Post 3

Frontier Ministry

The initial funding from South Indiana Conference had come through – at least for the first year or two. I would keep on with the parish ministry, as well, while working to get Gambling Recovery Ministries up and running. So what should happen first? My District Superintendent said that we needed a Board of Directors – and that he would help with recruitment. Basically, it turned out to be an easy task. Our group was a committed one – fascinated with the challenge of outreach to persons affected by problem gambling ... and to creating something new.

We just didn’t know how new our ministry would be.
Of course, there were goals and a mission statement to put together. And so the work began. Initially, we figured there just had to be a similar ministry to problem gamblers: one that addressed gambling addiction with the basic focus of recovery. We would find out how such a ministry functioned – and then, simply pattern our efforts after this model. No such luck, we discovered quickly. (Dare, I use that word?)

Yes, there were treatment facilities and counseling agencies – though not many that specialized only in treating compulsive gamblers. And there were some ministries that included a focus on addictions, in general. Still, we continued to look for a single-focus type of outreach to gamblers and their families.

What we did find within church parishes, however, was the lack of informative resources about problem gambling recovery issues – and the lack of knowledge about gambling addiction, period.

What, then, were we to do on this frontier of ministry?
Not long after our first Board meeting, I decided to go directly to the experienced – those who knew compulsive gambling best – and who knew recovery, as well.

I picked up the phone and called the Gamblers Anonymous Hot Line in Cincinnati. As luck would have it, the GA volunteer manning the phone caught the vision of GRM – immediately - and invited me to an Open Meeting in the area. It turned out to be an event called a Pinning – a special celebration of abstinence from gambling by a GA member. I was moved. The evidence was clear: new life was being celebrated by both the gambler and the family members.

Nine years later, I am still moved. I continue to witness the recovery of gamblers – and their loved ones – through Gamblers Anonymous, Gam-A-Non, and treatment.

Still, there was much to be developed in GRM’s outreach to those affected by problem gambling. How could we effectively be of help to compulsive gamblers and their families? We continued to discover that in pioneering this new ministry ...

we had much to learn!

Rev. Janet Jacobs
Director, Gambling Recovery Ministries

Post 2

It was a cold and snowy night …
I closed Post 1 with a promise to explain GRM’s logo in the next entry. As mentioned before, there is a story behind this! While you read on, you might take an occasional glance at the logo. Most likely, by story’s end, you will be able to see how the symbolism in the logo matches our narrative.

In the beginning … and even before the story begins

It had been an exciting five years for Quercus Grove United Methodist Church in rural Switzerland County, Indiana. God’s assurance of provision and guidance had embodied their expanding food pantry ministry right from the start. It was not only a surprise to this congregation, numbering 30-some in membership, to be asked to provide the only food bank in the county, but also, it proved to be an amazing – and rewarding - stretch of faith to all involved. The two room church without plumbing turned into a multi-building site housing kitchen and bathroom facilities, modest warehouses, and a grocery free-store. South Indiana Conference of The United Methodist Church supplied two portable buildings; food poured in from a variety of unexpected sources; and church members from other neighboring congregations helped during the monthly Food Pantry Sundays. The Feeding of the Multitudes gospel story took on deeper levels of revelation for the Quercus Grove faithful as their ministry grew far beyond expectation.

January 2001
Encouraged by such renewed energy and growth, a Conference Staff member and my District Superintendent invited me – as Quercus Grove’s pastor – to meet with them over dinner one wintry evening in January 2001. Basically, we met to talk about further outreach possibilities in the southeast corner of the State. During dessert, the lady turned to me and said, “Janet, you have lived in this area for quite a long time; and you have seen the riverboat casinos come. Have you heard any stories of persons who have been affected by problem gambling? Indeed, local talk contained this information and I shared a couple of the stories. Then she asked what has become known as …

THE question:

What are the churches doing about it?

In other words, what are the churches doing to reach out to persons

affected, directly and/or indirectly, by gambling addiction?

Although I could give examples of persons debilitated by compulsive gambling, I had no answer for her second question. Soon the two began talking about developing a new ministry – one that would reach out to problem gamblers and their loved ones. The more they talked, the quieter I became. Finally, my DS turned to me and announced:

“We even have a Director for this new ministry!

And she is … Rev. Janet Jacobs!” To be honest, I wanted to flee.

Although I found recovery stories from other addictions to be compelling, accounts describing compulsive gamblers repulsed me. That evening, it was my earnest hope that this dinner conversation would soon be forgotten, once we returned to our homes.

Instead, that snowy evening marked the beginning

of what was to become Gambling Recovery Ministries. Intrigued and inspired, South Indiana Conference Council on Ministries Director, suggested the new ministry’s name. At Annual Conference, in June, funding from South Indiana Conference was approved to start this new outreach.

The months following GRM’s official beginning, were filled with organizational steps and much learning about disordered gambling and recovery issues. Each step we took seemed like a crossroad, progressively moving us into ministry with hurting people, devastated by gambling addiction. During these initial steps, the personal motivation, that I was, at first, sorely lacking, began increasingly to build - to create and grow this unique ministry to problem gamblers and their loved ones.

Ahead of us and by our side, God

opened doors and provided opportunities for us to traverse each new crossroad and continue to take the steps essential in developing the ministry. We counted on the Holy Spirit’s leadings and steady direction!

The Flames:

God’s Holy Spirit surrounds the path GRM continues to take

in reaching out

to problem gamblers and their families.

The Cross:

Christ’s love for all overarches

each

step of ministry we take,

crossroad we meet,

and decision we make.

Next Post: A Frontier Ministry!

For warning signs of problem gambling, visit our web site.

Rev. Janet Jacobs

Director, Gambling Recovery Ministries