Recovery Community Church is proud to be a Church of the Nazarene. However, when it comes to battling addiction, we're not just dealing with a Nazarene epidemic here! Addiction effects every city, every denomination, every church, and every family in some way or other. Therefore, drawing denominational lines in the sand doesn't make a lot of sense to us here at Recovery Community Church. Consequently, all denominations are encouraged and welcome to lay our religious differences aside and be a part of what God is doing in the recovery community.
A Recovery Church and A Recovery Program
Having said that, although we are a Nazarene church and are in agreement with all Nazarene beliefs (which can be viewed here), we here at Recovery Community Church also have some additional beliefs and practices regarding the recovery community that we would like to share with you.
Furthermore, we also offer an optional recovery program in our church called ASAP Recovery for those who wish to go deeper in their recovery. Hence, this program also has some additional beliefs and practices, many of which carry much higher levels of accountability for those who choose to be a part of it.
However, allow us to make this perfectly clear: even though we offer this ASAP Recovery fellowship of privilege, please know in advance that its beliefs, practices, and parameters (which we will also list) are not mandatory, expected, or the same for the members of Recovery Community Church. On a side note, if you will notice, this means that we are also practicing what we preach here, by laying down our religious differences in order to best serve our community.
The main difference between the rules, beliefs and expectations held by these two organizations is that Recovery Community is a church, where you can just come as you are, be sown into, and then go your way in peace! ASAP Recovery is a fellowship of privilege much like a rehab with rules and boundaries, but without having to go to rehab. In others words, it's not that you have to be a part of the program that we offer, but that you get to be a part of it, if you are willing to present yourself accountable to it.
Sadly, many people in recovery only want to remove some of the pressure in their life as opposed to all of it. Or they are only looking for maintenance over their addictions instead of cure. Therefore, much in the same way that not everyone is ready for the level of help that a rehab can offer them, ASAP Recovery is also not a good fit for just anyone simply because they say they want help.
However, good fit or not, please know that regardless of someone’s addiction issue or readiness for this degree of help, everyone will still be extended the hand of fellowship to this program and are welcome and encouraged to give it a try.
With these two organizations and their individual goals in mind, let's now have a look at their additional (and separate) beliefs and practices:
Furthermore, we also offer an optional recovery program in our church called ASAP Recovery for those who wish to go deeper in their recovery. Hence, this program also has some additional beliefs and practices, many of which carry much higher levels of accountability for those who choose to be a part of it.
However, allow us to make this perfectly clear: even though we offer this ASAP Recovery fellowship of privilege, please know in advance that its beliefs, practices, and parameters (which we will also list) are not mandatory, expected, or the same for the members of Recovery Community Church. On a side note, if you will notice, this means that we are also practicing what we preach here, by laying down our religious differences in order to best serve our community.
The main difference between the rules, beliefs and expectations held by these two organizations is that Recovery Community is a church, where you can just come as you are, be sown into, and then go your way in peace! ASAP Recovery is a fellowship of privilege much like a rehab with rules and boundaries, but without having to go to rehab. In others words, it's not that you have to be a part of the program that we offer, but that you get to be a part of it, if you are willing to present yourself accountable to it.
Sadly, many people in recovery only want to remove some of the pressure in their life as opposed to all of it. Or they are only looking for maintenance over their addictions instead of cure. Therefore, much in the same way that not everyone is ready for the level of help that a rehab can offer them, ASAP Recovery is also not a good fit for just anyone simply because they say they want help.
However, good fit or not, please know that regardless of someone’s addiction issue or readiness for this degree of help, everyone will still be extended the hand of fellowship to this program and are welcome and encouraged to give it a try.
With these two organizations and their individual goals in mind, let's now have a look at their additional (and separate) beliefs and practices:
Recovery Community Church Beliefs
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ASAP Recovery Beliefs
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Recovery Community Church, we will always keep the focus on three things as they pertain to you:
/ Jesus
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ASAP Recovery is a faith based... individualized... Four Step program that will guide you into an Authentic... Growing... Relationship with Jesus that will empower you to live the rest of your life free of addictions and willful sin.
