Church dedicates a wing to all types of addiction recovery





Rev. Wayne Neller of the Community Congregational Church in North Naples has made the building a welcoming place for people who are struggling with addiction.

Rev. Wayne Neller of the Community Congregational Church in North Naples has made the building a welcoming place for people who are struggling with addiction.

Even in this high-tech age, some information spreads quickly in the simplest of ways.

Since January, when the Rev. Wayne Neller was retained from interim to lead pastor at Community Congregational Church in Naples, small recovery groups that had been meeting there became fruitful and multiplied.

Although Neller estimates that only about 10 percent of those who participate in the groups attend the nondenominational church, somehow word of mouth among local people recovering from addiction has been drawing hundreds weekly. Groups meet on the basis of their common problems, from alcohol or drugs to gambling or food.

“This church, prior to my associate pastor and I taking the helm, had become kind of isolated from the community,” Neller said. “It is a pulse beat of mine because of my background in addiction, that I have a great heart for individuals with a substance that is trying to gain mastery over them.

“Before January, several rooms in one wing of the church were not being used,” Neller said. “So we’ve developed that wing so that the large rooms can be used for recovery. The groups are decorating it and sharing this facility with the church.”

So now, on every day of the week except Sunday, Neller said, all sorts of groups are meeting in the recovery wing. Most, but not all, are based on the traditional 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and similar groups. Neller has conducted his own program of nine-week sessions in the past and plans to do so at the Naples church soon. Called RIBS, which stands for respect, integrity, balance and spirituality, the program is an outgrowth of his experience in a recovery setting, specifically in a residential facility for men in central Florida.

“As I worked with people there, I found that the substance varied, but the principles that could be brought to bear were the same,” he said. “I began working with them in this setting and the success rate was very high. I felt led to create a program that applied to an addiction to a nonsubstance as well.”

With any addiction, Neller believes, it’s necessary to address the foundational issues, which are priorities, boundaries, dealing with the past and creating a network of support – meaning other people. “Recovery just won’t succeed if you are in isolation,” he said.

That wasn’t difficult for a Bonita Springs man named Lee to believe. (A dedication to anonymity prevents us from using his last name.) He describes himself as an “unofficial liaison” between the groups and the church, of which he is a new member.

He has been recovering from addiction for five years and attending groups at the church since they began. “There’s really a lot of good energy in the rooms here, and the church has been more than happy to accommodate us,” he said. Lee’s daughter recently moved to the area and is also in recovery. Father and daughter and a few other young people who attend meetings at the church believed a meeting just for them would be helpful, and a meeting for young people since has begun.

As a certified addictions professional and a life coach, Neller has observed the power of others in achieving and maintaining a life not ruled by addiction. Yet to come, probably by the end of the year, is a group for people dealing with grief and another dealing with sex addiction.

“The reality is that we are in Naples seeing waving palm trees and beautiful beaches and some people still believe addiction is not here,” Neller said. “But every person I meet is touched by addiction in some way. We want to reach out to this community, understanding that there are people struggling who don’t know what to do.”

Recovery concert

Everyone in recovery is invited to attend a free concert of popular music at the Community Congregational Church of Naples, 15300 Tamiami Trail N., Oct. 19 from 7 to 10 p.m. Features include a band and DJ, food and beverages. For more information about the concert or any recovery programs based at the church, call 239-597-1000 or email waynen@C3naples.org.


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