Russian Women - Drug Addicts Set Free by the Power of the Gospel

Here are a few photos of some of the young women who are in the local drug rehabilitation centers operated by Cornerstone church. These young women range in age from 18 to 27 and all were addicted to heroin. They entered the rehab with little hope of ever being free from drug addiction, but through the power of the Gospel they have been set free.

'Pastor Michael,' surrogate dad

The rehab program consists of two 4 month sessions. During the first four months the rehabilitant is not allowed to leave the facility. If they do so they are out of the program. During this four months they are in a daily program of Bible reading, prayer, group study, work and character development.

When they graduate from the first four months they then continue the program living outside the rehab, in a group home for one week where they continue group learning and work in the outreach program to those who are addicted. The opposite week they live at the center acting as mentors and small group leaders for the people in the first four month program. In doing so, they learn to apply basic discipleship principles and become pastors of a small group.

After graduating from the second four months there is an optional third course of four months. Those who enter this step become senior leaders. They run the day to day operations of the center and report to the supervising pastor. Upon graduation from the third step of rehabilitation, often a small group of leaders decide to attend missionary training school together.

At the school they learn the basic skills needed to church plant and to start a new rehab center. Upon graduation from school they will then move to a new city, open a rehab center, evangelize drug addicts and plant a new church. The Cornerstone Association of Churches has done this now about 60 times. They are one of the fastest growing association of churches in Russia.