ASAP Recovery is a non-denominational program for the entire recovery community at large. Although, all denominations are welcome, that is not to say that all behaviors or beliefs are welcome among our fellowship of privilege. The following are our program’s non-negotiables or core beliefs. We Believe: The Bible is inspired (2 Tim 3:16-17), inerrant (Psalm 18:30), and infallible (Isaiah 55:11): In other recovery programs today, their 12 Steps and Traditions are given a higher seat of authority than the very God they were designed to point you toward. We will not be making the same mistake here. In our program, the Bible is our supreme authority in life. Consequently, our literature will never replace the Word of God, will always point to the Word of God, and it will not work without spending time daily in the Word of God and bringing our lives into alignment with the teachings within it. If you are spending more time in our literature than in the Bible, please know that you are doing it wrong. Furthermore, we will be the first to acknowledge that our Four Steps can’t save you, but they point you toward the One who can! We Believe: Jesus is the only Higher Power welcome here: In other recovery programs you are told to seek out any higher power, or god of your own understanding. That will not be the case here among our fellowship. The Bible says that Jesus is the only “Way, Truth, Life” and path to the Father (John 14:6). The Bible further states that all “other gods are false idols” (Psalm 96:5). Therefore, since the first Commandment forbids the worship of any false gods/idols (Exodus 20) we have a zero tolerance policy on the issue of allowing other higher powers into our Bible-believing, Christian fellowship. Consequently, Jesus is the only higher power welcome here.
We Believe: Our Goal here is Christianity… not sobriety: In other recovery programs you are told that sobriety is their singular objective. Not so here! We have found that sobriety is too narrow a goal for our members and, consequently, falls short of the life that Christ died on the cross to provide us with (both now and in eternity). To elaborate, Christianity deals with the sum total of the individual, whereas sobriety only focuses on their external activities. Furthermore, we here at ASAP Recovery believe that if someone gets saved then sobriety will always follow, whereas if someone gets sober that does not guarantee that salvation will follow. Therefore, what’s the good in getting sober for the next 20-30 years only to burn in Hell for all eternity simply because the individual rejected the one thing that could save them from both; Jesus! Therefore, our goal here is Christianity and the teachings of all Scripture… not sobriety We Believe: Desire is not enough for membership… Jesus requires death: In Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous (AA/NA), the only requirement for membership is “a desire to quit drinking/using.” We are going to need a lot more from our members than simply a desire to quit hurting yourself and others. In fact, we are going to need the same “death to self” that Jesus requires in order to be His disciples. (Mark 8:34-35) This death will be measured by our fellowship’s attitudes, actions, transparency, and accountability, as opposed to simply a desire that is void of any actual steps towards change. However, please be comforted that our community’s goal here is always progress over perfection! We Believe: Jesus said recovered… not forever recovering: In other recovery programs you are told that you (or your loved one) will be in recovery for the rest of your/their life. However, the Bible clearly and consistently says that you can be fully recovered from any and all sins, addictions, or life controlling issues no matter who you are or how far gone you may be (John 8:36, 10:10, Psalm 27:13, 2 Cor 3:17, & Gal 5:1). Therefore, we reject the notion/false doctrine that Jesus has the ability to save you from the penalty of your sins but not from the power of them. We Believe: ASAP is a Fellowship of Privilege: Once again, in other programs the only requirement for membership is a “desire” to quit drinking/using. That will not be the case in our program. Once grace upon grace has been given to an individual, the practice of removing repeat offenders from our community (in order that the rest of the population may thrive) is the stance of Jesus, the Bible, prisons, and programs and, therefore, this is also the stance of ASAP Recovery and we make no apologies for it. Now, in the event these individuals get to the point where they would like to do the right thing, stop playing games, take off the mask, and present themselves accountable, they will be more than welcome to stay and receive the victory, fellowship, and help that was available to them all along. We Believe: ASAP Recovery is for those seeking cure over maintenance: ASAP Recovery is for those rare individuals seeking cure over maintenance for any and all addictions and willful sins in their life but just can’t seem to find it by building on the old recovery foundation of AA and NA’s 12 Step Model. Therefore, if you are content with only removing some of the pressure in your life (as opposed to all of it) or if you are only seeking a little bit more of God in your life, instead of all of Him, then this is not the program for you. We Believe: Truth is more important than performance: Here at ASAP Recovery, we will never reject someone for using… ever! We can handle relapses all day