January 2022 Newsletter

Dear Friend of FOA,

As we start this new year, it is with great confidence in the Lord that we can press forward each day with whatever is before us. As believers, we have the opportunity to walk by faith according to God’s Word. Our faith is misplaced if it is outside of His Word for faith is taking God at His Word. This is why we focus every day on the teaching of God’s Word. We want each man here to know God’s Word so they can take Him at His Word for the provision He has made for each of them to walk in fellowship with Him. When we come to know God’s Word, we come to know God!  Thank you for continuing to pray for our students that they may know God’s provision of salvation for them through Jesus Christ.  Thank you for praying for our staff as we each day desire to rest in the provision we have in Christ to minister to the men the Lord sends our way.

Last month I mentioned again our financial situation and a couple of sizable donations the Lord sent our way.  You will see on the financial statement for this month that beyond those donations many others gave.  At the end of November, we were at -$50,000 for the 2021 fiscal year. After December’s giving, we not only covered our monthly expenses, but we were able to cover that deficit with some left over.  Please join us in thanking the Lord for this provision. Thank you for praying for this need and for giving to help with this need.  Please continue to pray for us as we seek the Lord’s wisdom in the stewardship of this giving.

Over Christmas we had 15 students to go home on pass. They returned and quarantined in 2 groups. Unfortunately, we had a positive test for Covid in one group and they remain in quarantine. Since then, we have had another positive case in that group. Thankfully, no one has had any major symptoms. Please pray for these 6 men and our staff member, Brandon Westcott, who is with them in quarantine. Please also pray for our men waiting to come in as the recent Covid surge along with this group in quarantine has delayed us bringing new men into the program.

Thank you for your response in giving towards the Christmas bags for our men.  Your generosity allowed us to fill their bags and have left overs to share with new men who come into our program. 

With Great Confidence in our Great God,

Aaron Bonner

December 2021 Newsletter

Dear Friend of FOA,

I can’t believe I am already writing a December newsletter. Each day my 8 year old daughter reminds me how many days until Christmas.  Time has flown by and another year draws to an end.  I feel that way now, but I can remember times this past year when time didn’t feel like it was flying by. Just last week we had a student finish the 8 week program who expressed how fast time went by while he was here with us.  At other times we have students who leave before finishing the 8 weeks because the finish date feels like it will never arrive. Most of the time the difference is where our mind is placed.  As the expressions goes, “time flies when you’re having fun”.

Our eternal God is not limited by time, but he created the world and set time in place for us as mankind. This month we celebrate the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Christ came “in the fullness of time” (Gal. 4). He came to fulfill a promise God had given mankind 4,000 years prior in the garden of Eden when man sinned against God. And 33 years later he died on a cross, shedding his blood to redeem mankind and reconcile us to God. He rose from the dead on the 3^rd day defeating death and through faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior we can have eternal life. Time is something we can’t get back, but for the believer while our time in this physical body on earth is temporary we have been given eternal life in Jesus Christ. This gives us great hope!

Please pray for our men to be receptive to that message of hope. Most of them wish they could go back and make different decisions in life – I’m sure most of us feel similarly. We can’t go back and change past decisions, but the decisions we make now will affect our futures. We pray they will decide to trust the Lord as Savior and learn to trust Him for the needs of their lives.

Over the past few months, I have asked you to pray for our financial situation. We are thankful for 2 sizable donations that have been generously given over the past week in addition to those who faithfully support us each month. Please continue to pray for our financial situation.

Last month I mentioned the opportunity of giving to help us give our men a Christmas gift bag this year.  A number of you already responded to that need by giving and we thank you so much for helping us in this way.  If you wanted to give towards that need there is still time as we will be receiving donations for those gifts until December 20^th.  Needs are listed on the back. We appreciate anything that you send to help our men.  Thank you for considering this request.

Finally, would you please pray for our men during this time of year. The holidays are hard for many of our guys who are separated from families or have very strained family relationships.

