A Message from the President of Living Free
There are heroes in every community. Most are yet to be discovered. They want to do something significant in God’s service, but they don’t know how to begin. They need to be inspired, trained, equipped, and mentored. And when they are, those whose lives they touch are forever changed.
Most, but not all of these leaders, have faced difficult and painful struggles and trials with life’s problems, either personally or through helping a loved-one. And they have learned from experience what the Apostle Paul described in 2 Corinthians 1:4, He comforts us during all things that cause trouble and pain for us. So then, as a result, we ourselves can comfort other people who have any kind of trouble or pain. We can comfort them because God himself has comforted us. (EEV)
Kim Black, Living Free leader of Anderson County Recovery, is one of these leaders. Here’s her story:
I first became involved with Living Free in 2012. We here in Anderson County Kentucky had just started to feel the effects of the pain pill epidemic. Unfortunately, my husband and myself had been dealing with it for several years with our children. Three of our four children were addicted to pain pills. Two of our children could not really function, and the other was harder to spot because he was a functioning working addict.
At this time, it was a problem that was not talked about, and I found such little help. I became desperate because my kids’ addictions were tearing our marriage apart and in all that mess God seemed to be very far away. When I reached out and began to speak with others, I realized that there were many in our community with the same problem I had. Although it made me feel less alone, it didn’t do anything to equip me to handle my circumstances with any victory.
My pastor suggested that what we needed in Anderson County was Living Free Community. He referred me to Clayton Arp (LF Community National Director) and in January 2012 with his help, we began to follow the blueprint for building a Living Free Community. I spoke with pastors who told of their frustration in trying to help those they knew in their congregation who were suffering from the effects of a loved one’s addiction. Without a neutral safe place to be honest about their problems and get the help and support they needed, their needs remained hidden.
I followed the Living Free plan to build the ministry. I asked a friend to gather a prayer team to help prepare the way with petitions to God. I continued to meet with pastors to hear what their needs were and this built a relationship of trust with them that was important for the ministry to succeed.
Kim and her team have helped hundreds of people find hope and freedom. She is representative of over 200 other leaders in counties across America developing Living Free allied ministries.
It’s a fact that Living Free works! And it works because of your generosity.
A donation today will help make it possible to:
There is much to be done.
Let’s not stop until every community has a ministry that shows people God’s path to hope, faith, and freedom from life-controlling problems through Christ.
Serving together with you,
Dan Strickland, President
P.S. Your generous gift this month will help us continue to move forward through the typically very lean summer months. To make a secure gift, please go to www.livingfree.org and click on the red “Support Living Free” banner in the top right hand side.
