Bridges to Grace

Many pastors feel ill equipped to address the family issues, the addictions, the pain of abuse and loss, as well as the myriad other secrets that people in their churches and communities hide in their lives. Church leaders know they have a message that offers hope and healing, but they struggle to put structures in place that allow for focused recovery care. Recovery ministry is uncharted territory for many churches, but the need for it isn't going away any time soon. Churchgoers who struggle with personal pain, in the meantime, begin to wonder if they are slipping beyond the power of God. Ministries of healing and renewal are the bridge they need to access God's boundless grace and the encouragement of a life-giving community that can offer support and counsel.Liz Swanson and Teresa McBean share their extensive experience working with recovery ministries and tell the stories of success and failure. They show how churches and leaders are providing recovery assistance to hurting individuals and how the ministry of recovery is being used for kingdom purposes, providing lost and hurting people with a bridge to the healing power of hope and forgiveness found in the gospel of God's grace.

Liz Swanson is the project Director for Tango Family Initiative, an organization committed to helping build healthy families and marriages through changed lives. Before coming to Tango, Liz served for five years with Leadership Networks as the National Leadership Community Director for Recovery Ministry. As a result of her research into the church. She resides in Louisville, Colorado, with her husband, Eric. Teresa McBean is the Executive Director of the National Association for Christian Recovery, an organization providing resources, training, and hope to Christian organizations, and individuals serving addicts and their families. Her passion for recovery is expressed through her service as minister of NorthStar Community, a position she had held since 1999. Northstar community is a recovery ministry of Bon Air Baptist Church is Richmond, Virginia, She and her husband, Peter, have three children.