Have a great Christmas celebrating the birth of our Savior,

Aaron Bonner

November 2021 Newsletter

Dear Friend of FOA,

As I write this letter, my heart is heavy. Over the past 24 hours I have been informed of the passing of two of our former students. One died of a drug overdose, the other made the decision to take his own life. Both young men, both tragic. My heart is heavy for their families and friends. I am thankful that I don’t receive these phone calls all the time, but one is more than I care to receive, and I have unfortunately received more than just these 2 over the past few months. 

In the midst of the sorrow, I am thankful that we had the privilege of ministering the truth of God’s Word to both of these men and giving them the answer of newness of life in Christ Jesus.  While we can’t control whether a person receives the Word or believes the Word, we still teach the truth with great confidence that God uses His Word to change people’s lives. While the decisions these men made that led to their death are certainly not the will of God, I do not believe these decisions determine their eternal life. That decision is based on whether they chose to believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior or reject Jesus Christ as their Savior. That is the gospel we teach each day!

Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes 7:2, “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, because that is the end of every man, and the living takes it to heart.” NASB.  This world offers no hope in itself or man’s wisdom.  Please pray for our students to see the urgency and importance of receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and walking in fellowship with Him to deal with the difficulties of this life. He is the only One who can give true hope to our lives.

In last month’s letter I asked you to pray for our financial situation. You will see that our giving increased last month although we still did not cover our monthly expenses. We are thankful for the Lord’s continued provision for this ministry and ask you to continue to pray with us concerning our finances. I also asked you to begin praying about how you or your church might encourage our men this Christmas with material or financial donations to help with Christmas gift bags for our men. On the back there is a list of items needed. If you desire to give towards this need please have all donations in by December 20^th so we can have these bags ready.  Thank you for your gifts and prayers and have a happy Thanksgiving in thankfulness to the Lord.

Thankful for the God of all Comfort,  

Aaron Bonner

October 2021 Newsletter

Dear Friend of FOA,

This October we are thankful to the Lord for 63 years that the ministry of FOA has been in existence.  The ministry began with the focus of looking to God’s Word to deal with the issue of addiction.  We view addiction issues (drugs, alcohol, etc.) as a sin problem that God has dealt with through the finished work of Jesus Christ.  We unashamedly teach the Word of God each day to the men with us and pray for them to come to know Christ as their personal Savior and grow in Him to know Christ as their very life.  God has been faithful to sustain us for these 63 years and to use His Word to change lives.  Please continue to pray for our men to be receptive to God’s Word and trust the power of God to change their lives.

FOA began being supported by individuals and churches who agree with us in our view of addiction.  We have always held that the work of proclaiming the gospel should be supported by believers.  We do not receive government funding or go about fundraising.  We trust the Lord with our needs and reach out to the body of Christ to let them be aware of our needs as necessary.  We seek to be wise stewards of the physical donations the Lord provides for us.  This is one reason we attach our financial statement to each newsletter.  For those of you who keep up with these statements you will notice that over the past few months our giving has been down.  Our expenses have been pretty consistent, although all of us are dealing with rising costs of goods.  Please pray for this specific financial need as we trust the Lord to provide.  While we are thankful to be carrying a significant positive balance at this time, we know we must be able to meet our monthly expenses.

While it is only October, please begin to pray how you or your church might encourage our men this upcoming Christmas through gift bags that we put together for them.  These bags include toiletry items and basic clothing items (socks, underwear, undershirts, sweatshirts, work gloves, skull caps) to give to our men.  We are always thankful for your response.  In addition to this upcoming need, we are especially in need of towels, twin bed sheets and twin blankets at this time.  Thank you for your continued prayers regarding the needs mentioned in this letter.  From material needs to the greatest need of changed lives, we are thankful for God’s faithfulness.   

Resting in our Great Provider,  

Aaron Bonner

September 2021 Newsletter

 

Dear Friend of FOA,

I was recently reminded of the phrase “peace is not the absence of stress but the presence of Christ”.  I don’t know about your daily life, but I am prone to get overwhelmed in the “stresses” of day to day activities.  Sometimes I think to myself that if I can get through this one “stressful” situation everything will be better.  Some of you may be laughing as you read that sentence because you are wise enough to know that another situation will arise.  In fact, God tells us in His Word that we will have tribulation in this world.  We are never promised comfort and ease.  Rather we are promised that the provision God has made for us through His Son will be enough to deal with whatever problems we may face.  We are told that He has overcome the world.  How thankful I am for the presence of Christ within our lives that we might experience His peace and joy in the midst of tribulations and stressful situations. 

