April 22: Olympia Presbytery

Providing Support for Those Seeking Recovery from Addiction

April 22, 2016

First Presbyterian Church (FPC) in Aberdeen, Washington, is a noisy place on Friday evenings. There are newcomers and regulars, elderly and young, the quiet and shy still feeling the place out and most recently lots of babies. More than 20 people gather each week to eat a great meal and to support each other in their sobriety. Friday Night Meals is just one of the many facets of Recovery Grays Harbor, a ministry of FPC for those seeking a community of support in their recovery from addiction.

Recovery Grays Harbor began when Olympia Presbytery awarded FPC a seed grant in the fall of 2014 for congregations seeking new ways to reach their communities with the transforming love of Jesus. The proposal was to hire someone familiar with the recovery community in order to build personal relationships and to help individuals navigate the complexities of sober living. Then, building on those relationships, FPC provided a community of personal support and saturated all that we did with the gospel. Our desire was to model God’s initiation and pursuit of a relationship with us with our pursuit of a relationship with those in the recovery community.

The program expanded to include Friday Night Meals, a variety of classes ranging from Parenting to an Introduction to the Christian Faith, and help in job placement and housing. Working closely with the CMA (Crystal Meth Anonymous) group that uses our building, over the past 14 months we have seen individuals and couples establish spiritual foundations through faith in Jesus, maintain sobriety, find employment, implement healthy ways to deal with stress, secure quality housing, and regain custody of their children. In 2015 every family that has gone through our Parenting program has been reunified with their children. And, by God’s grace, we have had to add several highchairs around the table on Friday nights for dinner.

Rev. Doug Basler, Pastor, First Pres. of Aberdeen

Let us join in prayer for:

Presbytery Staff:

Dr. Keith Tanis, Executive Presbyter
Rev. Kari McFarland, Stated Clerk

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff

Caz Minter, PMA
Diane Minter, OGA
Rosemary Mitchell, PMA

Let us pray

God of grace, you are the one who binds up the brokenhearted and brings release, freedom and hope to the captives. We pray that your continued mercy would be poured upon those in Grays Harbor wrestling with addiction and upon the congregation of First Presbyterian Church as they seek to serve and bear witness to Jesus. In his name we pray.  Amen.