Leading a Residential Ministry? Pray for Graciousness and Wisdom

by | Apr 2, 2025 | Addiction Treatment, TAC Blog

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Adapted article by TAC team based on Mark E. Shaw’s podcast:

There is an interesting dynamic while serving people who are in addiction sins through the high calling of community (or residential) programming. How can we exercise wise graciousness while leading, guiding, teaching, training, and speaking the truth in love to people through a complete change of lifestyle who are all living together in a tight, one-household community? 

I’m talking about the challenges and difficulties of serving in a residential addiction ministry and how much God’s grace and wisdom is absolutely required. Prayers for these leaders are so essential. God’s power is required to change and grow the hearts of resident guests and leadership. 

Here, I want to accomplish two things:

  1. Give you a few examples of how much gracious wisdom is needed for residential ministry leadership.
  2. Ask you to pray for the leadership of the addiction ministries who are being faithful to the Word of God as they care for souls in addictive sins. 

WILLINGLY ENTERING THE SEASON OF TRAINING

First, it is important to know that these guest residents living in community have willingly placed themselves there. Entering a residential addiction ministry to place themselves under the care, oversight, discipline, and instruction of the particular addiction residential ministry is something they have chosen to do. Upon arrival (and well beforehand, too) the individual resident guest has agreed to temporarily join the living community and abide by the rules and discipline and instruction from the Word of God. Why? This person has asked for help, and sought out a chosen place for a season of help, growth, and change. It is an important distinction to note: the person is not forced to go to these programs against their will. When someone goes to a program because they were asked by someone else to enter, it becomes apparent quickly and it probably won’t go well for very long. It is a willing commitment, and a grand opportunity for growth through help and oversight.

TRAINING LIKE AN ATHLETE: BUT FOR GODLINESS

Persons who agree to enter a period of submission to the care and oversight of a program will be taught the fundamental elements of being a follower of Christ. 

The put on of training yourself in godliness that is taught in the Bible in 1 Timothy.

I spoke extensively on it in The Addiction Connection’s recent podcast #311- A Biblical Approach or An Irreverent Silly One?

The description in 1 Timothy 4:6-16 contains the English word, “train,” but the Greek word is gymnazo. That word looks similar to our English word gymnasium, a place where we work out and train our bodies.

In the same way an athlete learns the fundamentals of the game (basketball, football, track and field, whatever!) the Christian believer must study diligently and learn accurately the fundamentals of the Christian life. This training for godliness occurs daily in the residential programs that exalt Christ Jesus on The Addiction Connection network.

COMPLETE CHANGE OF LIFESTYLE

Another common thread is the specialized mental and physical restraint an athlete must exercise is the same type of thing that will be asked of the resident under the care of an addiction program residential ministry. An athlete pays great attention to his or her food choices, hydration, his or her thinking and belief systems, goals, and future. Likewise the person overcoming an addiction struggle in a residential program will be focusing on such things also. Examples are getting up earlier and consistently each day, eating with others and eating what they eat, participating in a planned schedule of household and community activities, serving where they serve… etc.

A complete turnabout is happening by putting off ungodliness and putting on righteousness, but it is only by the grace of God through Jesus Christ, and by His Holy Spirit’s enabling power to desire to change for His glory. 

The Gospel is the only transformative eternal work in someone’s life that can bring change that pleases God… All other behavioral or thinking change taking part outside of the work of God in a believer’s life is temporary and will fall short.

SERVANT LEADERS GROW AND CHANGE TOO

Likewise, the Gospel empowering enablement by the Holy Spirit in the believing LEADER’S life will be the only power by which he or she can LEAD these souls under his or her care in the addiction ministry. Grace from the good news of the Gospel must abound everywhere in everyone—both leaders and resident guests. But even in failure (by residents and by leadership) God’s grace is magnified and glorified, and all of this is GOOD NEWS! Forgiveness in Jesus Christ is available for all sin. Repentance and reconciliation will be happening regularly in the best residential addiction programs.

COMMUNITY LIVING CHALLENGES ALL THE HEARTS INVOLVED

So you can see how all of these dynamics make the job of the staff person at a residential program a quite difficult. 

But what happens when the resident makes a mistake, or sins, or falls toward the addiction again? When a failure of the resident guests occurs, the leadership of a program needs great wisdom from God and a gracious heart attitude as they choose what happens next. As the leader of those souls in their program, he or she must wisely and graciously address heart issues as they see behavioral issues coming to light… whether that is a failure to keep a rule or standard within the program, or it may be a sin related to the addictive choices. 

Even things such as sinful ways of responding to other people within the program or community of living, gossip, disrespect, failing to meet the schedule of activities… all of these things need great wisdom as they are addressed on an hour by hour, sometimes minute by minute scenario.

Seeing the need for wisdom, mutual encouragement, and practical biblical approach to leading programs with a genuinely biblical perspective, The Addiction Connection Summit and training events were born. Attend one of our encouraging and relational Summits or one of our new training events. In the meantime, won’t you take a few moments to pray for the leaders that are already on the front lines of addiction ministry—connecting the hope of the Gospel with the heart of addiction?

Thank you, take care, and God bless.

Mark E. Shaw, D.Min., CABC, ACBC, IABC, CADAC II, is a biblical counselor, ordained minister, speaker, and author of 29 books and booklets of hope and help. Dr. Shaw has been involved in counseling since the early 90’s. He previously served in residential care and medication assisted treatment centers (methadone), but making disciple-makers through Biblical Counseling became his passion in 2001. Mark currently serves his local church in Florida as the Nocatee Campus Pastor of Counseling at First Baptist Church Jacksonville.

Dr. Shaw’s resources are found at Focus Publishing and Christian Book Distributors. He can also be found at amazon.com/author/markeshaw

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