We continue to press forward each day teaching the Word of God and trusting the Lord to do the work of changing the hearts and minds of the men the Lord brings our way.  After our recent Covid outbreak and having to hunker down for 3 weeks we are once again bringing new men in each week and getting closer to a full house.  Please pray for our men to have the mindset to stay and complete the 8 week program.  We have had some over the past few weeks who want to leave after just a few days.  For years now, drugs and alcohol have been a tool of our enemy and appeal of the flesh that leads to broken lives and families and sometimes death.  Just yesterday, we received another call of a former student who died due to drug overdose.  Please pray that our men will see that the answer to the problem is Jesus Christ.

Thank you for praying for our staff each day as we minister to the men the Lord brings our way.  I would also ask you to keep our board of directors in prayer.  Their names are listed at the bottom of this letter each month.  These are men from our community who serve to help give guidance to our ministry.  Please especially keep in prayer Mr. Phil Davis, whose wife Ginger recently went home to be with the Lord.  We are thankful for her life and rejoice that she is with Christ, but we grieve with our dear brother.  Thank you for keeping him and his family in your prayers. 

Resting in the Presence of Christ,  

Aaron Bonner

August 2021 Newsletter

 

Dear Friend of FOA,

 Over the past year and a half, all of us have been affected by Covid.  But at the end of July, FOA was affected in a way we had not yet experienced.  With the emergence of the Delta variant the Covid numbers began rising quickly.  Due to the decreased numbers in recent months, we had loosened up some of our policies about interaction with the community.  On Saturday, July 24^th we had our first positive case of Covid.  By Monday the 26^th we had 11 students and 5 staff members who were positive.  By the end of that week, we had a total of 17 of 30 students and 6 of 9 staff members positive with Covid.  We turned our gymnasium and a vacant staff house into quarantine buildings and our positive men settled in for 2 weeks of isolation.

 As I write this almost 3 weeks later, I am hopeful that we are on the back end of this outbreak. I am very thankful that at this point none of our staff or students have had to be hospitalized due to this virus.  I know there are many in our community who have had to be hospitalized and others who have lost their lives due to this virus.  I am thankful that no matter the individual experience God is faithful, and His comforting peace is available for all who would trust Him. 

For now, we will have to take some measures to limit our interaction with the community.  Please pray for wisdom as we seek to make decisions as a ministry that enables us to continue ministering to the men the Lord brings our way.  Over the past 3 weeks we have had to close our doors to new men until we knew it was safe for them to come.  With many men on our waiting list there is a great need for those dealing with drug and alcohol addictions.  We are beginning to bring men in again.  Please pray for the almost 60 men on our waiting list at this time.

During these difficult weeks, we were encouraged by the outpouring of support through local churches.  Thank you for your prayers, financial support and material donations that helped us through this time.  I was also very thankful for how our students banded together.  With only 13 students and 3 staff members who did not have Covid, there was a lot of work placed on these few.  Our men came together to help in ways they weren’t used to so we could get through this time.  Please continue to pray for us during these days and let us encourage one another.

Resting in God’s Grace,  

 Aaron Bonner

July 2021 Newsletter

 

Dear Friend of FOA, 

In a few of my previous letters I mentioned about some lessons learned from the garden – from planting to cultivation.  But when it comes to a garden, I think most people enjoy the harvest the most.  Over the past month we have enjoyed the harvest from our physical garden – from squash, zucchini, cucumbers, beans, peas and most recently some sweet corn.  In fact, as I write this letter, we are right in the middle of what I call “corn week”.  From picking at sun up, to processing throughout the day, we use this week to try and get around 300 gallons of corn in the freezer to last us until next summer.  It takes a team effort from all of our guys as we work together to get the task accomplished.  We have plenty of work to accomplish at FOA but on “corn week” we all focus together on the task at hand.  Some pick, others shuck and silk.  Some cut corn while others clean up.  Everyone has a job to accomplish.  I have been thankful for how our guys have been working together.

