Addiction and Recovery Ministry

The Addiction and Recovery Ministry at The District Church is a community of brothers and sisters in Christ whose lives have been affected by addiction, learning to heal and live life one day at a time covered by the grace and truth of our God.

What does The District Church believe about addiction and recovery?

Addiction is a pattern of unwanted behavior that continues to persist in our lives despite our best efforts to change it.

We believe that at its core, addiction has to do with pain and suffering - we often utilize unwanted behaviors to escape or deaden the pain and suffering we’ve experienced. This persistent attempt to medicate these wounds is the central driver of addiction.

Recovery is a lifelong process of everyday decisions to move away from unwanted behavior and towards a life of integrity, freedom and purpose.

We believe that our recovery begins not in the place of despair and rejection, but in the faith of all-consuming love of God and the acceptance of the Christ-following community, where our stories are heard, sufferings grieved, victories celebrated, lies challenged and truth proclaimed.

Vision, Mission, and Core Values

VISION: Disciples living authentic lives of freedom, healing, and purpose

MISSION: To equip our community with the tools to overcome addiction

CORE VALUES: BECOME

BEloved in Pain
Despite our pain and wounds, we are beloved children of God.
Christ-Centered
Christ is the foundation and destination of our recovery.
Open Confession
There is no shame in this space for those who desire freedom
Marathon not a Sprint
Recovery is a lifelong process of everyday decisions to live a life of freedom.
Embraced in Community
Recovery is possible when we are embraced in community.

Learn More about our core values

Our Groups

We gather each week to have conversations about the areas of intersection between our faith and our recovery, trusting these conversations will empower both areas.

Recovery is a holistic journey that requires healing and maturation in the physical, psychological, relational, and spiritual aspects of your life. Please be mindful that our groups are not a replacement for formal treatments or other support groups (AA, NA, SA, GA, Al-Anon, etc.). In fact, we encourage you to participate in diverse facets of recovery in conjunction with our groups to enrich your recovery process and meet your unique needs that we may not be able to fulfill.

Men's Support Group

This anonymous group is for men who feel or have felt they can't control their sexual behavior, whether in relationships or on their own and want to get healing from it. We strive to develop a safe space to share our struggles and break out of isolation, one day and one step at a time. We explore the root causes of addiction and hold each other accountable so that we can grow in our relationship with God and others. We invite you to walk with us on this path toward wholeness and healing.

Please email for more information.

Addiction and Recovery Group

This anonymous group is designed to foster a Christ-centered community for those who are struggling with any form of addiction and have a desire to change. We aim to create a space where we can walk on the recovery journey together in Christ to find fellowship, understanding, and healing. From our common suffering in addiction, together we journey towards the common destination in recovery: to accept who we are as broken yet beautiful children of God and to become more like Jesus Christ each and every day.

Please contact Taek Kim at (Men) or (Women) for more information.

The Addiction and Recovery Friends & Family small group

This anonymous group is designed to foster a Christ-centered community for those who are supporting loved ones struggling with addiction and working through a recovery journey. The group offers fellowship, understanding, and healing to spouses, siblings, parents, children, friends, and anyone impacted by addiction. We hope to provide mutual support and care for each other as a Church family working through addiction and recovery.

Please contact Morgan Scott at for more information.

Addiction and Recovery Resources

General Addiction Resources

Meetings:

Celebrate Recovery (crbrooklanddc.org)

Celebrate Recovery is a gender-specific recovery program for people who have hurts, habits, and hangups.
Hybrid gathering (in-person & Zoom) on Wednesday 7 pm at Margot Hall in St. Anthony of Padua, 3400 12th St NE Washington, DC
Women's Step Study (Zoom) on Friday at 7 pm
Men's Step Study (Zoom) on Thursdays at 7 pm
Contact Beng Reyes by email or call 202-650-8390 for more information.

Smart Recovery (smartrecovery.org)

“SMART Recovery is an abstinence-oriented, not-for-profit organization for individuals with addictive problems. . . We teach scientifically validated methods designed to empower you to change and to develop a more positive lifestyle.”
Meeting finder: smartrecoverytest.org/local/

Sex Addiction Resources

These two books were fundamental in shaping The District Church’s view of sex and porn addiction. Sex addiction isn’t about sex. Instead, sex addiction is a symptom of the underlying wounds and pain that an addict carries. If you want to be free from your addiction, you need to start working on the underlying roots of your addiction rather than just fighting the symptoms.