The Overcomers Support Groups began in 1978 with a group for the chemically addicted and a group for the family members of the addicted. Since then, many groups addressing other problems have been added. Currently about 150 adults and about 70 children and teens are enrolled in support groups. Only a few support group programs in the US offer such a variety of groups, with highly trained facilitators and a long history under the same leadership.

The children's support groups use the curriculum entitled "Confident Kids", designed for children living in today's dysfunctional families and societies. The children are helped to understand their problems and issues and to develop the ability to share with their peers. They love this program and their parents are gratified to see them making positive changes in just a few months.

These programs are offered Free. Seventy percent of the participants are not members of the Cathedral at Chapel Hill but come from the community at large. The chief city-wide referral center, United Way, refers many persons to the program from the whole Atlanta metro area.

Our most popular group is "Healthy Relationships". It was formerly called "Adult Children of Alcoholics". We believe that it is very needed by anyone because our life style and culture do not provide adequate nurture to children who enter adult life with poor ability to form healthy relationships. Though the program requires a full year, a group graduates every three months. About 35 are in the program in 4 separate groups Year around. Only the graduates of this program are chosen to become facilitators.

We are committed to help any church or organization to establish support groups for adults or children. We offer free materials, assistance in the training of facilitators, or even trained facilitators. We have been disappointed that our offers have not been received. But, we realize that the churches and schools are traditionally bound to ministering or helping through the cognitive dynamic of teaching or preaching and do not understand the power of interactive love and the structures necessary to make this effective. They also overestimate the efficacy of counseling. However, we continue to offer our services to any organization wishing to establish support groups.

These support groups are under the direction of Pastors Ron and Helen Brown. These programs have existed for over twenty years.  Two other volunteers have also been added to the Board and meet weekly for several hours. Pastor Helen Brown provides overall direction and trains facilitators. The rest of the Board is responsible for the administration, finances, supervision of groups and placement of new facilitators. The Board members meet with all the facilitators once a month to receive input from the leaders regarding issues, needs, and needed changes.

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The Overcomers Ministry is effective and new members are attracted mainly through the testimonies of those who have been helped.  This support group ministry is eager to help other churches and organizations to establish support groups. However, there is a cultural blindness regarding growth and healing primarily through relationships. Teaching and counseling are considered adequate to the times, even though it should be apparent that they are not successful with divorce, children's issues, and other epidemic social problems.

Though A. A. is very respected, it is not generally perceived that its power to help the addicted is primarily through bringing the addicted into a loving family with intimate social interaction. We marvel at children in their support groups, learning to share about personal issues and life problems. Children's potential for sharing with their peers is a powerful resource. That is tragically neglected. The Confident Kids Curriculum is used in our children's program and we are continually amazed with the quick progress in hurting children as they share with their peers, and C receive new understanding of family life, their emotions and feeling life, and other areas of life.

Overcomers has a creative ministry directed towards the plight of families. Our Divorce Recovery Group is large and well attended. It helps participants deal with the many hurting emotions of grief, anger, and frustration as they share and bond together.  Our new Marriage Enhancement Group is for those whose marriages are in trouble. We are using Dr. Phil McGraw's book, "Relationship Rescue" which requires each individual to concentrate on his/her defects and adds the power of a support group for the men, in one group, and the women in another. After several months, the men and women meet together. We have hopes of developing an effective program that will become a new model program for saving marriages. We are very conscious that in helping marriages, we are making a great contribution to children.

The share groups for children meet at the same time as the adult programs, so it is convenient for the entire family to come together on Mondays from 7:30-9: 15 PM. There are occasional parenting meetings. The Confident Kids Curriculum includes instructional materials for these meetings. Parents learn nurturing patterns of family life.

In support groups adults become aware that many difficulties in relationships originate in childhood. This gives them new understanding of the importance of childhood.

The paper entitled "Hardwired to Connect" describes on page 2, 5th paragraph, the necessary characteristics of remedial programs to nurture children.

1) a social institution that includes children and youth;
2) treat children as ends in themselves;
3) a warm and nurturing environment;
4) establish clear boundaries and limits;
5) defined and guided at least partly by non-specialists;
6) it is multigenerational;
7) it has a long-term focus;
8) encourages spiritual and religious development;
9) reflects and transmits a shared understanding of what it means to be a good person;
10) it is philosophically oriented to the equal dignity of all persons and to the principle of love of neighbor.

Compare these characteristics with the attached paper on the Confident Kids Program. These characteristics are in this program.

The Overcomers Support Groups attach the root causes of our emotional and relational problems. A profound understanding is offered of our dysfunctional and isolationist culture and the opportunity is offered to experience relationships in a group offering healthy sharing and caring.

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• the Early Learning Center

• the Community Recreation Program

• the Scout Program

• the Tai Kwando Program for children, youth and adults

• the Vision Youth Program.

Then, there is a need for an outreach specialist who can present our programs to various organizations that could greatly enhance their programs. Some of the targeted organizations are:

• The YMCA and YWCA

• Prisons

• After school programs

• Boys' and Girls' Clubs

• Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Homes

• Apartment and condominium complexes

• Youth Detention Institutions, etc.