What's Different?
The Philosophy Has Changed
Recovery is about getting something back. Thrive is about getting something we have never had. It is about becoming WHOLE IN CHRIST. Thrive is not just for those seeking recovery. Thrive is for everybody. Every person in our church needs help in some area of their life. Therefore, Thrive’s messaging must be disarming, so that there are no barriers, no stigmas, no reasons or excuses for them NOT to engage in this process.
Because words matter, Thrive messaging does not rely on the word “recovery” as the main theme of its mission. In today’s society, “recovery” has a direct connotation with addiction and substance abuse. Those who struggle/battle issues not related to substance have a difficult time relating to the process of “recovery.” Even worse, due to this stigma, many will not even consider attending traditional recovery programs because they perceive them as “addiction programs” for users of drugs, alcohol and pornography. It is important to remember that those who struggle with addiction of any kind only comprise about 30% of most traditional recovery programs, meaning 70% are comprised of those who don’t.
When possible, addiction-centric language, words like: recovery, addiction, addict, user, sobriety, sponsor must be replaced in our messaging with words that are relatable to our greater audience. This is a major reason why Thrive will be promoted with words like “mental health, wellness, mentor, substance abuse, overuse and self-governing or self control issues.” With this shift in messaging, Thrive seeks to eliminate the stigma of existing recovery programs focusing on any Christian who feels stuck or wanting more out of their walk with Jesus. This shift not only better addresses the majority (again 70% non-addiction issue) of our existing audience it makes Thrive more appealing to a wider audience in the rest of our church family and community.
Further, it should be stated church members are also (or aspire to become) community professionals and societal leaders (doctors, lawyers, school board members, etc). Personal association with a program that promotes itself or is identified as “addiction recovery” is seen by many to be taboo and may in fact result in damage to their social or professional reputation.
Example: A school board member has issues of co-dependency from childhood abuse and wishes to attend her local church recovery program. However, she is discouraged from attending because she feels her position on the local school board might be threatened if it became known she has an association to a program that most people, when asked, would say is for addiction. This is a major reason AA and CR demand and promise anonymity… a secret society called “Those people.”
Therefore, Thrive’s focus is not on recovery. Instead we focus on “mental, physical and spiritual health,” In today’s post-covid-American-society, the whole world now celebrates an individual who is seeking to improve in these areas.
Thrive refuses to embrace the identity of “Those People.”
Many recovery programs have embraced the label of “Those People (CR)” in an attempt to bring the stigma of people in recovery into the light of day. However, embracing the “Those People” mantra inadvertently creates the “us” and “them” within our own congregations. Instead of embracing the stigma of people in recovery, Thrive seeks to shine light on the fact that (whether we are in recovery or not) we are all battling issues of one kind or another. And no person, from the pulpit to the back row is without a struggle (or is even battling only one).
1 John 1:7-9 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we don’t admit that we struggle, we are claiming to be living sin-free and fully sanctified. In recovery, this would be the very definition of denial. But the Church, in large part has rejected this “all struggle” idea drawing dividing lines between those who admit it, no matter how seemingly big it is… and those who won’t admit it, no matter how seemingly small it is… and much of the issue is due to an unbiblical hierarchy of sin.
James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.
Thrive says to the Church, “Let’s just focus on getting healthy –and not worry about whether we are willing to wear the scarlet letter or not.” Every person can identify some area in their life that can be improved. Once that process begins and we see progress in that area, the Holy Spirit will begin reveal other areas in our lives that God wants to address. It is essential that we start with areas where we admit we need improvement because the process of sanctification can not work in the presence of our denial. Sanctification is a work of God but it requires our cooperation (surrender, obedience and discipline).
