LOVE IN ACTION! Colleen K. Prudhomme, Executive Director

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1 FALL 2011 LOVE IN ACTION! Colleen K. Prudhomme, Executive Director I love to read. Like many of you, I imagine, I don t carve out enough time to do those things that I really enjoy. I did take the time, however, to read Mike Yankoski s Under the Overpass. This book has made a tremendous impression on me; so much so that I have asked Mike Yankoski to speak at this year s Evening of Hope on 11/11/11 (see page 3). In a nutshell, what I took away from Mike s book is that we need to actively show Christ s love to others. There is no question that God hears our prayers for those who are poor, hungry, homeless and hurting; but we also need to go to them reach out to them - and show His love. As you know, Christian Recovery Counseling serves many who are poor and have been abused, but it is our desire to take even more action to reach out and help more people find hope, healing and freedom from the Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. impact of abuse. Over the summer, CRC has met with other nonprofits that serve those in the greatest need such as the homeless, women and children who have been victims of domestic violence and those who find themselves alone and hungry. CRC desires to come along side these organizations in order to do our part in helping those in the greatest need find healing in their lives. We believe that quality Christian counseling plays an essential role in helping one be better prepared to move forward to a happy, fulfilling and productive life. As you read the pages that follow, you will see that CRC has a lot of exciting things going on. Everything we do, every event we hold and every action we take is so we can turn no away who is in need of our services. Thank you for being a part of the ministry of Christian Recovery Counseling through your prayer and financial support. We, of course, see that as an excellent way to show Christ s love in action. CRC IS KTIS s SEPTEMBER DIFFERENCE MAKER! CRC is so grateful to KTIS for choosing CRC as the Difference Maker for the month of September. Executive Director Colleen Prudhomme was interviewed by KARE 11 s Julie Nelson. Portions of that interview will be used to provide CRC with four 30 second on-air promotions each day on KTIS FM as well as a 10 minute program describing and promoting CRC on Saturday, September 3rd at 6:00am. This same 10 minute program also can be heard on KTIS AM on Sunday, September 4th at 1:15pm. To learn more about KTIS s Difference Maker program, visit their web site at and click on the Ministry tab. Thank you, KTIS! CRC THERAPIST MEETS WITH TEEN CHALLENGE STAFF CRC has great relationships with many other nonprofits throughout the Twin Cities, but there s no denying that Teen Challenge holds a special place in our hearts. We admire the work that they do and are grateful to their commitment to healing and freedom from addiction. Many who battle addictions also battle additional mental health issues that stem from physical, sexual and emotional abuse and can be extremely challenging. For this reason, Teen Challenge invited CRC therapist Tricia Vogelsang to share with their staff her experience and What s News Cont. on Page 5 Look inside for more information about the upcoming Evening of Hope! 1

2 THE INSIDE SCOOP information on events and happenings with CRC BOARD MEMBER WELCOMES NEW BABY GIRL! The board and staff of CRC wish to congratulate Board Member Amber Goetz and her husband, Ryan, on the birth of their new baby girl, Adrianna! Adrianna was born on the evening of August 2nd. Mother and daughter are both doing well and we are looking forward to seeing some baby pictures! Congratulations Amber and Ryan! CRC WELCOMES INTERN ADAM GATZKE CRC is blessed to have Adam Gatzke join the intern and clinical staff as of September, 2011! Adam has his Masters of Divinity from Luther Seminary and has nearly completed his Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy from St. Mary s. Adam brings to the team experience in working with troubled youth, young adults and families. Adam already has begun assisting the CRC staff with preparations for the domestic abuse program Authentic Hope. Welcome, Adam! CRC PLANS A RUN TO ST. PAUL! CRC is making plans to head to St. Paul, and we re doing it in two ways. First, CRC is reaching out to other nonprofits in the Twin Cities that serve the homeless and those in transitional housing (such as women and children who are victims of domestic abuse). In doing so, CRC has learned of the great need for professional Christian counseling in St. Paul. As it is our desire to serve those in the greatest need, we see a tremendous opportunity to further our mission in the city of St. Paul. CRC would like to meet this need in every way we can. We see that in order to partner with other local ministries, supply counseling resources, and explore the possibility of opening a small office in St. Paul that would include a children s therapy room and a group therapy room, CRC will need to raise $26,000. The second way CRC is heading to St. Paul is when Executive Director Colleen Prudhomme runs her first marathon on Sunday, October 2nd in the Twin Cities Marathon. Colleen couldn t help but notice the correlation between the $26,000 needed to open a St. Paul office and the 26 miles she is running and that the finish line is in St. Paul. She figured why not raise money for this St. Paul initiative through a pledge per mile campaign? So, that s what she s doing. You can help CRC serve those in the greatest need by making a pledge for every mile of Colleen s marathon. Simply call the CRC office at (or us at [email protected]) and pledge any amount (at least $1 per mile). Colleen also encourages you to offer a bonus pledge for any additional dollar amount you choose if Colleen breaks a four hour marathon (based on her chip time). Please place your pledge by Friday, September 30th. Thank you! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for pledge progress updates! AN ENCOURAGING WORD I Samuel 18:1... Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and loved him as himself. God encourages us and shows His love for us in so many ways, but one of my favorites is when He sends us a friend. You know the kind of friend I m talking about the one you can call in the middle of the night; the one who understands you, even when nothing makes sense; the one who lifts you up when you feel you cannot go any lower. Friends are an amazing gift from God. It s wonderful to have such a friend, but so is being such a friend! Go ahead share God s love with someone by being a friend. Learn more about the happenings at CRC on Facebook (Christian Recovery Counseling) and Twitter (CRC_Hope) 2

