At Adult & Teen Challenge USA, our primary goal is to help people all across the country overcome addiction through the love of God. As part of our Christian recovery services, we encourage our students to develop connections with other Christians. The Bible often talks about the importance of having relationships with other believers and that is something that we take very seriously. While many of our programs across the country provide mentoring services and discipleship training for students going through our Christian recovery programs, it can feel a bit more overwhelming for our students to find those connections with other Christians after they graduate.
The Importance of Finding a Church
While a personal relationship with God is vitally important to the continued success of your Christian recovery, your relationship with God will not be as strong if you isolate yourself from other believers. Connecting and building relationships with other Christians helps you build community and creates a network of people that you can rely on throughout your life.
A church is one of the best places to connect with other believers and develop a community of friends who share your beliefs. Regularly attending a church in combination with your own personal times of devotion and bible study will continually strengthen your relationship with God. Getting involved with a small group or another type of study group will help you strengthen your knowledge in the Bible and provide you with opportunities to ask other people questions when you come across something that you are unsure of. Plus, developing relationships with trusted people at your church can provide you opportunities for accountability and also opportunities for you to share your story with others who may be experiencing some of the same things that you were struggling with.
How to Find the Right Church
We’ve talked about the importance of a church and how it affects your continued Christian recovery, but a question we often get asked is how to find the right church for you. There are many options when it comes to a church, and not all churches are the same. Luckily, that means you have several options and opportunities to find the right church for your needs.
Most of our centers have connections with churches in the area to connect students after they graduate. The best advice that we can give is to take time and try out different churches to see if one fits your needs. Some churches are strong in the area of small group connections, while other churches have a strong emphasis on worship services. Talking with people in the community and the leaders at your Christian recovery center can help you find the church that is perfect for you.