 The Body of Christ is very similar.  In God’s sovereign plan, everyone who is a believer in Christ is placed into the body of Christ at the moment of salvation.  God’s Word makes it clear to us that Christ is the Head and believers make up the body of Christ.  Every believer has been gifted by God with spiritual gifting to be used to glorify God and to build up the body.  We are not all the same.  He gifts us differently and places us throughout the world to be used for His purposes.  For us to function properly we have to be dependent on our source – the Head, Jesus Christ.  Without Him we can do nothing.  Our staff at FOA is thankful to be used by the Lord at this ministry as we have the opportunity to share the truth of the Word of God with each man the Lord brings our way.  It is our desire that they too would be a part of the body of Christ and functioning in dependence upon Jesus Christ.  Thank you for praying for our staff as we desire to be used of the Lord each day.  Thank you for praying for our students that they would receive the truth of the Word of God.

 In my last letter I asked you to pray for one of our volunteer staff members, Duane Girton, concerning his physical health.  I am thankful to report that Duane went through a procedure to help this problem and is doing better and recovering.  Please continue to pray for him and his wife. 

 Depending on Jesus Christ,  

 Aaron Bonner

June 2021 Newsletter

Dear Friend of FOA,

I am very thankful for the confidence that we can have in our great God.  More and more in my life I am reminded of how little confidence we can have in anything else.  We are currently studying through the book of Colossians with our Romans house students, and we have been reminded that Christ is supreme, preeminent, fully God, the Head of the Body.  In Christ are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (2:3) and we are complete in Him (2:10).  And, of course, the great mystery of “Christ in you the hope of glory” (1:27).  Because of truths like these (and many others from God’s Word) we have full confidence that teaching Jesus Christ is the only answer that can meet the needs of the men the Lord brings our way.  We don’t mix Christ with the philosophies of the world or traditions of men or laws of religious systems (as Paul warns against in 2:8), we just teach the truth of Jesus Christ through the Word of God.  Some of these other things appear to have wisdom, but they are of no value against fleshly indulgence (2:23).  We want to give our men that which God tells us has value and answers the problems of life, and so we preach Jesus Christ!

With summer arriving comes a lot of activity at FOA.  We are already beginning to harvest some of the fruits of the garden with anticipation of more to come.  It is always a blessing to begin reaping the harvest and seeing the fruits of our labor on our plates at supper.  Like many of you we have plenty of daily physical chores around the ministry to keep things going – from mowing grass, chopping wood and working in the garden to maintenance repairs and projects.  We have guys keeping the buildings clean and preparing 3 meals a day.  But the central part of our ministry is the men the Lord brings to us from all over the place.  Recently, we have been able to bring in more men to the ministry which brings with it great opportunities as well as new challenges.  Please continue to pray for our students and our staff.   

Finally, please pray for one of our volunteer staff members, Duane Girton.  Duane has been dealing with some physical health problems recently and we would appreciate prayers for he and his wife Mrs. Marilyn.  Thank you for your prayers and support. 

Because of our Confidence in Christ,  

Aaron Bonner

May 2021 Newsletter

Dear Friend of FOA, 

Each year as we tend to our garden here at the ministry there is a lot of maintenance involved – especially early on when the plants are starting to grow.  They are very fragile.  The weeds try to come up and choke them out.  Heavy rains can wash them out if they aren’t rooted well.  It takes time and care so the plants can grow up and mature to produce fruit.  Cultivation is key to our garden’s success.

 The garden is a lot like our ministry to the men the Lord sends our way.  Many of them are coming to us in a place of brokenness.  Some are not believers in Christ at all and need to be born again.  Others are very fragile and need to be rooted in Christ.  It is our privilege to be workers in the Lord’s field.  Some plant, others water but God gives the increase (1 Cor. 3:6).  Each day we give spiritual food to these men through the constant teaching of the Word of God.  If a man stays with us for 2 months, they will complete 112 hours of Bible study.  We believe that God uses His Word by His Spirit to transform lives.  The things of this world contend for the hearts of these men and try to choke them out – the weeds of life.  The heavy rains of life’s tribulations try to wash them out.  But the great Farmer (our Heavenly Father) is doing the work of cultivating that these lives may be firmly rooted in Christ (Colossians 2:7).  Please pray for our staff as we desire to be used of the Lord to minister to the spiritual needs of the students.

