Many observers believe that one of the best ways to eliminate complications caused by drugs and alcohol is to reduce the demand for them.
This weekend two Indianapolis congregations will join forces to help break the bondage of addictions that have devastated numerous families.
Fall Creek Parkway Church of Christ and Kingsley Terrace Church of Christ will host their Drug & Alcohol Workshops from Friday, March 13 to Sunday, March 15, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“Our goal is to help break the cycle of chemical dependency caused by addictions,” said Lawrence R. Wooden, senior minister of Fall Creek Parkway Church of Christ. “We just want to assist individuals who want to be free from them.”
The interactive workshops are being offered to the community at no charge, and attendees may register on site on the day of the event. Workshops are scheduled to be held on the first and third nights at Fall Creek Parkway Church of Christ, and at Kingsley Terrace during the second night.
The keynote speaker will be Reginald Brunson, a Cincinnati based addictions counselor who has helped congregations set up halfway houses for those on the rebound from addictions. Over the last decade an increasing number of churches have developed ministries to counsel ex-offenders who have been ordered to receive treatment as a result of court probation sentencing or recommendations by child protective agencies.
The series will also include a panel discussion featuring professionals Michael Dye, Donald Murphy and Marsha Wooden. Dye will discuss the costs of addictions, and Murphy and Wooden will share their personal experiences with drugs and alcohol, including how many years they have been clean and how the challenges of addictions changed their lives.
Lawrence Wooden, who is also an addictions counselor with the Family Services Association, said using biblical principles to liberate people from addictions is a very important goal of his congregation, which also hosts Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
“Most of the people we serve in our homeless ministry have had problems with drugs or alcohol,” Wooden said. “Also, addictions can have a devastating impact on relationships and children who have a parent with an addiction. They can make for a very dysfunctional household.”
The theme of the workshops is “The Effects of Drugs and Alcohol on Families,” and Brunson has been presenting them in churches across the Midwest.
Kingsley Terrace has its own Child Development Center and is sensitive to children raised in households with addicted parents.
“We really want to give people in our community the tools they need for recovery,” said Stanley Hubbard, senior minister. “We also hope to equip people trying to help those who are trying to recover.”
For more information about the Drug and Alcohol Workshops, call (317) 924-1768 or (317) 924-9055.