3 Celebrating Love in Action Friday, November 11th Doubletree Hotel St. Louis Park, MN Join the board and staff of CRC for our 18th annual Evening of Hope Celebration and Fundraiser Dinner! This year s speaker knows how to show Christ s love in action! Mike Yankoski, speaker and author, will share his message of putting love into action in our lives. Mike, along with a college friend, lived as a homeless man for five months in six U.S. cities. He gained a better understanding of the plight of America s homeless, including their struggles with mental illness. Come hear this inspirational message on serving and showing love to the under-served in our society and see how CRC is striving to show Christ s Love in Action. Friday, November 11, 2011 Doubletree Hotel St. Louis Park, MN $50 Per Person by October 17th $60 Per Person by November 4th Enjoy the beautiful and inspirational music of local artist Tonia Hughes and her band! Learn more about Tonia and her amazing journey of faith at Registration closes by the end of day November 4th Register online at or call , Ext. 110 CRC Art Show Expressions of Hope CRC therapists and other talented artists will display their artwork that will be available for sale. A portion of each purchase will be donated to the ministry of Christian Recovery Counseling. This is a fun, casual event. Come and visit anytime during the show to see many beautiful and creative works of art. Find us on Facebook at Christian Recovery Counseling to keep updated on event details! Thursday, December 8th 6-9 PM Open House Beverages and Appetizers Served Vine Arts Center th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN To submit artwork for this event, contact Mark Odland at [email protected] 3

4 FINDING HOPE Because of the financial support of many donors, Christian Recovery Counseling is able to provide professional, Christian counseling to many victims of abuse in need of financial assistance. This section of our newsletter is titled Progress Notes as a reference to the notes taken by a therapist when meeting with a client. The staff of CRC is grateful for the progress our clients experience and our clients are grateful for the support you provide, so that they can find hope, healing and freedom from the impact of physical, sexual and emotional abuse. Following are examples of how our donors have made a difference in someone s life. All names and some minor details have been changed to ensure the privacy of our clients. Charlie Charlie has been attending CRC s Restoration Project program for about a year. RP is a program designed to offer treatment to adult men who have harmful sexual behaviors. The goal of Restoration Project is to break the cycle of abuse by helping those in the program become healthy, safe and productive members of their family, church and community. Charlie has received assistance from the Client Assistance Fund since he started in the program. He has a strong desire to improve his life. He wants to be a successful graduate of the program as well as take away and improve on all aspects of his thinking and interpersonal relationships. As a CRC client, Charlie has attended bi-weekly individual therapy and weekly RP groups. Because of his desire to receive treatment from an effective Christian program, Charlie drives over 4 hours in one direction to attend therapy in the RP program. Charlie has a great deal of dedication to his therapy and has expressed much gratitude for the funds provided for his therapy by donors. Because Charlie has been convicted of a sexual offense and lives in a rural part of the state, his options for employment are greatly reduced. He works four part- time jobs which help him cover his basic needs and his portion of the session fee; but it is the Client Assistance Fund money that has helped to make his therapy appointments affordable. Without this gift he would not be able to attend therapy at our organization. Charlie is in the process of reconnecting with his family. This is possible because of the work he has completed and the progress he has made through the Restoration Project program. He has not had any contact with his daughters for about seven years. He has been given permission to start the process of having supervised visits with one of his daughters, her husband and his granddaughter, whom he has never met. Reconciliation with family can play a significant part in the healing journey of our clients. Charlie is an excellent example and reminder to all of us that we serve a God who is a God of restoration! Thank you for helping CRC stop the cycle of abuse. Ellie Ellie is an adult client who experienced severe physical, sexual and emotional abuse throughout her childhood. One would think that growing up in the home of a prominent Christian leader in the community would be a safe and loving experience. Sadly, this was not the case for Ellie. While people in her church viewed her father as a wonderful man to be admired, Ellie and her siblings were terrorized by him. Ellie s father repeatedly beat her so severely that she dissociated in order to survive. A part of Ellie tried to protect her from her father by making her follow a list of rules that would prevent her father becoming angry with her. However, the abuse continued. Because Ellie s father was so admired in the church, many people were blind to the trauma that Ellie was experiencing, and so no one came to help her. When Ellie turned eighteen, she finally was able to leave home and she married a loving and caring husband. Years later when Ellie s father died, the memories of the abuse came flooding back, causing her such trauma that she ended up in the hospital. When Ellie came to CRC she was afraid, isolated and distrusted God. Since coming to CRC Ellie is gaining a much better understanding of the truth of who she is in Christ, that God loves her and that she is not to blame for the abuse inflicted upon her by her father. Ellie went from feeling completely hopeless to seeing that there is hope in her life. Ellie has wonderful talents and is using these gifts to express this hope and to give her a new excitement and anticipation for her future. A close friend to Ellie participates in sessions so that friend can better understand her diagnosis and provide much needed support. It is such a blessing to be a part of this woman s journey as she experiences hope, healing and freedom from the impact that abuse has had in her life. Progress Notes Cont. on Page 5 If you would like to help someone receive hope, healing and freedom from the impact of abuse, please consider making a donation to Christian Recovery Counseling on our web site 4

