Creating compassionate safe places for those struggling with addictions and life-controlling issues to explore and find freedom in Christ.
ABOUT
ABOUT US
Free! Recovery is a team of compassionate Christian workers, reaching out to people struggling with life-controlling issues; from the really addicted gambler, alcohol or drug user to those trapped in porn, eating issues, self-harm and everything in between, even those enslaved in angry, fearful and anxious thought patterns. The majority of us can relate first hand to one or more of the above issues and so we know how difficult the journey can be to move from slavery into freedom.
Our core biblical passage comes from Paul in the book of Galatians, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free, stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1 NIV). Each one of us has met the living Lord and has experienced this freedom in our own lives.
WHAT WE DO
Free! Recovery support groups offer hope and freedom through hospitality, biblical interactive teaching based on the book of Galatians, and single sex, mixed issue support groups. The Free! team has chosen to invest time in developing its materials and filming its core sessions in order to help reach more people in local communities throughout the UK. We are not running in person or online groups in 2022. We are hoping, very much, to have our video/material package available early 2023 and recommence with our central online course late Spring 2023. However, if you or your church would like to have a further conversation about running a group in your community we would be happy for you to connect with us.
WHO WE ARE
Free! Recovery grew into existence in 2016, after beginning with a small group of interested workers on a Saturday afternoon in 2014. We began with recovery/addiction course materials from another organisation, and these, together with life experience from many years, learned how to run a recovery ministry alongside the addicted in the centre of London. We were then encouraged by Rico Tice, co-author of Christianity Explored and vicar of evangelism at All Souls Langham Place, to write a new material rooted in the book of Galatians and not based on the 12-steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. The goal of this material is to be biblical, practical and simple to apply to everyday, often very challenging, life struggles. Our mission is to create safe, compassionate places for those with life-controlling issues to explore and find freedom in Christ. In 2017, after having run several courses, we piloted the new material and as from the end of 2020, we found ourselves having presented the new course 9 times in Westminster and then Covid-19 struck the world! We moved online in April 2020 and we began our third online presentation in January 2021. This allowed the Free! ministry to reach out to people beyond the centre of London, even beyond the UK and we have now branched out internationally.
WHERE WE ARE GOING?
We are now a registered charity in the UK! In April 2021, we decided to take a pause in presenting the course to concentrate on charity registration and material development, with the goal of filming our sessions, developing a material package for churches and local communities. We have sensed a deep need for safe places for people to tell their stories and receive the biblical help they need to heal, restore and recover. Especially in the aftermath and ongoing battles with a Covid-19 world. Our vision is to encourage the development of biblical and Christ-centred support groups in local churches throughout the UK and further afield. We deeply respect and understand the “overwhelming” nature of ministry to those who are struggling and who need much time and ministry to move towards freedom. Churches joining resources and the training of church members with a heart to come alongside the hurting and addicted, are two aspects of what Free! Recovery hopes to promote as it moves forward. If you are interested in having a further conversation, host a training in your parish or begin a recovery ministry in your church please contact us.
STAFF & VOLUNTEERS
CO-FOUNDERS
John Childress, Leadership training, men's facilitator and 1-2-1 biblical mentoring, resource developer
Sally Childress, PHD Biblical Counselling, leadership training, women's facilitator and 1-2-1 biblical mentoring, resource developer
TRUSTEE BOARD
Shenara Abrams
Aidan Crook
John Emra
Louanne Enns
Pastor Charles Mugenyi
Helen Willcox
For any safeguarding/grievance issues
please email: safeguarding@free-recovery.org