The Resident Mentor
Program of Bethesda Village, 3540 Mercy Way, Rescue, CA
By Dick B.
The Special Interest of
International Christian Recovery Coalition
Since our
first International Christian Recovery Coalition gathering in May, 2009, at the
Community Fellowship Hall of Mariner’s Church in Irvine, California, we have
gathered from some 50 states and several other countries the participants in
our informal worldwide fellowship of Christian recovery leaders, workers,
pastors, and counselors who share our view of the importance that dissemination
of the role of God, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Bible have played in recovery
from alcoholism and addiction and can play for those who want God’s help.
Details can be found at www.ChristianRecoveryCoalition.com.
Alcoholics and Addicts Need to Learn
Christian “Fellowship”—and the Rest of the A.A. Story
For almost a
year, we have researched, assembled, and published “the rest of the story” of
Christian recovery from alcoholism and addiction that has so long been shunted
aside as Alcoholics Anonymous has grown from its tiny beginnings in June of
1935, The path has gone so far astray that some writers claim A.A. never even
began until the fall of 1937. But now we are presenting a huge assemblage of
the missing links and vital elements that flow from the practices of First
Century Christians, the Christian entities of individuals from 1850 forward to
help the down and out, the Christian upbringing of A.A. cofounders Bill W. and
Dr. Bob in Vermont, and the shaping and warping of the miraculous recovery
ideas that captured the attention of A.A. Christian pioneers in Akron in 1935 and later were altered to suit the
fancied need for a program that veered from reliance on God to emphasis on
nonsense gods, higher powers, and idolatrous symbols that present the “broad
highway” seen in the thinking and actions of many 12-Step groups today. Details
can be found in our new website www.aahistoryChristianRecovery.com.
Now They Need to Know
the Enormity of the Growth of Substantive Christian Recovery Groups
And now we
go to the astonishing Christian recovery movement that has so rapidly grown in
the last five years. Our first effort was to speak to recovered Christian
leaders and urge them to incorporate in their own recovery work an application
of what we call “old school” A.A.—the “Christian technique” that began with the
Bible at the hands of A.A. pioneers Bill W., Dr. Bob, and Bill D. The objective
was to meld the good points and strengths of the widely used 12 Step programs
with the sure and effective power of the Creator that was slipping away in the
rush to “simplify” the recovery movement with such ineffectual tools as “don’t
drink;” “go to meetings;” choose some “higher power” that keeps religion and
the religious at bay and swallows efforts up in court cards, endless war
stories, the loss of the keys to the kingdom that A.A. Number Three called “the
golden text of A.A.” – calling on God who had widely cured those who renounced
addictive pursuits, went to any lengths to avoid temptation, and placed their
healing in God’s hands.
We Turn Now to New,
Growing, Successful Christian Recovery Efforts in Progress
But this
series of reports on the new and growing and successful Christian recovery
movements will show how devout, dedicated, experienced, recovered Christians
are working with Christians, recovery pastors, Christian program directors, and
residential treatment ideas and programs that closely resemble those of the
First Century Christians who inspired early AAs.
The First Christian
Residential Program We Will Sketch for You is that of Bethesda Village, at
Mercy Way in Rescue, California; residential program directed by Jim Gaffney;
overseen by Recovery Pastor Matt Pierce of Golden Hills Community Church
located at Brentwood, California; and fast at work organizing its “Resident
Mentor Training Program.”
Bethesda
Village is a long term residential discipleship program aimed at helping those men
(18-25 years) who are seeking freedom from life-controlling issues. Bethesda
Village's mission is to help those seeking freedom from life-controlling issues
through personal discipleship and life skills development within the context of
a healthy Christian community. Residents will receive spiritual, moral and
relational instruction primarily through the Word of God, counseling and small
group work, personal discipleship and life skills development. We are located
in Rescue, CA on a 21acre property in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada
Mountains overlooking the Sacramento Valley.
