Illinois
Illinois CREDO Recovery
BROKEN CHAINS NEWSLETTER
Breaking the chains of addiction one day at a time!
May 2015
FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT
UPCOMING EVENTS
LOCAL WEEKENDS
MEN’S CREDO #19
May 14-17 2015
Bishop Lane Retreat center
Rockford, IL
ABUNDANT LIFE TRES DIAS
MEN’S WEEKEND #33
Dates to follow 2015
Inspiration Center
Walworth, Wisconsin
WOMEN’S WEEKEND #33
Dates to follow 2015
Inspiration Center
Walworth, Wisconsin
CREDO BOARD MEETING ARE
HELD THE THIRD TUESDAY
OF THE MONTH AT
P.A. PETERSON
1311 Parkview Avenue
Rockford, IL 61107
ADVISORS TO THE BOARD
Terri Parrish
[email protected]
Ed Boling
[email protected]
Bobby Woods
Salvation Army
Mike Hedrick
mikehedrick@rockfordrescue
mission.org
Where was Thomas?
I was reading from John 20: 24-29 the other day. It’s the story of Jesus appearing to
Thomas.
As I read this story I was wondering why wasn’t Thomas with the other disciples? I
know they were all scattered at the crucifixion but why didn’t Thomas come back when
the others did? He missed all the excitement. Why didn’t the other disciples question
where Thomas was? Weren’t they very close, hadn’t they just spent 3 years together.
We don’t know the answers to these questions, but if I was in Thomas’s shoes and found
out that Jesus had appeared to them and I didn’t get to see it, I think I would have been
very hurt and felt left out. I know a lot of time we have people that come to us and they
are on “Fire for the Lord”. They have had visions, or had answered prayers and
everything seems to be going their way. God is blessing them in everything they do.
We feel left out because we feel God should be doing this for us too.
Thomas had done the same things as the other disciples yet he felt left out because Jesus
had appeared to everyone else but him.
I think this is why he said to the other Disciples that “unless I see the nail marks in his
hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not
believe it” John 20:25b. How many times do we lash out at people that have received
something that we wanted and didn’t get? That’s what Thomas was doing here. He
wanted so badly to be a part of the group that was able to say they had seen Jesus.
I’m not sure what Thomas did for the next week but Jesus didn’t come back to the
disciples for a week. Thomas stayed with them for that time. We know this because it
says that a week later Jesus came through the locked doors and stood among them.
(John 20:26) And Thomas was with them. Jesus knew Thomas anger, his hurt, and
unbelief, so he turned to him and said “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out
your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” John 20:27
I don’t think Thomas ever really did touch his hands or put his hand in his side. He know
the minute that Jesus spoke to him it was “His Lord and God” I think sometime we forget
that God is near us all the time. He sent the Holy Spirit or Comforter to be with us. If
we are having trouble seeing Him, we need to look at the things around us and see God
in them. If we start focusing on the things God has made or done we can see God too.
I love the song we sing on weekends that is called “Have you seen Jesus”
Have you seen Jesus my Lord?
He's here in plain view.
Take a look, open your eyes,
He'll show it to you.
Have you ever looked at the sunset
With the sky mellowing red,
And the clouds suspended like feathers
Then I say...
You've seen Jesus my Lord.
It’s time to stop doubting and believe!
In His Service
Lynn
Illinois CREDO Recovery
BROKEN CHAINS NEWSLETTER
Breaking the chains of addiction one day at a time!
May 2015
BOARD of OFFICERS
President
Lynn Lott
[email protected]
Vice President
Terry Tague
[email protected]
Secretary
Derek Sherman
[email protected]
Treasurer
Randy Reints
[email protected]
BOARD of DIRECTORS
Executive Director
Edward Johnson
[email protected]
Spiritual
Director
Pastor Anita Stuart-Steva
[email protected]
Pre-Weekend
Tanya Muzzarelli
[email protected]
Weekend
Ron Winkler
[email protected]
Post Weekend
Helen Meier
[email protected]
Information
Tom Miller
[email protected]
Development
Ed Caputo
[email protected]
Property
John Grotjohn
[email protected]
Anecdotes from Pastor Anita
So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation:
everything old has passed away;
see, everything has become new!
2 Corinthians 5:17
Not all churches observe the season of Lent, but my denomination does.
This is a Lenten devotion.
A church that I served as a youth director did something different for their
children’s sermons. Each week a child received an empty shoebox into which they
were to place an object for the next week’s talk. The goal was to try to stump the
pastor. One Sunday the child placed a wad of dryer lint in the box. The pastor
looked at it, stumped. Then, he remembered that it was the first Sunday of Lent,
changed lint to Lent and proceeded to tell the children about this season. Needless
to say the child felt the talk was lame because it really wasn’t about lint.
