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.