recovery, transformation, and the Christian faith. If this topic never comes up in your congregational life, you’ll need to do more prep work. …has margin to make space available for what can grow into a significant ministry. People in recovery can be passionate and “all in,” and these minis- tries need space to grow. …is comfortable enough with the language and theological perspective embedded in existing branded recovery materials. The alternative of creat- ing your own in-house materials not only is time-consuming but forfeits the pipeline effect for those leaving incarceration. Advantages to the Recovery Fellowship model It’s strongly desistance-informed. The elements that make a recovery fellow- ship personally transformative (belonging, acceptance, identity work, over- coming shame, the new self, etc.) are also key elements in the process of desis- tance from crime. Addiction is a great equalizer; it levels the playing field and brings the “ordinary” congregation member and returning citizen together as fellow sufferers and wounded healers. It’s understood. Because of the influence of AA and other recovery programs, both the people in your congregation and people leaving incarceration have a good idea of what to expect and what’s involved. It’s location-neutral. Addiction is pervasive. There’s a critical mass of people in urban, suburban, and rural areas who can benefit from a well-run recovery fellowship. Challenges of the Recovery Fellowship model It can raise loyalty issues. Sometimes recovery fellowships can function as a rival to or substitute for the broader life of the congregation. Negotiating the relationship between the congregation and the recovery fellowship can be problematic. Is it independent, interdependent, parallel, competitive, inter- twined, mutually reinforcing? Operationally, and in terms of volunteers, it can become a case of the tail wagging the dog. It can be myopic. Passionate people in recovery can tend to see everything (including criminal behavior) through the recovery/healing lens. Those who aren’t in recovery (both returning citizens and potential volunteers) don’t fit in. A recovery fellowship may be one potential landing pad, but probably not the only one. It requires a medium-sized investment to launch. You’ll need a cohort of committed leaders who are ready to do some significant prep work to get this
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