Post 40
Pioneers and Frontiers
We were invited and challenged to be “pioneers”. It was an exciting event!
The huge hotel ballroom was filled with professionals,
anxious to hear about treatment for problem gambling. I had driven 2 ½ hours to attend Ohio’s First Ever Annual Conference on Problem
Gambling. The keynote speaker, Loreen
Rugle, Ph.D., excitedly exclaimed that, years before, a “conference” on problem
gambling might be a handful of colleagues gathered around her office
space. Instead, this was 2003 … and a
real crowd of therapists and social workers had gathered.
Gambling Recovery Ministries (GRM) was not quite two years
old then … and the call to be a pioneer
in the burgeoning field of problem gambling recovery rang true. Even more so was the case for an outreach ministry - specific to problem gamblers
and their loved ones! Hand books, blue
prints, instructions, how-to lists, and model programs could not be found. Salvation Army did (and still does) minister
to gamblers seeking recovery; but they, admirably, have a wide and wonderful
range of other outreach endeavors, as well.
Pioneering was
reality to us in GRM … and it still is.
There are expanses of territory to explore: building new collaborations,
strengthening the connections we have … and
always, providing help and hope to those affected by gambling addiction.
Then too, it’s rough
to be on the frontier. The American
History lessons I used to teach were filled with challenges – to the mind,
body, and spirit. But it’s worth it!
For this month’s GRM BLOG, I want to welcome you to the
frontier …
the sewing seeds, boots-on-the-ground, boundary-expanding, and
rewarding frontier ministry of outreach to problem gamblers and their
loved ones.
Below are the letters F-R-O-N-T-I-E-R,
and you will see both the challenges and rewards with this kind of ministry.
and you will see both the challenges and rewards with this kind of ministry.
BUT REMEMBER: IT IS TRANSFORMING
and WORTH IT!
F
Frustrating: When others
are not able to catch your vision of making a difference in the lives of folks
desperate to find help … when funding diminishes … when GA and Gam-Anon
Meetings and certified counselors are few and far between
Fun: When you try
something out for the first time and
it actually works. Early on, the GRM Board invited GA members from Cincinnati
to come and give a workshop on problem gambling recovery … it was a night of
fantastic witness to recovery and we made new friends with the experts in recovery!
R
Relapse: Recovery is
rarely experienced as an upward straight line.
It’s tough to hear of relapse … it’s tough to see and hear unhappy and
disappointed loved ones.
Rewarding: To attend
open celebrations of abstinence (“Pinnings”) and hear family members speak of
having their parent/spouse back … that life is better now than ever before …
that’s a reward with no $$ amount to it!
O
Online: Online gambling
poses an ever-present possibility of 24/7 gambling … and it’s spreading legally throughout our country … an
especially, new challenge to face in terms of underage gambling
Online: Online, there
are now listed many services to problem gamblers and their loved ones … even
online support groups … many people have learned about us through our www.grmumc.org website. E-introducing others, in collaboration, is
also a joy!
N
New: When everything is
new, nothing is routine. New people to
meet; new ways to reach out; new materials to create. No more going on automatic!
New: New doors open
with new resources and new colleagues … and new opportunities to gain skills
and knowledge to share, later, with others, who enter new in the field.
T
Tried and tired: With
few precedents, there’s much trial and error.
Overestimating, underestimating … a lot of energy is spent (and
sometimes, not worth a second attempt).
Treasures: There are “gold-nugget”
people who will step out and take the risk to invest their support (time,
effort, funding) in this new ministry field.
Partnering with them brings strength to our boundary-expanding kind of
work.
I
Inward: “Inward”
thinking has the focus, we’ve never done
that before ... so why would we want
to do this?
Initiatives: Help find
people who – before - had been marginalized, ignored, or isolated.
E
Enough: In a rapidly
changing – and challenging – frontier ministry, there never seems to be enough
… always building inventory, always on the edge of running out.
Enough: God supplies
(often, surprisingly) and there is enough – faith, that is!
R
Rugged: When you’re
climbing a mountain, and the twists and turns obscure the view, the final goal
is hard to see. Persistence and
perseverance are called on … all the time.
Rare: It’s a rare time in church history to be a part of creating (yes, we’re still in
this phase) a ministry that is taking on
a brand new outreach to an ever-growing number of persons around the world.
The final good news is that the frontiers are still
open!
There is much to do … many people
to meet … many to teach … and many to reach.
If you want to hear more about pioneering ministry to
problem gamblers and their loved ones,
let us hear from you!
let us hear from you!
Blessings,
Rev. Janet Jacobs
Founding Director
Gambling Recovery Ministries
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