During my first year of ministry, I became known as the Stop-Smoking Bishop of Tampa Bay, Florida, thanks to our overwhelming success as we helped people quit.
When an elder in my congregation insisted that I partner with him in presenting a 5-Day Plan to Stop Smoking, I reluctantly agreed and offered to contact the local hospital to sponsor the event. “No,” he replied. “Let’s present it right here in our own church facility.”
I thought we were doomed to failure, but “Dr. Dave” and the Holy Spirit knew better than I. We registered about a dozen attendees, one of whom was the public relations director for WFLA, the NBC radio affiliate. Not only was he successful, he became an enthusiastic promoter of cigarette cancellation and recorded several dozen spot announcements that aired three times per hour every day for a month. Overnight, both Dr. Dave and I, along with all the area churches, became famous for helping Tampa kick the habit. Newspapers and other media reported the story, and within days we were registering up to 200 people at any location where we offered the famous 5-Day Plan—and at $15.00 per registration, we were making money while doing good!
Ministry magazine editor, Nikolaus Satelmajer, used the same program in metro New York and even taught the plan on the commuter trains in specially designated “stop smoking cars.” Again, the enormous publicity put the church “on the map.”
After years of success, coupled with dozens of other commercial and public service programs by various organizations, some good progress has been achieved in reducing the percentage of smokers in North America. However, the global use of tobacco continues to be one of the most serious health and moral problems confronting humanity. I can think of no more gracious service than for a congregation to offer its community such real, practical assistance. Our Ministerial Association has launched a fresh update of the 5-day plan titled Quit Now! (see advertisement in this issue). You can utilize this fresh resource to provide more effective ministry to those encumbered with the tobacco habit.
Disinterested benevolence. Your community will be impressed to see your church offering practical help with a real social, health, and moral challenge. Civic, medical, and educational entities will partner with you in this venture.
Fresh, updated materials. Quit Now! materials are international in scope, creative in design, yet still very personalized to assist presenters in helping participants achieve success. Leadership of a Quit Now! program does not require a medical background. Pastors, teachers, and others in helping or leadership positions can easily adapt the instruction materials for their own use.
Simple tools. The program still relies on very basic, easy-to-follow principles for success. PowerPoint presentations and redesigned formats emphasize the value of choice, as well as the importance of water, exercise, nutrition, replacement alternatives, group support, and individualized “buddy” attention.
Financially feasible. Materials— both for group facilitators and individual attendees—are affordable. In fact, with a modest registration fee (remember that people value something for which they must invest some payment), you will likely cover all your expenses for supplies and advertising. Today, Medicare even allows reimbursement for tobacco cessation programs.
Follow-through friendraising. Even more important than any financial “break even” is the reward of raising friends for your congregation. Through the years I have helped dozens of individuals who call me “their pastor” because I assisted them in achieving their goals. I have also discovered the value of offering ongoing small group activities for fellowship, study, and encouragement to “stay quit.”
Utilize public awareness. The world’s No-Tobacco Day each May and The Great American Smokeout each November offer opportunities to enhance awareness. Television and print advertising, as well as cancer and health societies, will enlist local sponsors to enhance your effectiveness.
Seize initiative. Churches should remain at the forefront in offering help to curb this plague. Amazingly, the very purveyors of tobacco products now attempt to position themselves as helping parents prevent their children from smoking even as they seek to enslave youngsters in addiction.
13th World Conference on Tobacco. This conference comes to Washington, D.C. this summer to be followed immediately by the Adventist Tobacco Conference, July 14–17. DeWitt S. Williams, director of Health Ministries for the Adventist Church in North America, states, “We invite those interested in providing stop-smoking programs to attend this conference that deals with one of the most serious health problems facing the public.” For more information or to register, see <www.nadhealthministries.org>.
Try it!
Your success will surprise you. God’s power will accompany you. Your community will praise you. Your Lord will reward you. You can make a real difference for your community.
