The Agape Circle
Sponsoring ChristianRecoveryRadio.com
Help is On Its Way
The following
Christian Recovery Leaders and Organizations have already become members of the
Agape Circle and are helping sponsor ChristianRecoveryRadio.com
Golden Hills Community
Church in Brentwood, California
Cornerstone Church in
Livermore, California
John J. Mooney, M.D.,
Massachusetts
Chris P., Recovered
With Life, Toronto, Canada
Ex-Cons for Christ,
Tim & Kelli White, San Bernardino, California
Father Bill W.,
Episcopal Diocese of Texas Recovery Committee, Round Rock, Texas
Carl (Tuchy)
Palmieri, Healing-Habits, Bridgeport, Connecticut
Anonymous, Sandy,
Utah
Lawrence A. Appley
Foundation, via its President, Ronald Glosser, Akron, Ohio
Bill Boyles, Won Way
Out, Wyoming, Delaware
________________________________________________________________
Background Reasons for Asking Your Help
An event of great significance occurred recently with regard
to our work of unearthing, collating, reporting, and disseminating the history
of Alcoholics Anonymous and the Christian Recovery Movement. And then in our
establishing and enlarging ChristianRecoveryRadio.com
We devoted twenty-two years to travel, interviews,
examination of books and records, visits to archives, acquisition of massive
historical documents and books, and then analyzing them and reporting them—one
by one—as the truth appeared.
The cost was quite large. It would have been far beyond my
reach, resources, and retirement income financially. It involved the cost of
printing more than 125 titles, counting reprints and subsequent revisions; the
cost of storing about 14,000 books year after year, and then shipping them. It
involved the large cost of our traveling with attendant air fare,
transportation, meals, lodging, and incidentals. It involved the expenditure of
immense amount of time and effort by my son Ken B. and even many others. And,
of course, it involved acquisition, maintenance, and replacement of office
equipment, supplies, and incidentals. Finally, one of the most productive, yet
expensive aspects was traveling to, staying over a week or so, and speaking at
or meeting with scores of AAs, NAs, treatment people, historical notables,
historians, curators, clergy, physicians, and large numbers of Christian
recovery leaders, workers, newcomers, and the concerned public.
For the past six months, we have worked hard to scale back
all the typical past expenses of books, travel, printing, computers, storage,
internet presentations, conferences, and meetings. Our books are now
print-on-demand which means neither printing 5000 books at a time,
cross-shipping, them, and storing them. And now, slowly but surely, our books
are being published in electronic form.
In doing so, we have made known to a growing body of
churches, clergy, recovery pastors, care pastors, Christian recovery leaders,
benefactors, and others our plan to continue our work of making the application
of time-honored Christian recovery tools available to a host of people and
institutions in the recovery arena, including those who want God’s help, and
may be receptive to Christian fellowship of the kind manifested in First
Century Christianity, the early Akron A.A. Christian fellowship, and in the
hearts and minds of hungry recovered, recovering, and new alcoholics and
addicts and those with life-controlling problems.
The need for continuing, expanding, and widely distributing
materials exists because of the secularization of our society and our recovery
fellowships, programs, and movements. It exists because of the dearth of
information today about the effectiveness of Christian recovery organizations,
leaders, and societies long before and at the founding of the modern-day Twelve
Step and Anonymous groups. And it exists because of the incredible lack of
knowledge that those who treat, those who counsel, those who speak about, those
who lead, those who sponsor, those who serve, and those who are new to recovery
from the ravages of alcoholism and addiction.
We also believe, from the trends and topics of the times,
that a new approach is long overdue in order to accomplish our mission. Thus
there is a greater need among us as volunteers for low costs, eliminating
storage and shipping and printing expenses, using the tools of the time—Videos,
audios, radio, radio programs, YouTube, forums, blogs, Facebook, Twitter,
social media, newsletters---and making most of the material free for the user
to hear, view, obtain, organize, lead, and use.
The Plan for the Agape Circle
Ten organizations and
individuals have now become part of the Agape Circle
Several churches and individuals have already recognized the
modest need and are contributing $50.00 per month each to Dick B. to support
the continued research, writing, expansion, counsel, and growth of the
application of old school A.A. and its Christian principles and practices in
Alcoholics Anonymous, 12 Step programs, and recovery work today.
For large cost items, including those for conferences, major
publishing expenses, and travel, several have joined on this basis. And we
still invite and do receive tax deductible donations that enable the remaining and
much more costly work. And we still define the needs and invite those gifts.
But for the day in day out work right here on Maui, our
dream is to have a circle—an “Agape Circle”—of at least twenty Christian
churches or recovery groups and leaders who will graciously provide a monthly
stipend payable to Dick B. in amount of $50.00 each month.
We now have ten, and we invite you to join them. As stated,
several are doing, or are about to do, just that. We believe the $50.00 monthly
amount is reasonable. We have specific plans to live within the circle
contributions. And we will deeply appreciate your becoming part of the circle
with your church or recovery program, or Christian fellowship.
The answer desired?
Yes, Dick!
Our group will help
your work by sending to Dick B., PO Box 837, Kihei, HI 96753 a donation of
$50.00 per month as our contribution to the Agape Circle.
Name:______________________________________________________________________
Address:____________________________________________________________________
Phone and email:______________________________________________________________
Amount we will send each month: $ ______________________________________________
Please send contributions by paypal on our main website www.dickb.com; or use your credit card by phone
to 808 874 4876; or send your check or money order to Dick B., PO Box 837,
Kihei, HI 96753-0837
Gloria Deo
