The pandemic has magnified the need to address addiction and related mental health issues in our congregations and surrounding communities. One family in three has direct experience with someone suffering from addiction and often more with related mental health (MH) issues. The faith community can play a vital role in prevention and recovery; yet are sometimes reluctant or uncomfortable talking about these issues.

An informed clergy, supported by committed, trained congregational members has a tremendous opportunity to serve people who suffer; a ministry of prevention and recovery support. Faith Partners provides a thoughtful four-step process to start an effective, sustainable team ministry to address the needs of the whole congregation. This workshop signals the third step.

Faith Partners has responded since 1995 offering clergy and lay-leadership useful tools and strategies, educational materials, and training for a team ministry that can serve the needs of the whole congregation. This team approach cultivates an informed, compassionate response to addiction through awareness, education, and recovery support right in your congregation! These important responses help create a safe, hospitable place that allows for hope, help, and healing.

Faith Partners has established a national presence resulting in well over 1,250 trained congregational teams in 30 states from 24 different faith traditions. These team members have ministered to thousands of individuals and families by offering the necessary tools and supports to build resilience and effectively meet people in their brokenness.

Goal: Provide teams with the information, skills and resources to initiate and build an alcohol and drug abuse ministry in their congregation.

Objectives:  As a result of this training, participants will be better able to:

• Demonstrate effective team functioning.
• Understand the five congregational ministry areas.
• Initiate educational sessions within their team and congregation.
• Identify and work with community resources.
• Develop an initial action plan.
• Utilize evaluation tools in measuring effectiveness.

Faith Partners team initial activities often fall into the general areas of awareness, education and recovery support. These efforts often grow in relationship to the team’s capacity, the congregation’s needs and receptivity, and the congregation’s missional focus. Teams often broaden their focus from substance use disorders to other addictions to mental health issues as the need presents itself, creating an educational platform for understanding these issues.

Please join us in this important work to address addiction and related mental health issues in our midst.