Belated New Year Greetings to One and All! We asked for Praise Reports and you came through wonderfully. We have just been slow to get the Newsletter out, but here they finally are!

PRAISES FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY:

ANSWERED PRAYERS! GOD IS AWESOME AND FAITHFUL!
UTICA, MI – A family group member had been in a car accident and needed another car, a place to live and another job – her group prayed for her and God was faithful and provided another job immediately and the car and place to live in a short period of time!!
Patti, Utica Wednesday night group

LANSING, MI – A young man in our group who knew his temporary employment was about to end asked for prayer that God would take his qualifications and put them together with a permanent job. The very next day he received a call for an interview from a company where he had applied and he was hired into a construction overseer position. And he has traveled to the jobsite with the president via the president’s jet

We also have a concern. Our meeting has dwindled to two or three from as many as 17 who used to come. We are praying that God will expand our territory (1 Chron. 4:9-10) and give us the patience to let Him work it out. After all, it is His battle (1Sam 17:47)
Keith Barner, Ludington

COOPERSVILLE, MI – God is faithful and He is blessing our group beyond our imagination. We started with one meeting on Sundays at 1:00 pm and now we have added one on Tuesdays at 7:00 pm. With our two meetings and the meetings in Holland, MI there are now 4 AC meetings in Western Michigan. Praise God, to Him be all the Praise, Glory and Honor. Brother in Christ, Kirt Chrysler

LUDINGTON, MI On September 6, 2005 I was approved as leader for the new group in Ludington, MI which would have it’s first meeting September 10. I was new to AC, had only 1 Ac workbook and 1 Serenity Bible and had been to only 1 meeting. I was doing a lot of praying and relying on the Lord. While I was shopping one day during the week prior to the meeting, I had a “God Experience”. The Lord led me down the aisle in the store to the CD’s where he led me to pick up a CD by Casting Crowns entitled “Lifesong”. I had heard of Casting Crowns but never owned any of their music. With shaking hands, I took it home, opened it and while glancing at the words to the songs; the Lord said “that one”. The song was entitled “Set Me Free”. I started reading the words to the song and started crying, as I could relate to the pain of being in captivity of the chains of the addiction to alcohol. When I played it, I got goose bumps, cried some more and knew that this was from God for the our new group. We have made this our group’s theme song. Our pastor played it when my husband, Larry, and I shared what AC is all about. A couple of weeks after that, a couple in our church presented us with a bag of crosses they made and had imprinted with “Set Me Free” on each one. We hand these out to people in the meetings. Some folks take extras to give to family members and to some others that are in prison. The couple has said they will give us more crosses when we run out. Wow! God is moving so huge among his people! (Casting Crowns music is based on scripture and “Set Me Free” is from Mark 5”1-13, Ephesians 2:1-10 and Revelation 1:18)

Just before the first AC meeting in Ludington, a young family had been separated due to the husband’s addiction to alcohol. The wife and children had moved out. He had resolved to quit drinking and the family agreed to move back if he could stay sober. He was finding it almost impossible to do so alone. He came to our first meeting and has stayed sober ever since. That family is still together and healing through a personal relationship with Jesus, the AC meetings and their church. Praise God!

Another lady saw the article on the religious page of our newspaper; she sent the phone numbers to her sister who was suffering so badly. Another miracle has taken place. The lady’s sister, who was close to dying from alcoholism, has now been sober for over 30 days! She is attending church, AC meetings, women’s bible study and listening to Christian music. All while she is learning that she was created for a purpose and she is an awesome example of God’s grace and mercy and His never ending love for us.
Love in Christ, Jeanie – Ludington, MI

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Praise the Lord, Saints! The “Christmas Group” of the Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church received our charter from AC in September 2004 and we have enjoyed this ministry tremendously! We have ‘spread the joy of Jesus” to other churches in our city and we now have an AC 12 Step meeting on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday in five different churches.
Melvin Fleming

NEWS FROM THE BOARD OF ELDERS
One of our Founding Fathers and the Board of Elders are concerned that our meetings are becoming “topic” meetings and we are losing our focus. Therefore, they are urging all group leaders to be sure their meeting is focused/based on one of the 12 steps along with the scriptures, because we know the steps and the scriptures are powerful and work together to set us free.

The Board of Elders held their annual meeting in December and elected Chris McCasken as the newest Board member. He will be in charge of fund-raising.

NEWS OF UPCOMING EVENTS:

WOMEN’S RETREAT - Step 6 “Removed, Not Improved” Romans 6:6 LB
AC Women are having a one-day Spring Retreat, April 1, 2006 at Zion Christian Church, 3668 Livernois, Troy, Michigan 48083 from 9:00 am until 4;00 pm. The cost is $20.00, which includes continental breakfast (8:30 am) and lunch (noon).

MEN’S RETREAT -
AC Men are holding their Spring Retreat at Echo Grove Conference Center, Leonard, MI, May 5 and 6, 2006. Contact the AC office for more information.

TRAINING CONFERENCE – “LETS NOT MISS THE WAY”
The Training Conference is April 22, 2006 at Ward Presbyterian Church, NW corner of 6 Mile and Haggerty (40000 W Six Mile Road. Please call the AC office for details.

MORE DETAILS LATER ON THE FOLLOWING EVENTS:
ANNUAL PICNIC!
The picnic is being planned for August 26, 2006 in Green Acres Park, 620 N Woodward Heights, Hazel Park, MI. AC Groups, bring a game for the kids along with a lawn chair, your own beverage and a dish to pass.

30-YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION!
AC is celebrating 30 years this year and will have an Anniversary Dinner on September 23, 2006 at Zion Christian Church in Troy, Michigan.
More details later.

WOMEN’S FALL RETREAT IS SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 3 & 4.
MEN’S FALL RETREAT IS TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR OCT 27 & 28
ANNUAL PRAISEFEST WILL BE HELD ON NOVEMBER 20.

Please keep the AC groups all across the nation and around the world lifted up in prayer. The enemy does not like the work we are doing and tries every conceivable way to discourage the groups and their leaders. He will attack not only them personally, but also their family members. He shows no mercy, but we have authority in the name of JESUS over ALL the power of the enemy, so let’s use it!

If you would like to receive the Newsletter via e-mail, please e-mail Caroline in the office and let her know. We are trying to be good stewards of the resources the Lord has provided, and this is one way we can do that, as it will cut down on our mailing costs. To submit your email address to the AC office please send it to: al4christ@globalbiz.net