Summer School on Chemical Dependency -- Format changes to accommodate participation

Month spotlights safe use of medicines Education about prescription drug use is an emphasis for Addiction Ministries in October, which is National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month. The ministry can make presentations and offers video resources for check-out. Director Annette Harper noted...

Shorter sessions widen reach for addiction program

Two Conference groups—the Commission on Religion & Race (CORR) and Addiction Ministries—combined efforts to present an educational workshop about chemical dependency, held March 5 at OKC-Quayle church. Shown are some of the participants in "Back to God," designed to help groups begin outreach...

Gift to OCU establishes program on addiction

One-day seminar set for Stillwater   At Stillwater-First UMC, a one-day seminar on addiction is set April 4. "Surviving the Addiction: Yours, Mine, and Ours" explores family issues. The program begins at 8:30 a.m. and is offered through Addiction Ministries of the Oklahoma...

Addiction Ministries: Agency seeks answers for gambling problem

Problem gambling is growing in the state, according to members of the Addiction Ministries team for the Oklahoma Conference. Member Linda Mummey, of Tulsa-St. Paul’s UMC, writes here about insights she gained from recent training opportunities. By Linda Mummey As many as 105,000 Oklahomans have gambling addictions. Some of your friends and neighbors may be fighting this terrible compulsion that carries the highest suicide rate among...

Gambling opponent urges action

Tom Grey, right, and an OCU student discuss the impact of predatory gambling. Retired clergyman Tom Grey of Illinois spoke harshly about predatory gambling during a recent visit in Oklahoma City. ...

Addiction Ministries: Name changing with needs

A name change is in process for the Chemical Dependency Ministries of the Oklahoma Conference. That will mean the agency will expand its work, too. As Addiction Ministries, the agency will extend its help to people affected by behavioral addictions, such as gambling, as well as continue to battle substance abuse, such as drugs and alcohol. "We have been asked by a number of churches to expand because we have rising...

Training put into action -Chemical Dependency Ministries

Participants at the Summer School on Chemical Dependency crowd for a group picture. "Being aware of addiction is not nearly enough. Family members are searching for answers from the Church," said Delian Stone. Soon after she...

Briefly

Free training in September by Evangelism Committee Mooreland and OKC-First churches will host free training events in September that focus on evangelism. ? Sept. 12. At Mooreland UMC, keynote will be Bob Crossman, director of New Church Development, Arkansas Conference. ? Sept. 26. In Oklahoma City, keynote will be Jim Ozier, director of New Church Development, North Texas Conference. The events also will have...

TV spotlight on addiction

Churches join state’s battle against meth n The DVD edition of "Crystal Darkness" is available by contacting Chemical Dependency Ministries, cdm@okumc.org,  405-530-2010. Additional related resources are also offered by the ministry. n Addiction Ministry Responder’s Training, Feb. 23-25, Mount Sequoyah conference center, located in...

Agency sponsors major event to help within each congregation

Mount Sequoyah is hosting a conference to help equip individual churches to address drug and alcohol addictions. Among the major sponsors is Chemical Dependency Ministries of Oklahoma Conference, directed by Annette Harper. The conference for laity, clergy, church staff, district leaders, and others interested in healing ministry will be Feb. 23-25 at the UM Mount Sequoyah retreat center in Fayetteville, Ark. The event will offer best strategies,...

Addiction ministry extends model to African UMs

Two leaders of UM chemical dependency ministries join Annette Harper, left, in Côte d’Ivôire, Africa. They are Bishop Benjamin Boni, episcopal leader in Côte d’Ivôire, and Melissa Davis of North Carolina. Addiction ministry has linked Oklahoma church leaders with counterparts in Côte d’Ivôire, Africa. Of particular interest is the Summer School on Chemical Dependency,...

Chemical Dependency Training is Oct. 24 for Faith Partners

A one-day training session on Oct. 24 will help Oklahomans form Faith Partners teams, which focus on addictions within a congregation. The Leadership Training will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at OKC-Chapel Hill church. It is sponsored by the Oklahoma Conference’s Chemical Dependency Ministries. Faith Partners are lay-led groups that provide addiction awareness, education, and recovery support for a local faith community. To establish such a ministry, a three-step process is directed...