long; however, dishonesty we cannot. Most people in recovery have zero to little control or willpower over their addiction when they first come in. However, every single one of us have absolute control on choosing to be honest about our shortcomings. Therefore, we hold you accountable for what you do have power over, not what you don’t. Sadly, if you can’t be honest with us then there’s nothing we can do for you at this time. We Believe: No mask-wearing allowed: Mask-wearing is when someone refuses to take their mask off and be authentic, vulnerable, teachable, and growing. If you will notice, these types of individuals will only pretend to change when change and recovery has been available and achievable to any and all this whole time. If you will further notice, this failure to take off the mask is often evidenced by the individual (or group of individuals) bringing other members of the group into their sin, addiction, and drama. In this program we will ask such individuals to leave our fellowship after repeated infractions until such a time as they are ready to take off their mask and receive the kind of help that the Bible and this program have to offer. We Believe: Addiction swapping & moderation attempts are out of bounds: When a member of our group attempts to moderate their substance or activity use (as opposed to the time tested, proven method of cold turkey) or swap something they are addicted to for something they are not (in order to lessen or replace the loss of their preferred drink, drug, or activity of choice) then, after repeated warnings and infractions, we will ask you to leave our program for the safety of our other members. Once again, in the event these individuals get to the point where they would like to do the right thing, stop playing games, take off the mask, and present themselves accountable, they will be more than welcome to stay and receive the victory, fellowship, and help that was available to them all along. We Believe: The Bible calls addiction a sin, not a disease… and so do we: The Bible clearly calls drunkenness (or addiction) a sin issue in Galatians 5:19-21 and again in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. It further says that anyone living that sort of life at the time of their death will not inherit the Kingdom. However, AA and NA have rejected the Bible’s teaching on our addictions being a sin issue and, instead, have reduced our actions and addictions to an illness or disease. In doing so, they have removed not only sin and morality from their programs, but they have also removed the God of the Bible from their fellowship as well. Therefore, we reject the notion/false doctrine that our addictions are anything less than what God and His flawless Word has classified them as… sin! We Believe: We're all in Recovery… so, no Setting up Addiction camps: The Bible says that we’re all trying to recover our original, undefiled relationship with God before sin and selfishness entered the world in the Garden. Therefore, ASAP Recovery is of the mindset that in one way or another, we’re all in recovery (even those without addictions). Consequently, setting up addictions camps, where addicts go over here and alcoholics go over there, is a bit ridiculous. Furthermore, when we set up addiction camps, we could be unintentionally cutting off our own hands from receiving the help we so desperately need, simply because someone is not from the same camp as us. Now, this is not to say that there shouldn’t be gender or recovery specific groups; we should definitely have those! However, we believe that all recovery should be done under one house, and that singular house should have many rooms for its members’ needs. We Believe: Every member of our fellowship must diligently Get, Guard & Grow The Four Steps in their own life/recovery: Our program is a faith based, individualized, Four Step program meant to guide our members into an authentic, growing relationship with Jesus. Please note the word “individualized” used here in this sentence. The Bible says that God created us to be individuals (Psalm 139:14) and, therefore, it stands to reason that our fellowship is going to need an individualized program, as opposed to doing the same 12 Steps in the same order as everyone else around them. Which means that, to some degree, what ASAP Recovery is for one member might not be ASAP Recovery for another. However, regardless of what form their individual program takes (within the parameters of our program’s rules and expectations), please let it be known to all that the success of our program and the individuals within it is dependent upon every member of our fellowship creating their own individualized program by diligently Getting, Guarding & Growing The Four Steps in their own life/recovery. In other words, it works if you work it! Special Note:
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Please note that the beliefs of ASAP Recovery are our own, and do not necessarily represent the beliefs of the Church of the Nazarene or any other denomination. We are a separate faith-based 501(c)3 non-profit in the state of Kentucky.
If you have any more questions about our program's beliefs or practices, we have made our views clearly known to the public in our book, ASAP Recovery: Tearing out the Old Foundation. This book can be purchased at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or just about anywhere that books are sold. To learn more about our program, you can also visit our website at: asaprecovery.com |