Spiritual & pastoral support
Meet people with compassion, prayer, and practical care.
The heart of it
Eight principles. One shared welcome.
The eight guiding principles help congregations create practical, compassionate, trauma-informed places of belonging.
The heart of it
Broad enough for every community to live them out.
The principles are a starting point—not a script. Each congregation can embody them in its own language, tradition, capacity, and neighborhood.
The invitation
Make recovery visible, ordinary, and welcome.
Together, these principles move a congregation from good intentions toward steady practices: listening, connecting, learning, and staying present.
Compassion becomes culture through repeated, ordinary acts.
The heart of it
The 8 guiding principles
08 ways to begin
A manageable condition
Treat substance use disorders as manageable conditions, never moral failures.
Embrace & walk alongside
Make room for people in recovery and stay with them on the journey.
Visible community outreach
Bring recovery information and welcome beyond the walls of the congregation.
Share recovery information
Help your community find trustworthy pathways to recovery and support.
Host or refer to support
Connect people with recovery support groups that fit their needs.
Recognize crisis & connect
Know how to recognize crisis and connect people to timely help.
Trauma-informed safe space
Create a place where people can share hurt and begin healing safely.
Take the next step
See how the principles become practice.
The certification path helps congregations turn a shared welcome into a supported plan.