Treflyn Lloyd Roberts, ISAAC General Secretary shares why he seeks opportunities to network with others outside his immediate circle

In my role as part of ISAAC International’s public face I am privileged and delighted to accept invitations to represent our network to others who are doing similar work. Myself and other Europe-based ISAAC members recently attended the Christian Recovery conference held in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina in late-March/early-April and the European Teen Challenge gathering in Rimini, Italy in May. I want to share why these meetings have been so important:

1. Humility: I was humbled to hear the many testimonies of how God has changed lives through the many programmes in the Balkans. It is too easy to get so wrapped up in our work, mission and calling that we can become oblivious to God’s power at work in other’s lives.
2. Honesty: I was moved to hear the honest stories of ongoing issues that people in recovery face as they continue to live out their new lives. There is a depth and openness that I can expect when I meet with people in recovery and I find this across borders.
3. Eye-opening: The Christian Recovery conference was taking place in a part of the world with such a complex history. I saw afresh the crippling combination of trauma and addiction that I do not see to this degree in my day-to-day work in the UK. Despite this, it was great to see people from many different nations and cultures come together to worship and fellowship with each other freely.
4. Relationships: At the Teen Challenge conference in Italy it was fantastic to meet a significant number of ISAAC members from many parts of the continent who are also part of Teen Challenge. As ever, the teaching sessions and worship were fantastic, and ISAAC is so grateful to Teen Challenge for its on-going support of the network – and especially to Tom Bremer as the leader of Europe Teen Challenge. It was good to build on existing contacts and also to make new connections.

It is my passion to see ISAAC members across the globe seek to expand their networks: first, outside their organisations to their towns; next their states and nations; and finally internationally. If you were to take a step today to connect with others in addictions/recovery work outside your circle, what would it be?