What to expect in a normal day:

The normal day, Monday thru Friday, begins with breakfast at 6:30 AM in the dining room. A bell is rung 15 minutes before entering the dining room and then is rung again at mealtime. This is the procedure for each meal we serve which includes breakfast, lunch, and supper. After breakfast the men have about 40 minutes before class begins at 7:30 AM. They will take this time to clean their rooms, make their beds, and do any last minute lesson preparations from the day before. The staff will assemble in the office to make the plans for the days' activities. At 7:30 AM the students are called into the dining room where we hold our classes. The class will last about one and a half hours.

After class the men are given the work details for the day. Each man is required to participate in these "chores" as this is a part of the overall program of FOA. Some men will be supervised by various staff members while others have the same job each day and do not require the same supervision. The men will work until 11:30 AM at which time they will take a lunch break that extends to 1:00 PM. After lunch break the men will resume their work duties. They may change for the afternoon hours or may be the same. We always have to be flexible at the ministry because you never know what the Lord may have in store for you at any given time. There will be a break in the afternoon from 3:00 PM until 3:15 PM. We have a little snack bar where we sell candy and ice cream. The men then resume their responsibilities until 4:30 PM at which time they quit for the day and prepare for supper at 5:00 PM.

On Monday nights we have a Q&A session at 6:30 PM for an hour. On Tuesday nights from 6:30 PM til 7:30 PM we have mentor groups. All the men are divided into four smaller groups of about 10-12 in each group for Bible studies that would help each man understand more about the Christian walk. Wednesday nights we have Prayer meeting and Bible study. Thursday night is an off night. Friday night we have Chapel Service.

Each night curfew is at 11:00 PM. All lights must be turned out.

During free time we have several opportunities to spend your time. For exercise we have a weight room, game room, volleyball, basketball, and horseshoes. We have a library to read and study. We have two TV rooms; one which plays movies and the other sports. You can occupy your time with board games in the dining room. There are many opportunities to keep oneself busy during the free time.

Saturdays are a bit different. They begin with breakfast at 6:30 AM. Instead of class at 7:30 AM we have a group session to discuss any problems over the past week and listen to any concerns the men might have as a result with many personalities living under one roof. After that session we have different duties for the morning hours until 11:00 AM. At 11:00 AM the men come in to clean their rooms. After that has been accomplished the TVs can be turned on and the men take the rest of the day off. If the individual qualifies for visitation from their family member, that occurs on Saturday or Sunday from 12:00 noon until 4:00 PM. There is nothing scheduled for the evening hours so this time is for relaxation and possibly playing volleyball or basketball.

Sunday morning we have breakfast at 7:30 AM. After breakfast each man is making preparation to attend church. Sunday morning we attend church on the grounds of FOA. The church is called Berean Bible Church. The afternoon is for relaxation and visitation. Sunday evening we have a service beginning at 6:00 PM for an hour. After the service is free time for the men.

Program

FOA has three phases to its program.

The first phase consists of an eight week Bible course created by Rev. Richard C. Barth simply called Basic Bible Doctrine Course. There are eight studies with five lessons in each study. Each lesson builds upon the other to give the student a basic understanding of the Bible, the Triune God, and certain doctrines of God's Word that will enhance the student's knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and the provisions He has made for each of us to live the Christian life. Each man is referred to as a student as we spend at least 112 hours of Bible study during this eight week cycle which we call a term. Daily lessons are a requirement to complete and an open notebook test is given on Friday morning after the last class of the week. We also desire that each man memorize the books of the Bible during his stay.

FOA operates an in house center where our students come for this eight week course. The students reside in the main house where we average about 36 men. We have semi-private rooms with two men in each room. Bible study is not the only thing we focus on although it is the most important part of the day. We also require each man to participate in our work program as we operate a farm type environment. There are daily "chores" that must be accomplished each day to just be able to reside at the ministry. These chores include house cleaning, kitchen duties, laundry duties, grass cutting, gardening, livestock care, general maintenance, cutting wood, carpentry, plumbing, auto mechanics, etc. I cannot begin to list all the jobs we have to perform during the course of a particular day.

After completing the 40 lesson course the student has a choice to make concerning his future. He can choose to graduate from the program and leave the ministry or he can choose to go through another term (eight weeks). He will go through the same material the second time picking up more information that he might have missed the first time through. After completing the second term he has another decision to make. He can graduate and leave the program or he might decide to attend the second phase of our program.