We present
below the Bethesda Village resident mentor training program description sent to
us by Program Director, Jim Gaffney. And there are currently openings for
mentor applications:
The Resident Mentor Training
program is truly a life changing experience. During their stay with us our resident
mentors will grow in their knowledge and love of God through Bible study
and prayer; they will also have the opportunity to develop the transferable
life skills necessary to minister in a recovery community, small groups, or a
local church. Resident Mentors will be participating daily,
moment-by-moment, in the restoration God is doing in the lives of the young men
they serve. Each mentor will also complete an extensive Servant-Leadership
training program while living on the Bethesda Village grounds alongside
the residents.
Resident mentors live in community
with the residents, building relationships while participating in daily
activities such as class, worship, work and recreation. Although Resident Mentorship
is a 24-hour, residential position, there are scheduled times off (two evenings
per week or one weekend day). Special arrangements can also be made for more
extended time off as needed.
There are no fees for the resident
mentor training program. Room and board is provided free of charge.
Commitment
First and foremost the resident
mentor has to possess a willingness to learn. The resident mentor
will be continually learning how to minister to hurting young men. They will be
heavily involved with teaching, modeling, Bible study and Servant-Leadership
training. There will be weekly and daily reading/homework assignments for all
of the resident mentors. Each resident mentor will need to learn
to function as part of a team of mentors.
Resident mentors provide care and
guidance to troubled young men (residents) at Bethesda Village, in a
residential community setting. Resident mentors receive practical
training for the purpose of ministering to the hurting. They serve, not by
their own strength or character, but by the power of Jesus Christ working
through them. Role modeling and sharing God's love and power through the work
of the Holy Spirit are vital aspects in the healing process.
Resident mentors are men who
not only have a heart for Jesus, but a heart for struggling people as well. Part
role model, part teacher and part friend, a resident mentor should have
an adventurous spirit and want to make a lasting difference in the lives of
others.
Resident mentors make a voluntary
commitment to serve, preferably for 12 months; however we are open to discuss
commitments that involve shorter or longer stays. This will be a time of
testing and purifying, a season where God's faithfulness and comfort are experienced in
a real and life-changing way. It is an intense season of growth, practical
discipleship and maturing in every way possible.
Submission to Authority
In order to provide an example to the
residents, the resident mentors will need to function under Godly
authority as they submit to the leadership of the Program Director of Bethesda
Village.
Qualifications
Resident mentors are not
necessarily dynamic and gregarious individuals and they don’t have to be Bible
scholars (or even trained counselors). However, the following characteristics
are required in order to serve as a resident mentor:
1.
A
strong commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ as demonstrated through a humble
Christian walk.
2.
A
solid foundation in Biblical truth and personal application of God's Word in
his daily life.
3.
Regular
attendance and fellowship in a solid Bible-believing, Christ-centered church.
4.
A
burden for ministering to troubled young men and a willingness to serve them
and the Lord in a selfless, full-time capacity.
5.
The
ability to initiate and build relationships along with the ability to confront,
encourage and admonish residents in Christ-like love.
6.
The
ability to maintain a solid work ethic including extensive physical activities.
While resident mentors are not
employees of Golden Hills Community Church, they are expected to demonstrate
adherence to Golden Hills Community Church Code of Ministerial Ethics for
Staff, Elders and Deacons as outlined in the Resident Mentor Code of
Ministerial Ethics. (This will
be supplied to all interested in completing an application)
Contact Information
Jim
Gaffney Program Director - Bethesda Village
jimgaffney@goldenhills.org
(925) 516-0653 x7234
or (530) 672-1648
Pastor
Matt Pierce, Recovery Pastor – Golden Hills Community Church
(925)
516-0653 x7131
Bethesda
Village
3540
Mercy Way
Rescue,
CA 95672
Golden
Hills Community Church
2401
Shady Willow Lane
Brentwood,
CA 94513
(925)
516-0653
