The Addiction Ministry Handbook
A Guide For Faith Communities
Denis Meacham
The Addiction Ministry Handbook provides practical steps and information for faith communities serving the special needs of members affected by drug and alcohol abuse. This thorough resource outlines:
- The basics of drug abuse—from the causes of chemical dependence and the progression of drug use to the six stages toward changing addictive behavior.
- The special role of faith communities and pastoral caregivers in supporting recovery.
- Programming and initiatives that form the core of a congregation-based addiction ministry.
- An alcohol abuse assessment tool, a congregational addiction assessment questionnaire and a list of web sites and books for further study.
Incorporating the most up-to-date information from addiction science and pastoral care, The Addiction Ministry Handbook provides ministers and lay leaders with the inspiration, guidance and tools for launching and sustaining an addiction ministry.
Praise for The Addiction Ministry Handbook:
"Faith communities can and do make a difference in the lives of
families struggling with addiction problems! Meacham's The Addiction
Ministry Handbook is an excellent resource for Unitarian Universalist
congregations and their lay leaders—for the knowledge found on every page, the
inclusive attention to our broad spiritual foundations and for the practical
tools it provides for caregivers and addiction ministry committees. The author
pays close attention to the pervasive complexity of addiction and calls our
faith communities to a ministry of healing and wholeness. I highly recommend
this handbook for the knowledge, spirituality and skills it offers to people of
all ages and families of all kinds. I encourage every congregation to take up
this important ministry."
—Rev. Patricia Hoertdoerfer, Children, Family and
Intergenerational Programs Director, UUA
For more information contact skinnerhouseatuuadotorg.
Last updated on Thursday, April 5, 2007.