Since then I have thought about the relationship between lint and Lent. While I
probably wouldn’t have been able to come up with anything on the spot either, I have
found a strong connection between the two. Lint is the byproduct of the filtering system
of the dryer. As cloth sloughs off tiny fibers they are caught in the filter and create lint. If
the filter didn’t catch the lint eventually the dryer would get clogged by the fibers and
wouldn’t work properly.
Lent is a season when we should take time to look into our hearts and minds to
see if there is anything keeping us from a right relationship with God. The tiny fibers of
our humanness, our sin clog up the line between God and us. The free gift of grace
through Jesus Christ filters these out and we become transformed into people who can
serve God more perfectly. We move from death into life.
Just like in the dryer this process is ongoing. It doesn’t matter how many times a
piece of clothing is dried it will still produce lint. Likewise, until we get to heaven we will
have “lint” in our lives clogging our relationship. The season of Lent is the perfect time to
look at your life with the filter of God’s grace. Allow God to remove the “lint” in your life
and make you a new creation.
In everything we do we do it…
All for Jesus,
1643 N. Alpine Rd. #179
Rockford Il. 61107
Phone 815 516 3958
[email protected]
ILLINOIS CREDO RECOVERY
Search for Marketing Manager
Illinois Credo Recovery is in need of a person to develop a website, Facebook account, video for promotion, create
brochure and format a letter for fund raising.
We would like to find someone that could accomplish all of the above but if necessary will consider Individual people to
accomplish parts of what is required above. We are willing to compensate for finished products.
What Is Credo Recovery?
Credo Recovery (CR) is a dynamic FOURTH DAY COMMUNITY established from the Cursillo and Kairos Model. It is
designed to help men and women who desire recovery from addiction through the indwelling power of Jesus Christ.
Credo is a highly structured community-building method centered upon a team approach to a Weekend Retreat. The
Weekend retreat grows out of a strong Pre Weekend Team Formation, and concludes with Bi Monthly Post Weekend
follow-up meetings. The ministry is led by lay-persons with assistance from ordained clergy.
Credo Recovery (CR) is delivered in facilities labeled as camps, retreat centers, rescue missions, or Adult Rehabilitation
Centers like those at the Salvation Army. CR is a team effort that begins with approximately 30 hours of spiritual team
formation before engaging the new participants in a 3½ -Day event, usually conducted on a weekend. The 3 and1/2 day
Weekend is followed with a planned program of Bi weekly instructional reunions, monthly reunions and weekly prayer
and share accountability groups.
What Does Credo Recovery Do?
The Credo Recovery Movement, like the other flourishing FOURTH DAY Movements, which have sprung from the Cursillo
root, are based upon the teachings of Jesus from the New Testament. Credo focuses on seeking intimate friendship with
God in order to break unhealthy attachments and addictions.
Credo’s goals are similar to all the other Fourth Day Communities formed around the Cursillo Method. Our goals are
designed to offer redemption, teach spiritual disciplines for developing personal devotion to God through Jesus Christ
and encourage love of self and others through Christian Community. . Credo Recovery is a relative newcomer.
Illinois Credo Recovery is a nonprofit organization. ( 501 C3 )
JOB DESCRIPTION FOR MARKET MANAGER
•
Must be able to create a website for Illinois Credo Recovery and be willing to teach someone how to maintain
and update it.
•
Develop / create a video production.
•
The video production is to be created to attract donors for fund donations, primarily church’s and Christian
organizations. We feel that material such as testimonies and short videos about Credo weekend would be beneficial to
us.
•
Must have the ability to create and or improve our brochure that explains what a Credo weekend is about.
•
Develop a Facebook page that informs the community about events.
•
Also experience in working with nonprofit organizations and experience in appealing to public with fund raising
letter.
These are our main objectives for Illinois Credo Recovery. We would like to have you give us a proposal on how much it
would cost and a time frame for each of these objectives. Our priority for these goals to be accomplished is: Facebook,
web site, brochure, letter and video.
. We have several people willing to give testimonies for a video and also go and do public speaking to promote our
organization.
If you are interested in helping us in this journey please call Ed Johnson @ 815 516 3958 or email at
[email protected].
News from the Board
Results from a resent community survey regarding the Mission
and Vision Statements have prompted the CREDO board to revise
both statements. They are as follows:
New Mission Statement
CREDO walks alongside those who seek to stop addictive
behavior as they encounter and follow Jesus.
New Vision Statement
CREDO: Breaking the chains of addiction through Jesus Christ
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
THE FOLLOWING EVENT DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
DON’T MISS AN EVENT READ THE NEWS LETTER
CREDO WEEKENDS
Men’s #19
May14-17 ,2015 CREDO #19, will be experienced out at Bishop Lane
Rector Randy Reints
Head cha Brock Sampson
Training dates are
March 21st Westminster
April 4th Alpine Lutheran
April 11th Westminster
May 2nd Westminster
CONFIRMED INFORMATION ON THE NEXT
WEEKENDS
NITD WEEKENDS #46
NITD 46 Fall Weekends…
NITD #46 Team Meetings- Aug 22, Aug 29, Sept 18/19 Men’s Overnighter, Sept 25/26 Women’s Overnighter,
Oct 10
NITD #46 Men’s Weekend October 22-25, 2015
NITD #46 Women’s Weekend November 5-8, 2015
ALTD WEEKENDS #33
November 2015
TRES DIAS INTERNATIONAL 36th. ASSEMBLY Rockford, IL July 10-12, 2015
ILLINOIS CREDO RECOVERY NEWS
Do you have a news item you would like to get into the Broken Chains News letter? See
below where to email the item.
