congenial, and articulate in his conversations with those that
call him for help at 800.631.7753. Bobby freely offers answers to all kinds of
recovery-related questions and recommends alternative choices for treatment.
And we will let him tell you the rest if you choose to call.
Important
Features of Their Program
What
has struck me about a number of Christian treatment or Christian recovery
residences is how much of the early A.A. focus on the Bible, salvation, prayer,
quiet time, and Christian literature is not present. Sometimes there is just a
weekly Bible study. Sometimes a chaplain is on call. But often there is little about the renewed
mind, fellowship, witnessing, and healing.
In
contrast, I believe the Celebrate Hope at Hope by the Sea Christian treatment
program comes much closer to hitting the mark. Their pamphlet/brochure/folder I
quoted earlier also states:
What We Offer:
(1) Christ-centered treatment. (2) Residential treatment. (3) One on One
Therapy. (4) Group Therapy. (5) Intervention Services. (6) Life Recovery Bible.
(7) Boundaries Workshop. (8) Celebrate Recovery®. (9) Worship at
Saddleback. (10) Daily Christian Devotionals. (11) Individual Christian
Counseling.
The
program is very strong, especially considering its similarities to the early
A.A.’s “Christian fellowship” program in Akron which was focused on living in
the homes, breaking bread together, Bible study, group prayer, optional worship
at church, and use of Christian devotionals. Celebrate Hope at Hope by the
Sea’s individual Christian counseling--which could allow for discussion of
healing, Bible, sanctification, witnessing, and fellowship with like-minded
believers—particularly caught our attention.
Gloria Deo
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