No Way Out

Training for Evangelizing & Discipling Those Stuck in Addiction

The article title is shocking: “The Secret Lives of Christian Pill Addicts.” It appeared in the November 2013 issue of Christianity Today.

The writer, Deborah Beddoe, says, “We usually associate drug abuse with hard, wild living, but the same drugs that take over the lives of celebrities could be abused by the nice dad who sits next to us at church. Addiction knows no boundaries of status, lifestyle, or even faith. I know that now, after watching my husband’s slow descent into prescription drug addiction, more than a decade into treatment for debilitating migraines.

“People like my husband never needed to seek a back alley fix or experiment with so-called street drugs. The medications dispensed by our local pharmacists and tucked away in medicine cabinets could be just as powerful and just as addictive.”

What’s startling is that these new addicts could be sitting in our churches without anyone knowing – until a lot of damage is done. While we would like to know everything that’s going on in the lives of the people in our church, we often don’t. And hidden addictions are more common than you might think. It’s not always drugs and alcohol either. Pornography, gambling, and even shopping can be addictive.

Did you know that:

• There is a significant correlation between sexual addiction and substance use disorders.
  • According to some research, an estimated 40-64% of sex addicts also have a substance abuse disorder.
  • Alcohol abuse is most common, present in 30-40%, followed by marijuana abuse, present in 18-21.7%.
• Teenagers who view sexually explicit material are more likely to have used alcohol or other illicit substances during their most recent sexual encounter. The earlier someone begins using a substance, the more likely it is that he or she will become addicted. Therefore, teens who develop a porn addiction are at a greater risk for developing a substance abuse disorder as well.
• Every day in the US, 2,500 youth (12 to 17) abuse a prescription pain reliever for the first time.
• 1 out of every 12 adults in the U.S. abuse alcohol regularly?
• 1 out of every 6 Americans over the age of 12 have taken prescription drugs for non-medical reasons?
• The U.S. is the most medicated country in the world? In 2010, more than 210 million prescriptions were written for narcotics such as OxyContin/Oxycodone and Vicodin/Hydrocodone. An estimated 7 million Americans struggle with prescription drug addiction.
  • That’s enough prescription painkillers to medicate every American adult every 4 hours for 1 month?
• Back in 2007, 19.9 million Americans (or 8% of the population aged 12 or older) used illegal drugs in the month. The number is much larger today!

The connection between sex addiction and substance abuse is so close, if you have sex addiction issues in your church, you likely have substance abuse issues as well – or you will soon.

So how should the church respond?

It’s vital we are equipped to not only deal with sex addiction, but also substance abuse and other addictions. Coming September 24th, His Steps Ministries in Woodstock, GA is holding a training seminar to help equip you to identify addiction issues and handle them biblically.

In this seminar, you’ll learn:

• Why the Scriptures have all the answers to handle every form of addiction.
• If addiction has a clear physical impact, why doesn’t the Bible consider it a disease.
• How to identify the signs of addiction in friends and loved ones.
• What you need to know before you start the conversation with an addict.
• How to start that very difficult conversation.
• The difference between rehab programs and evangelism/discipleship programs.
• How to give an addict hope that they don’t have to live in bondage ever again.

That last point is important. Most substance abuse programs, including Christian programs, treat addiction as a disease. So recovery and rehab are part of their answer. And they typically use more drugs to treat the problem. Yes, even Christian programs use more drugs to treat a drug problem.

The Scriptures teach something much more powerful than rehab, recovery, and more drugs. God has provided a means of complete transformation! When you are equipped to minister to loved ones stuck in the bondage of addiction, you are able to offer your loved ones complete freedom from their bondage.

So sign up today! Space is limited. People are already signing up. If you’re interested in reserving your spot, please fill in the fields below and follow the prompts to pay. The cost is only $35. This will cover the cost of lunch, snacks, and materials. Reserve your spot today!

 

Registration

Individual – $35
Married Couple -$50
Full-time Student- $20

Each attendee will receive a total of 5 hours of instruction, a conference notebook, lunch, and refreshments.
*Registration deadline: October 10th
**All payments made by check must be received before October 10th in order to avoid cancellation of registration.

Location

Faith Community Church Offices
110 Village Trail, Woodstock, GA 30188

Lodging

If you are coming from out of town and plan to stay at a local hotel Friday night, you may contact the Comfort Suites in Woodstock.

Holiday Inn Express Alpharetta – Roswell
2950 Mansell Road, Roswell, GA 30022
3.2 miles from conference site
1 877-859-5095

Also, members of Faith Community Church provide limited free housing for those who cannot afford to attend otherwise. Please contact 770.789.7317 for free housing requests.

Childcare

This conference is designed to be a time of renewal for individuals and couples. No childcare will be provided. Attendees should make offsite plans for childcare.

Schedule

Saturday 9:00AM-5:00PM