Have you visited our web site lately? It can be reached by typing credorecoveryil.org in
Internet Explorer. While you are there you can click on “Prayer Vigil” and that takes you
to 3dayol.org. Click on “Prayer Vigil” in the rainbow on the left side of page. Click on
“Check out a list of prayer vigils” and scroll down to “Credo Recovery Illinois” sign up to
pray for the men and women on the next CREDO. It can’t get much easier than that but
we are continuing to build the site and to make it accessible through several search
engines. You can download the Team and candidate applications. You can make a
donation thru Pay Pal. You can join or decline our emailing. If there are items you
would like to have on the web site please forward those comments to
[email protected]. Or [email protected]
May~ 2015 Newsletter
Join us at CREDO GIRLFRIENDS
(Our IL Women’s Credo Recovery Fellowship & Support Group)
WHEN: Every 2nd Friday of the Month, 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, next gathering- Friday—MAy 8th
WHERE Alpine Lutheran Church basement,
5001 Forest View Ave., Rockford, Illinois
For Rides or Questions call-- Coleen M at 815-871-1353 ~ Hope to see you
soon, Girlfriend! ~
CREDO MEN’S GATHERING
Come and see
That is the first step in the Discipleship process. We are continuing to grow. We have finished the 40
day of purpose campaign from Rick Warren's book "The Purpose Driven Life." We are now digging
into some new studies. We continue to have close to forty men gathered at Calvary Lutheran
Church as we practice some of that Iron Sharpens Iron that we are preparing to experience on
CREDO #19. The men coming out every Monday night are engaging in fun, food, fellowship, worship,
teaching and prayer. So, if you know any men that need some of the above come and join us and bring
your friend..
When: Monday Nights 7:00p.m.Till 9:00p.m.
Where: Calvary Lutheran Church 1715 9th St., Rockford, IL 61101
Come as you are. The only requirement is that you are a man. No prior weekend experience needed.
Come out and welcome the new Pescadores from weekend 18 and new men that may be going on
#19.
Ed Caputo
Your Fourth Day Connection
For the men at the Salvation Army Adult Rehab Center (ARC) Stop in on Thursday for chapel at five thirty ... or for dinner at four thirty ... if
you would like to encourage these men… write a note or send a card. The address is:
ARC – Rockford
Attn: their name
1706 18th Ave .Rockford, IL 61104
WEEKLY MEDITATIONS
National Association for Christian Recovery
By Dale and Juanita Ryan
If you wish to read daily recovery meditations copy and paste this address in your
browser. Please let CREDO Information Director know if this was beneficial to you.
hhtp://www.nacr.org/nacr-daily-meditation
CREDO COMMUNITY ARTICALS FOR THE BROKEN CHAIN
NEWSLETTER MUST BE TO THE INFORMATION DIRECTOR BY THE
20TH OF EACH MONTH TO BE PUBLISHED ON THE 2ND OF
EACH MONTH.
INFORMATION DIRECTOR
TOM MILLER [email protected]
BIBLES and CHRISTIAN Books
A CREDO brother in Christ is looking for Bibles and Christian books. He is helping an organization called
Christian Resources International (CRI) out of Fowlerville, Michigan. They ship Bibles and Christian Books to
churches around the world that have had a fire, flood, tornados, hurricanes and typhoons. They are currently
preparing to send six sea containers to the Philippines. Virgil Peters will be accepting Bibles and Christian
books up to the 5th of September when at that time he will deliver all donated material to CRI for the shipment
to the Philippines. Anyone interested in donating some books, please call Virgil at 815-558-7771 to make
arrangement for pickup or delivery.
Hi everyone! Hope you are having a blessed day so far! Hopefully you still have power! What
in your life is giving you a “Copter Conundrum?” Please keep praying, as the Holy Spirit leads
you, (pray for the things that are breaking the Lord’s heart and your heart) for this great
nation and her leaders. Lord, we pray for world peace, especially in the Middle East and in the
Ukraine, and protection for Israel. As the Lord leads, please pray: (Let’s keep being
persistent in our prayers until they get answered!)
Tom S.
Do you have a prayer concern? You can voice that prayer to the credo community and at the
same time reach other communities with that prayer concern. Simply email your request for
prayer and /or praise for an answered prayer to: [email protected]
Palanca and Agape letter requests can also be fulfilled by emailing your request to Tom and
Pam Shore at: [email protected]
Articles to put a smile on your face
Photos From the Weekend