Friday night was a very emotional evening. We had three new people join the group.  It’s exciting to see the room fill with many challenges among the crowd.  If you desire an evening with changing circumstances you would enjoy HOPE.  Not every one is capable of handling the many challenges we face at the addiction program. Many of these students have very serious problems and represent touch and go situations.  One was at the center Friday night.

A young girl about the age of 18-19 came to the center.  She was polite and quiet.  When we got to the prayer request time she opened up to us in tears about her problems.  She is a victim of child abuse, as well as many other challenges; some were very serious.  I believe this was one of the most difficult sessions I have had at HOPE since we started in January.  It left us totally and mentally exhausted. Not since my college days at Lima Mental Hospital, working in the criminally insane department, have I been this challenged. Believe me I had to really think and remember the correct procedures in dealing with her. STOP there! See the HOLY SCRIPTURES win every time.  WE pointed to JESUS!  He is truly OUR Lord and Savior.

Please continue to pray for our Enabled Ministry…HOPE!

Director Mike Williams-Hope International Addiction Program
Enabled Ministry

OVERALL UPDATE:  The pantry has now seen over 300 people receive food once, or multiple times!  This means that over 300 people have heard the gospel!  If we think about their families, Grace Baptist Church has touched over 1,000 people in Middletown over the past 8 months.  GOD IS SO GOOD!

Brian,
The pantry is getting very sparse. If you get slammed like we did Thursday, you may not have sufficient  for Tuesday. We were so busy Thursday I just used the client list with the names. We always try to double check addresses and ask if they are same household. I will look at the other list next week and see if that helps more.

We need to pray for Seldon Tutt Sr., his mother ( also a client) passed away last month from a fall. He was pretty broken up about it when he came in Thursday. Talked to him and told him we would be praying for him. His mom’s file is on top of the file cabinet.Seldon will need to fill out an app. (as he was on his moms) and his ID needs to be redone.

I also forgot to put  the stickers for salvation on the 4 that accepted Christ. You can leave their files for me to do next week, if you don’t get a chance. sorry

Val

Many have come up to me in church or public places and (not surprisingly) asked, “What do you do at the Hope Ministry?”  I would like to explain the No’s and Yes’s of the ministry and how to deal with addicts and the homeless in Middletown.

Enablement defined is, “any approach that provides means or opportunity.”  A leading question among workers dealing with the addicted people is, “How do I know the difference between enabling them and showing them love?”

Some believe that it is just a lack of character that keeps the addicted bound and they just need to repent and exercise will power to stop their addiction.  (TRUE) However, in some cases they will feel sorry for them and will continue to enable them-giving them enablement-a help that hurts!  The best method is replace their addiction with the Word of God and change their behavior and habits.

Replacing compassion with Godly and spiritual needs.  You see, you cannot help someone UNTIL they, come to the end of themselves.  The need to LOVE and COUNSEL them with Godly Principles.  Being sincere is important and not just spitting out hot air.  They know when you are blowing smoke at them.  It comes down to the fact we must be willing to help them not enable their habits.

We strive to follow certain principles:   (1)  If a student asks for money; one who would enable them would give them money–quickly. (2) One who would love them could meet them at the store or take them to the store and purchase the item of need. Plus, spending valuable time with them and developing them in spiritual ways.

Other things in the same order: If they ask for gas money or transportation money, don’t ever give them money!  It gives them a way to buy their sinful habits. If you love them take them to the store and purchase the gas for them. And again you are spending valuable time with them to develop spiritual values.

We at HOPE try to change their circumstances of how they are living.  We have one student now boarding at THE HOPE HOUSE, two who are staying with friends, and one enrolled with The Good Will Industries learning a job skill and placement. One student is enrolled in school to get his GED diploma.  Two have jobs and are becoming self-dependent. These are major accomplishments if you knew where they came from and where they are today.

There is hardship as well, as we have seen several drop out of the program and back on the streets.  We still offer them a way to be set free but it is their blindness to sin that leads.  Pray for them and HOPE INTERNATIONAL.

Director of Hope International addiction program- Mike Williams
Enabled Ministries

Hope International Addiction Program

Leadership is only as good as your team.  We are so blessed with the workers at the Hope Ministry.  You can certainly see this in the development of the Ministry Program.

Friday was just a typical day for Joyce and I as we got things ready for the Friday night Addictions program.  We needed to make sure we had enough coffee for Roland, water for Jesse, Brian clean clothes to change into, and James plenty of shaved ham for sandwiches.  Get the computer packed, have the right disc for music and Bible Truth memorization program.  My sermon is ready and I had all the materials needed to pass out in the meeting.  READY, SET, GO!  ”That’s our motto”.

How fast things can change!  I told Joyce everything seemed to be in a glass jar.  When looking at things they became at a far distance.  I have had these same experiences before and I knew I had better sit down.  I managed to get to my reclining sofa and the next thing I knew, time had passed by 35 minutes.  I had a blackout.  I called for Joyce and she quickly noticed that my speech was slurred and my face was drawn.  I was having a stroke.  She called my doctor and was instructed to get to the hospital.