After a very long year dealing with Covid (like everyone else) we are thankful to be able to return to some normalcy.  We have decided to no longer quarantine new men coming in.  This allows our Romans students to return to the Romans house for their living accommodations, and opens up more beds in the Doctrine house to fill in the coming weeks.  We have also started to have family visits once again for our doctrine students and weekend passes for our Romans students.  These times with families are very profitable for encouragement and growth.  We hope in the next couple months to have more things return to normal.  Thank you for your prayers for us during this time of Covid and we ask for continued prayers for wisdom in the decisions made each day.

Resting in the Husbandman and the Vine (John 15),

Aaron Bonner

March 2021 Newsletter

 Dear Friend of FOA,

March is one of my favorite times of year because garden preparations are under way.  Since 2012, it has been my responsibility to oversee our garden each year.  While there is a lot of hard work involved every year in our garden there are also plenty of spiritual principles the Lord uses in a garden to teach us truth.  In just a few short weeks we will hook the plow up to the tractor and break the ground to prepare it to receive the seeds we will plant.  Each year as I plow our garden, I think of the work the Lord is doing to prepare people’s hearts to receive the seed of His Word.  Our prayer for the men the Lord sends to us is that they will have a prepared heart to receive the Word.  We pray that for men here and the men on our waiting list who we hope will soon join us.    

Preparation is a key spiritual principle that the Lord does to bring us to the place where we see our NEED.  Preparation hurts!  But it is necessary.  If we don’t prepare our soil properly, we will not have a good crop.  If people don’t see their need of the Lord then why would they be interested in His Word?  Most every man that comes through our gate is coming because he has been broken in some fashion.  Our prayer is that the brokenness will be used by God to open their hearts to the truth of His Word.  Thank you for praying with us for the men the Lord sends our way.

At the end of February we experienced quite a unique week for Mississippi with a winter weather storm that is abnormal for us.  I know much of the country experienced this storm as well.  While this storm impacted so many negatively, we were thankful that we didn’t experience any major problems.  We only lost power for a few hours and we never lost our water as so many did in the city of Jackson.  We definitely had some burst pipes from the consistent freezing temperatures, but we were able to get those fixed pretty quickly. 

As for the effects of Covid, we are continuing to bring men into the program after a few days in quarantine.  We are hopeful that we are nearing the end of a quarantine house so we can get men in much faster and fill up our beds.  Some of our men have been able to receive the vaccine at this point.  We continue to trust the Lord in His timing with this pandemic.  Thank you for your prayers and support of FOA!

Resting in Our Hope in the Lord,

Aaron Bonner

February 2021 Newsletter

Dear Friend of FOA, 

I love the simplicity of the gospel message. We must come to see our need - we can’t save ourselves or produce anything righteous or acceptable to God. That statement is offensive to many, but it is the truth of God’s Word. Only through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ can someone be saved, and as a result God receives all the glory. 

The gospel message continues into the Christian life with the same simplicity. We must come to see our need – we can’t live the Christian life ourselves. Christ tells us in John 15 that apart from Him we can do nothing. Paul tells us in Romans 7 that in our flesh dwells no good thing. This message can also be offensive to the believer. The downward growth of recognizing these truths is necessary for us to see God’s provision. Just as we found faith in Christ sufficient for salvation, we will find faith in Christ sufficient for the Christian life. “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Galatians 2:20 (NASB). And of course, God receives all the glory. 

We have the privilege to teach these truths each day to the men the Lord brings our way. We do not teach the wisdom of the world but the wisdom from God. To the unbeliever it is foolishness but to those who are being saved it is the power of God. Thank you for being a part of what God is doing in the lives of men at FOA. 

In last month’s letter I mentioned that we had a positive Covid test from our men returning from Christmas pass. After 4 more positive tests, these men finally got out of quarantine on February 1st after just over a month. We are thankful there were no severe cases that required hospitalization. However, this delayed our ability to bring new men into our program. We look forward to once again starting the process of bringing new men in. Please pray for them to be prepared to receive the truth of the Word of God. Thank you for your continued prayers for the protection of our ministry from coronavirus. 

