What is Recovery Church?
Recovery Churches are intentional, gathered communities led by people in recovery with people in recovery. They provide an inclusive, brave and safe space open to people of all faiths and none.
Our worship gatherings seek to: support attendees to be open and honest about their joys and struggles in life and recovery, reflect together, hold people who are on their hearts by lighting candles, and, connect with their Higher Power.
They are a space where individuals are affirmed for being honest and authentic, find acceptance, love and hope in their journey of recovery.
If you are interested in setting up a Recovery Church, you can join these 60-minute webinars (click to book) to find out how:
Why is it needed?
Levels of addiction, especially drugs and alcohol, continue to rise across the UK and more especially in those places with the highest levels of people living in poverty. Jesus’ manifesto included wanting people to experience freedom from those things that bind them. Addiction binds people to behaviours and substances which can destroy lives and families. The Methodist Church has a long history of trying to speak into, and respond to the impact of addiction in communities including its stance on alcohol and gambling in our buildings. Recovery Church is a twenty-first century response to today's rising levels of addiction and seeks to provide new faith communities where people feel safe to share their struggles with addiction and support one another in the journey of recovery but also encourage each other in our spiritual journey with God/Higher Power.
There is much stigma around addiction, including in our churches, and therefore places where people can be open and honest about their struggles with addiction are very much needed.
Recovery Churches are always guided by robust safeguarding principles and policies. This is especially important as many of those who attend have been, or currently are, vulnerable due to their addiction or family situation or have criminal convictions.
How are we responding?
Recovery Churches are not just once-a-week gatherings, they are just one response to the needs of those who suffer with addiction(s). Listening to those who attend the communities has resulted in a number of additional connecting points each week. These include a weekly Recovery Drop-In, a weekly Men’s group looking at issues affecting men in recovery, 12 Step Bible study groups, retreats, delivering spirituality sessions in local DayHab facilities, and partnering with other organisations and justice-seeking around the stigma of addiction.
Where and when we meet
There are currently 3 Recovery Church communities.
The first community meets on Zoom every Sunday evening from 6-7:15pm. (Zoom links are provided weekly and are available through contacting Deacon Tracey Hume)
The second community is on-site and meets in the Education room at Newcastle Cathedral Wednesday evenings 6-7:15pm (Kettle on from 5:30pm!)
The third community is in Strathclyde in Glasgow.
Who comes along?
Our services are attended by a diverse range of adults. We have a current age range of 18-70 with the average age being late 20s and early 30s. Some of those attending have many years of sobriety or abstinence from their addiction(s), others are still struggling to find 24 hours. Some come to us while they are being detoxed or attending DayHab/ReHab, others come to us straight from their working day.
Those attending the Zoom community come from all over the UK and one person Zooms in from the States!
In all the communities, we come together to find some connection and fellowship, mutual understanding and care through our honest sharing, to learn together and be mutually accountable.