The Thrive Focus Is Identity in Christ
While traditional “recovery” programs focus on the hurts, habits and hang ups that we all have, Thrive shifts focus on our identity in Christ and uncovering the underlying “root” causes that have manifested in those issues. This is a major cause of relapse in those in traditional recovery programs. By focusing on the behavioral issue (anxiety, alcohol, over-spending, purging, etc) and “sobriety” or successful days of not indulging in or successfully controlling the behavior, many find sobriety difficult to maintain or may even shift from one coping mechanism to another. In truth, the recovery program itself often becomes the coping mechanism… which is good if sobriety is the goal but it certainly does not equate to freedom.
Thrive does not promote the practice of identifying with an issue. While we encourage participants to confess and admit hurts, habits and hang ups, we recognize and embrace our identity in Christ (found in Ephesians and throughout the Old and New Testament). While it is a widely accepted practice in recovery to say “Hello, I’m Stan and I struggle with anger,” Thrive encourages, “Hello, I’m Stan, and while I may struggle with anger, I am greatly loved. I am chosen and adopted as a son of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.” When someone is new to Thrive, they may decide to identify with the issue that brought them to seek help, but as one progresses, we believe they will begin to identify the true, underlying causes of their struggles and, more importantly, align with their true identity in Christ.
Thrive Isn’t About Church Outreach
For many years, recovery programs and the like have been seen as a part of church outreach. However, utilizing a recovery program as a church outreach may neglect the body of the church we already have. If you have ever flown commercially you have heard the pre-flight instructions from the flight attendant, “In the event of cabin pressure loss (a catastrophic life event), first pull down and secure your own oxygen mask before attempting to assist those around you.” How can you help someone to breathe if you are unable to breathe yourself?
Likewise, the Thrive philosophy is centered around first helping the body of believers we already have and the harvest will come in through having a healthier and more spiritually mature body of believers. Jesus tells us, in this life, we will have troubles. Spiritual maturity is not only about avoiding the potholes of life, it is about learning that, when troubles do come, the spiritually mature person will realize that, with God, we can find peace in the storm.
For this reason, Thrive is not structured as community outreach. This may be a paradigm shift for church leadership. It has long been perceived that a church sponsored recovery program is a great way to grow the church and for many churches, it has been shown to do just that. However, in higher population areas where multiple churches offer similar programming, they compete for the same prospects. This means proximity and weekday offered become the most important factor to the prospect. In a business market where multiple options of a similar product exist, differentiation is essential.
Once Thrive is established as a different offering, it will first grow organically from within the walls of a church and then become a draw for those in the surrounding communities. As the community sees the fruits of the Spirit in a congregation, the community will respond. Other churches will adopt this philosophy and we will help them. And as our Church (capital C) becomes healthier, the rest of our community will respond by flocking to our doors. It is not about growing a church… it is about growing The Church.
Thrive is a part of Pastoral Care
Thrive works in conjunction with and in addition to Pastoral Care Teams. Not all Thrive participants will need pastoral care and one on one counseling. However, virtually all of those seeking help through Pastoral Care should be encouraged to be a part of Thrive. Thrive serves as a resource for all Christian counselors and coaches to refer those seeking help. Conversely, Thrive will also serve to triage more emergent care needs and refer them to our Pastoral Care and professional counseling when a “next level” of care is warranted. This greatly widens the reach of a church's Pastoral Care Team and greatly improves the effectiveness of these ministries.
Thrive is not a single program or process
Unlike a traditional 12 step recovery program that relies on the old AA 12 STEPS, Thrive recognizes and admits that “12 steps isn’t for everybody.” Thrive offers several pathways toward overall health. Many need the 12 step process. Others find share group and mentorship to be their crucial component. Still others may find true spiritual and emotional growth from reading books or listening to teachings. For these reasons, all should be encouraged to embrace the “yes and” philosophy and not rely on one single pathway toward victory.
No matter what the issue we are seeking to improve, whether we need total freedom from addiction and compulsive behaviors or we are asking God to reveal our habits and tendencies that negatively affect our relationships, there is a process. Thrive identifies four pathways that participants may utilize to help them navigate through the needed changes. These pathways are each essential in addressing the mental, physical, spiritual, emotion and social needs we all have.