Trusting in the Faithful One, 

Aaron Bonner

January 2021 Newsletter

 Dear Friend of FOA,

 A New Year is before us, and while some want to forget 2020 I am thankful the Lord is always at work. Last year had plenty of trials but the Lord is always faithful to use trials to teach us more of His faithfulness and sufficiency. While things here at our ministry changed, the unchangeable Word of God continued to change lives. In 2020 we saw the Lord continue to send broken men our way and change their lives through the gospel of Jesus Christ – the power of God unto salvation for all those who believe. In 2021, we will continue teaching the unchanging Word each day to the men the Lord brings our way. The brokenness of our world magnifies our need of Christ.

 Just yesterday I had a difficult phone call from the mother of a student who left last week after just a few weeks with us. He left early due to medical needs. Unfortunately, upon his return home he continued his drug use, and this call was to tell me he had died from a drug overdose. We grieve with his family. Just a couple of weeks ago this man told me that he was a believer in Jesus Christ and wanted to change his life. I am hopeful that he was indeed a child of God through faith in Christ. His death hit our students hard and reminded all of us where our sin can lead. Please pray for his family and pray for our students to understand the importance of walking with Christ.

 At Christmas we allowed 12 students to go home on pass. They returned and quarantined. Unfortunately, we had a positive test for Covid and they are still quarantined. No one has had any major symptoms. Please pray for these 12 men and our staff member, Anthony Horne, who is with them in quarantine.

 Thank you all so much for your response in giving to help with the Christmas bags for our men.  Your generosity allowed us to fill their bags with needed items and to have some left over to share with new men who come into our program. 

 Finally, I want to make you aware of a recent article that John Lee wrote in the Madison County Journal about FOA and Dad’s recent retirement. If you are interested, you can find it online by searching “Madison County Journal Friends of Alcoholics.” 

 With gratefulness for God’s faithfulness to use His Word to change our lives,

 Aaron Bonner

December 2020 Newsletter

 Dear Friend of FOA,

 As we approach Christmas this year, we have the privilege of celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Christ humbled Himself and took on human flesh. He was born of a virgin to be our sinless Savior. He was born in Bethlehem – the same city where sacrificial lambs were raised for the sacrifices in Jerusalem each year. He was the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. We celebrate His birth because He was the promised seed of the woman mentioned in Genesis 3.  He came into the world for a reason.  He went to the cross as our substitute to pay the price of our sin.  We are purchased by His blood.  He was raised on the 3^rd day defeating death and sin. He now is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven as our great High Priest. Mankind has the full provision of salvation available if we believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior.

 In Colossians 3 we are told to set our minds on things above.  In Hebrews 12 we are told to fix our eyes on Jesus. While we celebrate his birth, we do not fix our eyes on the manger because Christ is not there.  While we remember his death, we do not fix our eyes on the cross because Christ is not there. Oh that we as believers would come to fix our eyes where Christ is in glory.  Oh that we as believers would understand our position in Christ and abide above where God has placed us in Christ.  God tells us in Ephesians 2 that we are seated with Christ.  This year as we celebrate Christ’s birth with thanksgiving for God’s faithful provision, let your mind dwell on all that He has provided for you as a believer in Christ.  This is the true and authentic message of love, peace, joy and hope that God has given us. 

 We have the privilege at FOA to proclaim this message each day to the men the Lord sends our way. Thank you for praying for these men. Their need has been met in Christ and it is our prayer that they recognize His provision.  At the end of November, we had one of our men trust Christ as his Savior!  Praise the Lord!  Thank you for praying for our staff as we rest in the provision of Christ’s life to minister God’s Word each day.  Please pray for our men during this time of year as most will be separated from family.  We desire to encourage them in these days and to remind them of the great gift God has provided for them in Christ!