How quick things can change.  We made several calls and talked with Brother Max.  Still “on with the program; my workers were going to be in charge…not missing a beat.”

Joyce took me to the hospital and while they were filling out paper work and admitting me she went to the center and met Jim and Donna Henry (Counselors).  She unlocked the door and gave them means to purchase the pizzas.  Roland showed up and had chips, water and soft drinks.  Then Joyce rushed back to the hospital as they were taking me in for tests. Nothing lost all taken care of: “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” PHILLIPIANS 4:6-7

There were two new students that evening and if we had been closed we would have missed this new blessing.  ”Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

We have even more proof that HOPE is working and more will walk the streets of Middletown someday set free!  Most important, this is why we need your help!  No one tries to do this program alone, WE ARE A TEAM!!!  God Bless.

Mike Williams Director HOPE INTERNATIONAL ADDICTION PROGRAM
Enabled Ministries-Grace Baptist Church

This month of July has been our Sabbatical month for the Food Pantry workers.  We really need to beef up the supplies as we prepare for August.  Please bring in donations, funds, and coupons to help.  Call the office with questions, or email Brian Messer.  There are so many that have come to know the Lord through this ministry, and we NEED YOUR HELP!

H.O.P.E.  International Addiction program meets on Friday evenings 6-9 P.M.  This past Friday evening we had a great Bible lesson on Salvation, what salvation is and what it is not.  Pastor Green gave his time in explaining to the class that Salvation is of grace, faith and a promise from God.  Salvation is not of works and it cannot be earned by works or purchased.
It is a free gift from God.  Salvation is the acknowledgement of and asking forgiveness for our sins and accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

All of the chapter, “John 10″ should be read…over and over to soak up the ways to be assured of our salvation.  Pastor Green gave us many illustrations and stories to back up the promise of God in the gift of salvation.  The students listened very carefully and many favorable comments were made after the conclusion of Pastors’ lesson.  One comment was made; the student could not wait to get out in the streets with his new weapon…The Truth!

The addict is learning the truth…many for the first time about eternal security.  As they heal and break away from their addictive habits they are walking in faith and eternal security.  What a better way to fit into society.

Grace Baptist Enabled Ministries
HOPE International Addiction Program Director Mike Williams

July 1, 2010…Summer time!!!

A lot is happening at the center…Food Pantry is taking a sabbatical for the month of July.  The first Ladies Bible study has come and gone for the month until the end of July.  Tutoring program is ready to open up again, and HOPE is still open every Friday as addictions do not take a time off.

We added another addict to the program but unfortunately we are loosing several counselors for the summer.  Last Friday we had just enough counselors to meet the one-on-one addict per counselor.

We gave certificates to two of addicts for 5 weeks of sobriety.  Several other success reports include: Hamilton-Butler County Courts recognizing the HOPE addiction program and Middletown Courts recognizing program by offering pay settlements for the addict community commitments.

Our goal is to help the addict to be set free from all entanglements.  To be better Christians and be a part of the community they live.  God Bless the faithfulness of the HOPE workers.

Mike Williams-Director of Hope International-Enabled Ministries
Grace Baptist Church

H.O.P.E.    The ministry is designed to not only counsel the addict but to help rehabilitate them back into a normal Christian life style.  It is also to help them have self-esteem and direct their problems to the Lord as their Rock.

We have finished the first 15 weeks of the program and now it’s when we really get to their problems.  Our meetings from an outsiders viewpoint may appear rather confusing as the addict addresses their strongholds and “modge-podgiest” religious beliefs.  It’s not easy to take many religious backgrounds and sort out the falsities they have habitually formed.  The Kings James Bible is our Sword of truth!

We are making great progress, and they are falling into the fold of Spiritual Truth and placing Jesus in the center of their lives.  The next part is very serious as now we are focusing in developing self- esteem and cognitive mental belief in themselves.

Three of the addicts we have placed in the outside world as constructive religious people.  Two are in the food pantry working as volunteers but the most important thing is that they are functioning with other Christians and in serving the public. That’s part of the HOPE program in getting the addict into a working relationship with trust worthy Christians as their role models.

Last Tuesday one of the students helped out in the pantry and also led three to the Lord!!  Another student went door to door in his neighborhood and led five to the Lord.  Friday night three went out in front of the Enabled building before our meeting to witness to passer buyers.  They were heckled and made fun of by people walking buy…”Druggies, Low life’s, Religious freaks, to name a few” however, they stood their ground and a 60 year old man accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior!  That’s the program working to its fullest!

HOPE is a fantastic program for recovery.  A lot of work is still a head of us but we see light being shined from Heaven as we seek the Lord.  Come be a part of our program we could always use more helpers and counselors.  We could also use more to join the program and be set free from your afflictions.  More and more are coming up to me in church sharing family issues and seeking ways I can help.  HOPE can help!!

Mike Williams Director of HOPE INTERNATIONAL ADDICTION PROGRAM-Enabled Ministries