Motivate Your Parish

As a religious leader, you can motivate your parish to help break down the stigma associated with drug addiction, to overcome
denial, and to generate interest in joining the war on dugs.
It is helpful to stress:

Everyone, including the addict, is on a spiritual journey. 

Spirituality is a human experience shared by most people. 

The traditional values of the Church are mirrored in the 12-Step Spirituality of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).

Lesson Suggestions for Homilies and Youth Information
After a brief discussion of the virtues, it becomes clear that life is basically a spiritual journey for everyone from narcissism to altruism.

Life is a Spiritual Journey
From:

Unbelief	to	Faith
Despair	to	Hope
Narcissism	to	Altruism
Control	to	Surrender
Denial	to	Self-Honesty
Self Pity	to	Gatitude
Resentment	to	Forgiveness
Living in the Past	to	Living in the Now
Compulsiveness	to	Patience
Instant Gratification	to	Perseverance
Drug Addiction	to	Sobriety

What the Parish Has to Offer
The richness of our spiritual heritage. For some people, a distinction between    spirituality and religion has been helpful.

Spirituality	and	Religion
Intuitive Knowledge	and	Ritual
Tanscendent Power	and	Dogma
Personal Relationships	and	Commandments
Sense of Awe	and	Obligations/Traditions

It is spirituality
With its emphasis on the "higher power" — that is more helpful to people who are recovering from addiction, rather than "religion" which may have been a stumbling block to some in the past. Of course, both realities are mutually supportive of each other in the final analysis.

Values
It is the teaching about values and virtues by the parish that constitutes the
great richness of the spiritual traditions.

What is a Value?
A value is something freely chosen from alternatives after thoughtful               consideration of the consequences of each alternative. 
A value, acted upon repeatedly, becomes a pattern of life. 
A value gives direction and meaning to life in such a way 
that it enhances the growth of the total person. 
A value is cherished and publicly affirmed to others. 
A value, when incorporated in the life of a community, 
benefits the well-being of all. 
A value that is common to all leads to the bonding within society.