Teen Challenge Directors & Staff, the following directives will assist your ministry in multiplying the number of people you help, for a fraction of the cost of our residential centers, utilizing volunteers from their own communities!                                                    

Initiate
Initiating a Community-wide small group ministry (Lifeline Connection) is a challenging undertaking! Only the Lord can bring pastors and leaders together to take back their communities and see the captive set free. Prayer is the key that unlocks the door of division among Christian leaders, and communicating the need will give opportunity for awareness of the immense problem of addictions.

The drug epidemic is the one issue in our culture that has brought congregations together in many communities!

Plan a community meeting of pastors, leaders, and concerned individuals from the faith community that may truly desire to make a difference! An overview of the training, the goal of the ministry (referral, relationship, realignment, and re-establishment), the opportunity of ministry, and the networking of agencies should be emphasized as well as the preview of the promotional Lifeline Connection DVD and the Living Free promotional segment DVD. (Appalachian Dawn is also an effective promotional DVD for Lifeline Connection!)

Facilitate
Set a date and location for the Living Free video training for the community if interest and desire are evident. (If only one church is involved and interested, facilitate the training for that church as Living Free not Lifeline Connection.)  The Living Free video training is the foundation of understanding the impact of life-controlling problems on our society, and the effectiveness of the small group strategy. The training needs to be facilitated by a Living Free approved faculty member, and will include the additional segment regarding Lifeline Connection. It is advantageous to accommodate this training in a neutral setting where multiple churches would be welcomed, and a faith-community effort is encouraged. Strategically plan on the timing, allowing for maximum attendance and enough time as not to be rushed! (Friday evenings and Saturdays work well, but may not be the best times for every community.)  

A template for a poster is available on-line. It is suggested that a fee be charged for the training, to cover faculty expenses, participants guide for each attendee, and providing necessary meals during the training. Another approach to the fee would be for various interested individuals, churches, or businesses to underwrite the cost of the training. A nominal fee is encouraged for each attendee, even if the training is underwritten, allowing everyone the opportunity to be responsible for the purchase of their own Living Free participants guide.

Substantiate
The Living Free video training is the first step, the second is for committed individuals to actually go through an Insight Group as a participant. This phase of training requires further commitment, going beyond a grand idea motivated by good intentions to the realization that much work is ahead to establish Lifeline Connection! This group will be smaller than those who came to the initial Living Free training. It is suggested that if there are enough participants, the group can be divided into a men’s Insight Group and a women’s Insight Group.

It is suggested that a minimum of 8 men and 8 women commit to the gender specific groups, or facilitate just one group with both men & women. There may be persons that have a heart for this ministry and are mature Christians that for some reason could not attend the Living Free video training. These persons can be invited to be a part of the Insight Group. Opportunity for attendance at a follow-up Living Free training will be given at a later date. At this phase of training, the participants of the initial Insight Group will form your “Core Team”.

Each participant in the initial Insight Group can volunteer to either be the facilitator or co-facilitator for one session or more depending on the number of volunteers. Please refer to the Living Free participant’s guide, session 7, for further guidance & instruction regarding the “Core Team”.

Much prayer is needed during this phase to identify committed individuals who form the “Core Team” and identifying a “Core Team Leader”.

Evaluate
What and where is the greatest need and pain in our community? Lifeline Connection is an effective tool in County Correctional Facilities, also in reaching families that are hurting as a result of a loved one’s addiction. Family and Drug Court also reflect the needs of the community or county we seek to help, with many clients needing to attend multiple groups during the week. The goals of Lifeline Connection to be reviewed, offering referral to residential ministries for those needing and choosing this option of availability, relationship through the groups, offering immediate hope and help with a Life-plan of Recovery and appropriate group participation.

Re-alignment for family members struggling with enabling, codependency, or just the everyday challenge of a family member’s life-controlling problem. Appropriate groups are offered, and the Life-plan of Recovery is also suggested for individual family members. Lastly,

Re-establishment is encouraged as a follow-up for program graduates and ex-offenders upon release. This group is vulnerable coming out of a controlled environment, facing the challenges of independence and decision making in a culture with few boundaries and often little support and awkward acceptance. Appropriate groups are offered, and a Life-plan of Recovery tailored for re-establishment and caring relationships. The 5 Components of Recovery work for each one of these goals of Lifeline Connection; decision, positive peer choice, accountability, boundaries & consistency!

Re-evaluate
The “Core Team” and “Core Team Leader” need to formulate and follow a “Master-plan” according to segment 8 of the Living Free participants guide and video. Progress needs to be evaluated and vision adjusted continually. Many Lifeline Connection ministries begin with the Christ-centered 12 step called Stepping into Freedom, as an open group, and add groups as we find favor with drug-court, prosecutors, and judges. It is okay to begin slowly and build a firm foundation.

The suggested start up of the Living Free participant’s guide, segment 8 can be used for Lifeline Connection as well, always refer back to that segment for guidance. The goal is always be effective no matter the size or number of groups. Ideally, having enough facilitators to offer groups Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday evenings, plus Saturday morning could be effective in your community, plus corrections ministry could reach many with hope & help through a faith-based, Christ-centered ministry!  

Remember, Living Free is encouraged for the local church as a ministry of the church; Lifeline Connection is a ministry of the local churches, as a ministry to and for the community!
Let me know if I can be of assistance!

Clayton Arp
Lifeline Connection, USA
clayton@lifelineconnection.org
502-526-2050