Diversity blesses Summer School

Members of the Class of 2008 at the Chemical Dependency Summer School are: Trina Bose North, Patty Cook, Dora Dorsey, Rick Drewien, Jerome Duger, Ricky Huggins, Harold Johns Jr., Jewell Meringer, Jacqualine Myles, Erica McArthur, Adrian Pollard, Jim Postier, Melissa Postier, Carol Reich, Deborah Sancho, Magnus Scott, Nathan Smith, Erika Theysohn, and Jonathan Triplett. The 2008 Summer School on Chemical Dependency was...

Enrollment opens for summer program on addictions

Leaders at the 2007 Summer School were, from left:  Ed Cook, Herb Smith, Mary Buresh, Annette Harper, Bobbie Pierro, Patricia Jones, Peter Pierro, and Dane Lemmons. Sign up now for the Summer School on Chemical Dependency, June 17-26 at Oklahoma City University. This educational opportunity focuses on "Addictions: Oklahoma’s Rising Epidemic." "Learn the facts on the disease of addiction. Be enlightened on addict behavior, family dynamics, society’s stigma, and the faith community’s...

Churches make steps in battling addictions

Youngsters gather at the altar for the Children’s Moment during Recovery Sunday at OKC-Grace UMC. They heard from Annette Harper, left, Oklahoma Conference director of Chemical Dependency Ministries. At left, the Fatal Vision Goggles thwart Keagan Smith, center, as he attempts to make a point at Weatherford-First UMC. He is flanked by Karen Lynde, left, a Faith Partners team member, and volunteer Kim Short. Members of the youth group took turns wearing the goggles during a program about...

Training event is Oct. 5

Faith Partners teams Claremore-First Covington Lucien OKC-Church of the Servant OKC-Grace OKC-Village Tulsa-St. Paul’s Weatherford   OKC-Church of the Servant Faith Partners team: from left, Gary and Valerie Tilken, Phyllis Narcomey, Candy Caveness, J. Robb Bartlett, Shelly Yancey-Coleman, Linda Foster, Virginia and Bob Williamson, and Rev. Robert Gorrell.   A six-hour workshop on Oct. 5 in Oklahoma City will teach United Methodists about a congregational...

Addiction: Claremore team responds through Faith Partners

Be a partner Faith Partners workshop: Oct. 5 in Oklahoma City To register: www.rushcenter.org or 888-451-9527. Nurture is necessary to establish a viable Faith Partners Team within a local church. Members of such a team dedicate themselves to alcohol and drug education and addiction recovery support in that church. Faith Partners is a program available to congregations through Oklahoma Conference Chemical Dependency Ministries. About 10 churches have teams at this time,...

Survey measuring churches' outreach to people affected by addictions

Participation in an online survey is encouraged by Annette Harper, director of Oklahoma Conference Chemical Dependency Ministries. The survey asks United Methodists’ opinions about their churches’ outreach to people affected by addictions. The link to "Local Church Addiction Awareness Survey" is: www.okumcministries.org/Chemical_Dependency/Faith_Partners.htm. Faith Partners and the Summer School on Chemical Dependency are two major programs of Oklahoma Conference Chemical Dependency...

Chemical Dependency leadership plans for 25th year

Activities and games, led by Annette Harper, built unity and brought laughter at the Chemical Dependency Ministries retreat. From left are: front row: Laura Clarkson, Ed Cook, June Thomas, Dane Lemmons, Linda Wegener, and Diane Miller; back row, David Croninger, Margaret White, Rose Braun, Gary Gilpin, Dan Robnett, Herb Smith, Annette Harper, and Patricia Jones "Vision without action is a daydream; action without vision is a nightmare."—Retreat theme A February retreat brought focus and...

Chemical Dependency Ministries

 Jurisdiction schedules 2 types of training to help congregations respond to addictions Two regional training programs this year will focus on ministry to people struggling with addictions. Annette Harper encourages Oklahoma United Methodists to enroll in the training, which is designed to equip clergy and laity in responding to alcohol and drug addictions. Harper is director of Chemical Dependency Ministries for Oklahoma Conference. She also is a member of the leadership teams for...