GUEST BLOG: Ross' Workshops

Last July, Ross overhead me talking to someone in a Birch Bay cafe, and expressed interest in the church we were planting. That overheard conversation led to a sharing of ministry visions and eventually a relationship that produced two addictions workshops in our local area -- the first of which was held at our church.

His first two-hour workshop taught 15 of us about the scientific and medical aspects of addictions. Too often, Christians make recovery a simple “moral” issue, when there are so many aspects to the problem. We learned about genetics, the brain and neurotransmitters, and the psychology, social and environmental aspects of addictions.

For me as a pastor and a relative of several addicts, one of the greatest lessons I learned was what dislocation means and how addiction fills needs and medicates the emotional and physical pain in people’s lives. But just knowing that addiction is a many-headed monster with no simple solution was good to hear.

During the second meeting of his workshop, we learned how the church can be a haven for those trying to recover. Again, the main message was that Christians can help their friends and family best by not making it purely a “spiritual battle.”

While there certainly is a spiritual aspect — and a need to take it to God in prayer and exercise the other spiritual disciplines — it is not as simple as “good” vs. “evil.” Instead, it is more like helping those with other illnesses: providing medical help, emotional support, education, employment opportunities or other resources. When you bring in spiritual concerns, these are all things that churches can provide. The addict needs a place to belong that replaces his drug or alcohol abusing culture.

All of these lessons were important to learn and could have been discovered from a book or DVD. But Ross made it not only easier to comprehend and digest, but more personal to where we were.

He shared stories from his own life and ministry that made the facts come to life. He involved the audience in the presentation, encouraging us to share our questions, thoughts and feelings.

From a chance meeting, Ross was able to teach interested church leaders and reach other congregations. He also graciously agreed to help when addiction struggles come up in our church family, and even volunteered to help get a halfway house started in our community.

My hope is that God continues to use Ross, his powerful story and his ministry of workshops and writings to not only help the addicted of Vancouver, but to help Christian families and the church at large become havens for the many who need God’s love and healing as they seek to recover.

Pastor Jim Carberry
Water’s Edge Church
Birch Bay, Washington, USA