12 Step Recovery and Grace

 

Grace Church feels strongly that we are called to support and encourage people who are in recovery - specifically those who are recovering from addictions and their families.  We feel particularly called to support people in recovery spiritually, and Grace Church is a place where people can feel safe, welcomed and embraced in their recovery meetings, wherever they are on their spiritual journey.

 

We understand that when people in 12 step programs get serious about step 11, they are often looking for some spiritual guidance and new company.    ("Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood God, praying only for knowledge of God's will for us and the power to carry that out.")    We also understand that some people in recovery, although certainly not all, feel drawn to explore (or re-visit) God,  Jesus and the Christian tradition.  For those who find themselves interested, or even just curious about what our church may have to offer in terms of a deepening relationship with God, people are as welcome upstairs at Grace Church as they are downstairs.  Church events of interest include our special Recovery Eucharist once a month, our weekly Sunday worship, our meditation gatherings or health events.  Grace Church is an open minded and accepting place for people to show up just as they are and a safe place to ask all life's hardest and deepest questions. 

 

Church events that may be of interest to the recovery community are always posted on the general AA Announcement board in the parish hall, as well as here on our website.  Become a fan of Grace Church on our facebook page to get all the latest updates.   

 

Our priest, Elsa Worth, herself an active member of a 12 step fellowship, preaches recovery friendly sermons each Sunday.  She has publicly expressed our church's support for recovery in the following ways recently:

 

Elsa's testimony to the Annual convention of the Episcopal Diocese of NH

An explanation of the 12 steps for the Grace Church Sunday congregation on Diocesan "Celebrate Recovery" Sunday

Hear Jan's sermon from the second anniversary recovery service about Step 11 and Grace