5 WHAT S NEWS (Cont.) knowledge in the area of counseling those who have been victims of severe abuse. An already knowledgeable and talented staff welcomed Tricia and was able to gain additional insight on how to serve those who have been abused. Thank you, Teen Challenge, for allowing CRC to be a part of the valuable work you do! If you or your organization is interested in having a CRC staff member speak to your team, please give us a call at CRC INVOLVED IN ROCKFORD EVENTS! On July 27th, CRC sponsored a Rockford Round Up dinner for Rockford residents! The Rockford Round Up is a community event put on by local nonprofit and food shelf RiverWorks. This is a chance for families to come together for a cookout dinner, horseback riding, games and music. As a sponsor, CRC was able to talk with more community members about our services and to let them know we are located right in Rockford. CRC also had a booth at Rockford s National Night out celebration. Over 300 people participated in this community event and many of them stopped by our booth to learn more about our services. Klein Bank Plymouth Office Manager Becky Pickett presents check to CRC. KLEIN BANK CHARITY GOLF OUTING BENEFITS CRC CLIENT ASSISTANCE FUND! Each year, Klein Bank hosts a golf outing which benefits a local charity. This year Klein Bank chose Christian Recovery Counseling. The event was held on August 9th at Rush Creek Golf Course in Maple Grove. It was a wonderful day of golf, fun and fundraising. This event raised over $6,900 for CRC s Client Assistance Fund. Thank you, Klein Bank, for helping CRC turn no one away. CRC SEEKS ADDITIONAL BOARD MEMBERS With so many exciting changes and growth happening in this ministry, CRC s board of directors is looking for additional board members. To learn more about this opportunity, contact Board Chairman Dr. Bill Rush at Dr. Bill Rush [email protected]. PROGRESS NOTES (Cont.) Joelle Joelle recently participated in CRC s Becomers Group. This is a group for women who have survived childhood sexual abuse. When Joelle first started attending Becomers, she had found it very difficult to deal with the memories of her childhood abuse. However, having found the understanding and support of others through Becomers, as well as learning to use the tools provided, Joelle began to see that she could face the pain of her childhood abuse. In the midst of acknowledging and then facing the pain, she found a firm foundation in her acceptance of the process of change and healing through the power of Jesus Christ. Through this process, she wrote this beautiful poem, giving voice to her experience. Thank you for helping CRC offer such as effective group for so many who have experienced childhood sexual abuse. CRC s next Becomers Group starts Monday, October 17th and is weekly from 6:30 8:30pm. Call , Ext. 110 for more information. 5

6 CHRISTIAN RECOVERY COUNSELING 8441 Wayzata Blvd., Suite 160 Golden Valley, MN Telephone: Fax: Non-Profit Organization US Postage Paid Minneapolis, MN Permit No. 1 Find CRC on the Web: Christian Recovery Counseling is a non-profit, non-denominational organization. Our primary mission is to help men, women, children and families heal from their life experience of sexual, emotional, and physical abuse. Address Service Requested IN THIS ISSUE Love in Action! by Colleen Prudhomme, Executive Director What s News The Inside Scoop information on events and happenings with CRC CRC s Evening of Hope CRC Art Show Progress Notes How your donations make a difference! What s News (Cont.) Progress Notes (Cont.) Group Opportunities GROUP OPPORTUNITIES NEW GROUP BEGINS FOR MEN! CRC is re-introducing its Authentic Hope for Men Group starting Wednesday, October 5th. Authentic Hope is a group for men who struggle with anger and committing domestic violence. Some the goals of this group are 1) reduce incidences of family violence, 2) take action toward eliminating violence from abusive relationships, 3) strengthen family structures which have deteriorated through abuse and 4) provide Christ-centered support to facilitate spiritual healing. Any man struggling with these issues who desires to discover what it means to be a man in Christ, and feels alone in his journey and needs a safe place to share his struggles should contact Christian Recovery Counseling at to learn more details about this group or to set up an intake appointment. The Authentic Hope for Women Group is for those who have been victims of domestic abuse. CRC anticipates this program beginning January, MEN S DBT GROUP WELCOMING NEW PARTICIPANTS IN SEPTEMBER Men s DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) Group, also known as Skills Group, provides skills for men in the areas of mindfulness, interpersonal relationships, emotional management and distress tolerance. Men s DBT meets on Tuesdays from 6pm 8pm. If you would like to learn more about this group or schedule an intake session to join the group, please contact the CRC office at