 With gratefulness for God’s full Provision in Christ and your support,

 Aaron Bonner

November 2020 Newsletter

 

Dear Friend of FOA,

 In last month’s letter, dad announced the change of leadership at FOA. I am thankful to the Lord for the ministry of FOA and consider it a privilege to serve as the next director.  I was blessed to grow up here when my parents moved our family to FOA in 1982 when I was just two. I trusted Christ as my Savior here. I was taught the Word of God here. I met my wife here. I have seen God’s faithfulness in so many ways including His faithfulness to use His Word to change people’s lives. The heart of this ministry has always been that Jesus Christ is the answer to the sin struggles we all face, including drug and alcohol addiction. Let me assure you that this will CONTINUE to be the focus. There is no other answer! We want the students the Lord sends our way to come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and then grow in Him to understand Him as their very life.  We do this through the teaching of God’s Word. Please pray for our staff as we minister the truths of God’s Word to these men, and please pray for the students to be receptive to the truth of God’s Word. While some have associated FOA with Dick Barth, who founded and led FOA for 35 years, or Mike Bonner, who has been director these past 27 years, these were simply the men used by the Lord. They, along with the boards and staff who served with them, have stewarded His ministry well. I am privileged to be a part of that stewardship and am trusting the Lord for how He will direct FOA in the years to come.

 The year 2020 has been different for everyone. At FOA we have had to change our interactions with the community like most of you. We are thankful to the Lord that thus far we have not had the virus amongst our men. We look forward to a “different” Thanksgiving this year but always thanking the Lord for His faithfulness. Pray for our men during this holiday season as some of them will be separated from families. It is our prayer that we as a staff can encourage them and that ultimately they will find their encouragement in the Lord.

 Each year at Christmas we like to encourage our men with a gift bag. Many of you in years past have been so generous to help with these gifts, and we appreciate your prayerful consideration concerning the need this year.  A list of the items needed is on the back of this letter.  If you are able to help, please send these items by December 20^th.

 With gratefulness for God’s faithfulness and your support,

 Aaron Bonner

The need we have this year for the Christmas bags we want to give to our men include items such as sweat shirts, underwear, t-shirts, socks, gloves, toboggans, toothpaste, shaving cream, razors, deodorant, bath soap, shampoo, spiral notebooks, pens, popcorn, and assorted candies.  If you decide to send any clothing articles please get sizes Medium thru XXL.  We appreciate anything that you send to help our men.  You could send a designated money gift if you would rather do that and we will purchase what is needed.  Thank you for considering this request.

October 2020 Newsletter

Dear Friends of FOA,

    Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us, “There is an appointed time for everything.   And there is a time for every event under heaven—”  NASB   Joshua 1:9 says, “Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” NKJV   Then Romans 8:28 you probably know, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”  Put all these, and many others, together and we know that God is going to accomplish His will in every situation.

    Last month I left you with a little teaser saying that I will have an important announcement this month.   On October 18, 2020, we had an evening service at FOA to transfer leadership of the ministry to my son, Aaron Bonner.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Aaron is now the third director of the ministry since its beginning in 1958 under the leadership of Bro. Dick Barth.  Jane and I have been with FOA since 1982 and I have been the director since the fall of 1993.  It is now time to “pass the torch” and I couldn’t be more pleased to have Aaron lead this ministry into the future.   He has the same vision and philosophy that Bro. Barth had at the beginning.   Why? Because the Word of God doesn’t change and neither does the solution to all our problems.  That solution is Christ!  Aaron understands this and will continue to have Christ be the central focus of this ministry.  Please be in prayer for Him as he makes decisions that affect the lives of so many that come to us for help.

    FYI:  No, I am not leaving the ministry.  I will continue to teach and be whatever help I can be to Aaron until the Lord takes me out of the way, takes me home to be with Him, or comes at the Rapture.     I would prefer the latter. Jane will continue to help out in the office with the bookkeeping and office work.  We still have a desire to serve in whatever capacity we can until we are not able to do so any longer.  Please pray for us as well.  The next monthly letter may be from Aaron so be looking for that to come.

    Everything is going well and I personally thank you for all the support you have given me through these years.  Stay focused on the task ahead and above all glorify the Lord in everything you do.

Your servant by God’s grace,
Mike Bonner (now Director Emeritus

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.