Recovery is reachable at the Third Street Church of God: A twelve-week spiritually based ministry for substance abusers and alcoholics (Washington, D.C.)

• Main Author: Thomas, Patricia E.
• Format: Others
• Published: DigitalCommons@Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta University Center 1999
• Subjects: RELIGION; GENERAL (0318); EDUCATION; GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING (0519); HEALTH SCIENCES; PUBLIC HEALTH (0573); Religion
• Online Access: http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/dissertations/AAIDP14687; http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1107&context=dissertations

The purpose of this research project was to design an alternative ministry for recovering substance abusers and alcoholics during a twelve-week period. This recovery ministry was used in conjunction with Alcoholic Anonymous. The difference between this ministry and Alcoholics Anonymous is the qualitative base upon which this ministry was established and proclaimed. The Christian Church and Alcoholics Anonymous can be used as parallel rehabilitative agencies for substance and alcoholic abusers to a point. This recovery ministry leads the substance abuser and alcoholic to another level of understanding that God is the supreme being that brings deliverance to the addict. The ministry setting is the Third Street Church of God in Washington, D.C. The recovery ministry was developed from the Urban Prayer Breakfast Ministry at this church. The Urban Prayer Breakfast Ministry provides breakfast five days a week to one hundred people who are homeless, substance abusers, and poor. A recovery ministry was established for this particular population. Therefore, it was the writer's intention to organize another way of helping the hurting in this community. Interviews were conducted with one hundred persons of the Urban Prayer Breakfast Ministry who would be interested in participating in the recovery ministry. There were thirteen adult clients (twelve males and one female) from the treatment group who expressed an interest. The clients were given a screening interview prior to acceptance into the recovery ministry. A post-interview evaluation was given at the end of the twelve-week ministry. Five male clients completed the twelve-week recovery ministry. This dissertation includes a twelve-week outline for a spiritually-based program, the interview questionnaire, drug and alcohol testing results, and a daily itinerary of the recovery ministry. One male client did remain drug free during the last six weeks of the recovery ministry. This project was designed to help persons become free of substance abuse. The writer believes that it is possible for a person who desires freedom from substance abuse dependency to gain deliverance in twelve weeks. However, freedom from substance abuse dependency is a one day at a time process. Some substance abusers are delivered instantaneously, others are delivered over a period of time, and some never gain total deliverance from substance abuse. The mission of this project was to create an atmosphere where substance abusers could receive help with their addiction. During the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays of the twelve-week recovery ministry, the clients did not engage in substance abuse.