Starting recovery and support groups in your church: Lessons learned from the first year

1. Starting Support &
Recovery Groups
in Your Church:
25 LessonsThM, LMFT
Drew Jamieson,
Learned
Todd Stanfield, PhD, MSW

2. In the next 45 minutes...
Who we are
Who you are
Why we got started
How we got started
What we learned
How you can get started
Questions

3. Who we are

4. Who you are

5. Why & how we got started

6. What we learned

7. myths
“It ain’t so much the things we
know that get us into trouble.
It’s the things we know that
just ain’t so.”
-Artemus Ward

8. myth #1
"This will require very little of
my time, and I will get to help
‘those’ hurting people."

9. 1 Ask God if he wants
you to do this,
and be sure you're
ready to obey if he
says "Yes.”

10. 2 Be prepared to be
humble, transparent,
open, and honest
about your own
"hurts, habits, and
hangups."

11. 2 If #2 makes you want
to go back to #1,
then be ready for
God to "help" you
with #2.

12. 3 Familiarize yourself
with models /
curriculum.
Then become well-
versed in the one you
choose.

13. myth #2
“All the church leaders will be
eager to get this started.”

14. 4 Just because the
senior pastor is eager,
don’t be so sure that
everyone else will be.

15. 5
Prepare a presentation
that describes the
proposed ministry
and be prepared
to field tough
questions.

16. 6 Expect resistance,
misunderstanding,
and an “us vs. them”
mentality from some.

17. 7 Get the church staff
to help you make
decisions regarding
leader qualifications,
selection, and training
policies.

18. myth #3
“All of our volunteer leaders
will be well-adjusted people,
who are mature Christians,
that only seek to meet the
needs of others.”

19. 8 Be ready for
“wounded”
volunteers;
yourself included.

20. 9 Stress to your leaders
the importance of
structure, safety, and
predictability in the
groups,
and to not go
“off script.”

21. 10 Initial number of
groups will be based
on number of
qualified leaders and
anticipated demand.
Be careful not to
start “too big.”

22. myth #4
“I know the church will give us
some money for advertising
and plenty of time to plan and
prepare.”

23. 11 Be prepared to operate with
little or no funds.
Advertise using local agencies,
recovery groups, and churches
and get ready for your
mobile phone
to start ringing.

24. 12
Church leadership may
want you to start
yesterday.

25. myth #5
“People from our congregation
need this and will come in
droves.”

26. 13
Be prepared for more
people from the “outside”
than the “inside.”

27. 14 Some people that say they
are going to start coming
“this week” often don’t.
(church leaders included)

28. myth #6
“Once people come and get a
taste of what we are doing,
they’ll be unable to stay away.”

29. 15 Expect low and high
attendance days and push
through both.
Be prepared for one-
timers and some-timers.
Just keep on being
there as a resource.

30. 16 Ask people how they
heard about the program.
Never underestimate the
power of a $10 sign.

31. 17 Make sure groups are
following the format, are
“safe,” and are focused
on spiritual
transformation.

32. 18
Expect demand for new
groups to develop soon.

33. myth #7
“It will be nice to work in this
‘volunteer’ role and get away
from my professional
responsibilities.”

34. 19 Be prepared for attendees
that are involved with
social services
& court systems.
May be signing
confirmation
of attendance.

35. 20
Be prepared for suicidal
attendees and
“duty to
warn / report”
situations.

36. myth #8
“Other churches in town will
enthusiastically refer people to
us.”

37. 21 Be ready for new
recovery ministries in
town.
If possible,
combine them.

38. 22 Learn from other
ministries in your area,
state, and region;
as well as nationally &
internationally.

39. myth #9
“I have a clear vision for how
this whole thing will play out.”

40. 23 Be ready for God to
show up
and for you to be
blessed more than
you can imagine.

41. 24 Be ready for humans
to show up,
bless you
sometimes and
curse you
5 minutes later.

42. 25
Keep a loose
grip on your
“ownership” of
the ministry.

43. How you can get started

44. Questions

45. Todd Drew
Stanfield Jamieson
tstanfie@uu.edu drewjamieson@
comcast.net
731.661.5968 256.764.3007