ERASE THE STIGMA RECOVERY EVENT
The Erase the Stigma of Substance Use Disorder: Recovery is Possible Virtual Event held Sunday, September 13, was wonderful! For those of you who were not able to watch/attend, here is the LINK TO VIDEO . You can also access it through the Watertown Cares website page HERE.
Opening building to the groups
Our ministry with the recovery community began in 2002 at the Watertown site, and this is what it looks like today:
Several 12-step meetings for people who are seeking to stay clean and sober. Our building is home to group anniversaries and 24-hour Alka-Thons on holidays.
Interaction between “upstairs” and “downstairs”
One of the growing edges for us has been and continues to be the appropriate ways for members of the congregation to be part of this ministry, given the preeminent value of anonymity and the obviously confidential nature of many of pastoral interactions with group members.
This experiment has gone well so far and includes:
a. Attending the annual anniversary of the Watertown Men’s Group of NA. There are over 600 individuals who attend this celebration, and it is open to addicts and non-addicts alike. In recent years, as many as 20 people from BWUMC have been present at this event.
b. Offering hot cider and snacks during the week before Christmas. This began 10 years ago as a simple way to offer hospitality and let people know we were glad they were in our building. Group members have been incredibly appreciative of this simple gesture, and have come to look forward to this week-long event. Dozens of church members have volunteered over the years.
c. Open meetings. Most of the various fellowships of the recovery movement (Alcoholics, Narcotics, Gamblers, etc.) hold open meetings on a regular basis so that non-addicts who want to understand addiction can be present in ways that are appropriate. We have helped people to find such meetings.
d. 11th Step Café. In 2014, we organized the first ever small group study involving both members of the recovery community and members of our congregation. Eight members of BWUMC joined 3 members of Narcotics Anonymous to break bread together, study Anne Lamott’s “Help, Thanks, Wow” and pray for one another. We are now in the midst of our 4th year with a combination of church members and folks in recovery.
e. Volunteers of Watertown (VOW) are church members who staff the office at the Watertown site when Recovery groups are in session to be a welcoming face and trouble-shoot any building issues that may arise.
Watch this video of Pastor Gary’s interview with Watertown Weekly News here on Facebook