#50 - Family Help for Addiction: A Care Group Study (Dr. Shaw)

Dr. Mark E. Shaw announces the video series available through The Addiction Connection entitled "Family Help for Addiction: A Care Group Study". This study is catered to the family member who has a son or daughter, a husband or wife, or any loved one in the family who struggles with addiction. We typically focus on helping the addict seek treatment. The Addiction Connection website has a map: https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/people/ It will help you find people and programs; this network is expanding every day. We have over 50 commissioned addictions biblical counselors and also several programs that serve the addicted with a genuinely biblical approach: https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/residential-programs/ But, sometimes we forget about those who have been affected the most—the friends and family of the addicted person. Mostly the addict won’t come to the church for help. Dealing with the withdrawal and the physical part of the struggle causes them to seek elsewhere, and rightly so many times. But the church is uniquely stationed to offer help and hope for the family members and friends of the addicted. After working on their own heart work—which is hard work—they can help their loved one. The study is based on the book Divine Intervention: Hope and Help for Families of Addicts, and the small booklet, Understanding Temptation: The War Within Your Heart. Both are available at www.focuspublishing.com Mark describes how the Family Help for Addiction Care Group Study consists of 12 video lessons plus handouts that have Discussion Questions at the end, based on 2 Timothy 3:16. The discussion times are designed for small breakout groups so that each individual can talk about these things which are so painful in their lives. We want them to address these things, their own motives, their own hurt.  Mark says that this is a tension between truth and grace. How do I interact with a loved one, watching them make self-destructive decisions? The loved one is on a pathway that is debauchery, which is on the path of destruction/death, unable to yet see the hope and help available. We’ve provided 12 video lessons, (online access only) 12 handouts, and 12 powerpoints in case you want to teach them yourself. We encourage you to take this material and use it the best way you can in your local church or ministry. There is a leader’s guide to help you as well as a video to introduce how to implement the Care Group Study. You could use it as a weekly study, a retreat, a home group study, or however you deem best. We believe this Care Group Study addresses something that is not being well addressed by the church world by and large. At the end of the day has a heart and a will, and has to make a choice to follow Christ or not on his or her own. Lots of success with this material has been seen even though it’s hard-hitting at times. The goal is to prick the heart to see that family members cannot change their loved one’s heart but they can grow and change. God is still on the throne. You can receive the care you need from the Body of Christ in your suffering. Register to receive this brand new video course on www.theaddictionconnection.org