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ATLANTA – Blessed Above Measure ministry (BAM), a chemical dependency recovery home for men, was started last year with the help of First Baptist Church in Waukegan, Ill., and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

The church began thinking about a community ministry when several nearby buildings came up for sale. Jorge Zayasbazan, pastor at First Baptist Church, said the buildings’ proximity to the church seemed an ideal ministry opportunity, but the church lacked the finances and people to move forward. But a man who had purchased one of the nearby houses came to worship at FBC. His plan was to start a home for men recovering from chemical dependency.

“At the same time, we were completing the Fellowshipʼs ‘Itʼs Time’ study and were seeking Godʼs will in regards to a ministry to impact our community,” Zayasbazan, who also serves as coordinator for North Central Region CBF. “One easily identifiable stronghold in our community is the problem of alcoholism and drug addiction and our church already hosted the largest Narcotics Anonymous meeting in the county. The opportunity presented by BAM House was a clear answer to prayer.”

FBC received a CBF missional ministry grant of $15,000 for facility improvements that would qualify BAM House to be licensed by the state, thereby making it possible for state agencies to refer clients. The Fellowship makes such grants to churches that complete the “It’s Time” study and want to develop ministries that impact their communities.

In a short time, windows were replaced, equipment purchased, repairs made, remodeling and painting done, inspections passed. State licensure was granted in June, and now BAM House can accommodate up to eight men. Much of the labor for the renovations was provided by Trinity Baptist Church in Raleigh, N.C., which sent an 82-member team to help.

“We have always been a missional church,” Zayasbazan said, “but we were looking for something that we could focus on, one thing that we could put our energy into. When we listened to God, we found the BAM House.”

BAM House is one of only three faith-based, state-licensed recovery homes in the north Chicago area, Zayasbazan said. It focuses on the spiritual and behavioral development of its clients and helps them become more responsible and productive members of society. Among the services offered at BAM House are substance abuse counseling, spiritual counseling and Bible study, vocational and employment resources, 12-step recovery meetings and personal finance education.

It is also a place where the men find a Christian community. They are involved with service projects throughout the week, and often work alongside church members in a ministry that helps elderly and people with disabilities with yard work and home repairs and delivers donated furniture to the poor.

“In the short history of BAM House we have already baptized two residents and had one commit his life to Christian ministry,” Zayasbazan said. “Not every story ends in success but there have already been several men who were homeless and without hope, who found jobs and permanent housing, reconciled with their children and, most important, found purpose in Christ.”

“First Baptist Waukegan’s story illustrates the level of missional awareness that is raised as churches engage in the ‘It’s Time’ church-wide experience,” said Rick Bennett, the Fellowship’s director of congregational life. “Like FBC, many churches are called to a deeper awareness of what it means to be the presence of Christ in their community and around the world; the BAM House ministry is a perfect illustration.”

To learn more about the missional ministry grant, contact Rick Bennett at (800) 352-8741. To order “It’s Time,” call The CBF Store at (888) 801-4223.

CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.