The second phase is a more advanced set of classes with a new environment. It is called our Romans House program. The conditions include: (1) The student must be a believer. (2) The student must complete two full terms of the first phase. (3) The student must commit to spend another eight months in the ministry. While residing in the Romans House the student is involved in more personal Bible study from a book of the Bible with the opportunity to present that material to the class. Each of these students have added privileges but also added responsibilities. After completing the full one year committment that includes the first and second phases, the student needs to make another decision. He can graduate and leave the program with the tools necessary now to live the Christian life or he can transfer to our third phase of our program.

The third phase consists of transferring to an aftercare house called the Philemon House. We refer to it as the Philemon House as we take it from the book of Philemon, verse 14 which says, ". . .but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will." We desire each man to make godly decisions because he sees the importance of living the Christian life rather than being made to do it. This house is what some would refer to as a halfway house or three quarter way house. The individual must have a job in place and preferably have some transportation. He can stay an indefinite period of time and be accountable to the house manager. He must pay a minimal amount of rent and transportation costs if he doesn't have transportation to and from work. There are no guarantees that each man will live the Christian life but we want to give them the best opportunity available to enhance their understanding of this marvelous life.

Philosophy

Friends of Alcoholics takes a Biblical approach to the the problem of alcohol and drug addiction. This means that we would view this particular problem, and all others, as a sin and not a disease. Alcohol and drugs is NOT the problem of the addict; rather the problem lies with their relationship with Jesus Christ.

The ministry DOES NOT charge anything for an individual to reside and get the help necessary to bring them out of the bondage of sin. We receive no state or government funding as we believe it is the responsibility of individual christians to support a work that teaches the grace of God. Therefore, we rely upon the churches and individual christians to support the work of FOA. There is always a need for more funding but we know that the Lord provides the needs of His ministry. Please be in prayer if you can help in this way.

An individual cannot be committed to the ministry of FOA. Our desire is that each man enter on his own free will thereby insuring that he wants the help himself. We do admit those who come from the court systems. They come through a strong suggestion by the judges, parole officers, or attorneys by giving them a choice to enter FOA or spend time in jail. What would you agree to? Even though they come this way they need to understand we don't have to keep them if their attitudes are not acceptable.

We are not an AA twelve step program. While there is nothing wrong with these type of programs in and of themselves and they have helped many people, we believe that if an individual develops a healthy relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ he/she would realize that the person with the deepest appreciation of God's grace would not continue to sin, habitually.

History

Friends of Alcoholics had its beginning in 1958 under the direction of Rev. Richard C. Barth. Bro. Barth, or "Preacher" as he was referred to, came from Pennsylvania, by way of Georgia, to start a Christian ministry for men who were in bondage to alcohol. The ministry began at Hawkins Air Field in a barracks that eventually was going to be torn down. Below are some pictures of that beginning.

Around 1963 Bro. Barth, along with the Board of Directors, were able to lease some sixteen section land off Highway 49 North that was under the supervision of the Clinton School Board. This has been the sight of FOA since that time to the present.

With the ministry's move to this piece of land brought new opportunities to work with women instead of just men. A building was constructed to house twelve women with a staff of three. Betty McKenzie directed this portion of the ministry faithfully for a period of 15 years until the Lord took her home. She had Parkinson's disease and spent the last days of her life on the property of FOA. Several other godly women filled in the gaps when the Lord took Betty home but the women's division finally had to close in 1993. We tried re-opening the women's work in the year 2000 but could only keep it opened for a period of four months. Without the proper direction of at least three godly women, this part of the ministry will have to remain closed.

Alcohol was the main addiction to be dealt with until drugs came on the scene in the early 1970s. Because FOA takes a Biblical Approach to the problem of alcoholism the entrance of drugs did not affect our approach. As time progressed, drugs became the primary addiction with many of the men we help. Alcohol is probably still the number one choice of addiction for people in the world but those addicted to drugs, legal and illegal, make up the majority of our clients.

In October of 1993, at the suggestion of the Board of Directors, Bro. Barth appointed a new director of the ministry. His name is Mike Bonner. Bro. Barth served as Mike's mentor for the next five years when the Lord took Bro. Barth home on October 24, 1998 at the age of 70. Those five years were very valuable as the Lord groomed Mike to continue leading the ministry of FOA in the same direction that Bro. Barth had for the past 40 years.

The year 2009 marks 51 years that the ministry of FOA has been in operation. The Lord is faithful to meet the needs of this ministry each and every day.