Friends,

Greetings from Eagle Christian Ministries, Inc.!  What an exciting and fulfilling ministry we have grown into.  And to think almost two years ago we were just a thought in the minds and prayers of Jim and Lisa McWhirter, our founders.

In those past two years we have successfully added an average of two men per month to Christ’s Kingdom, and we are confident God’s hand will touch lives at our women’s facility too!  It is easy to see and feel the presence of God at Eagle Christian Ministries.  I’m so lucky to have the opportunity to see and be a part of changing lives each and every day!  Adding to the Kingdom of God has never been this exciting!  Just this week we witnessed a renewal of the mind in three men.  Each of them realized they couldn’t handle life on it’s terms and instead they surrendered to Christ.  Amazing things are happening at Eagle Christian Ministries!

It amazes me, having had my own struggles with addiction, to see men and women have such a stronghold with Satan in their minds and lives.  But I have to remember, I used to struggle with those same strongholds.  These men and women are just that, men and women.  They’re not less than that.  They’ve merely made bad decisions, but that doesn’t make them bad people or even stupid.  I’ve made bad decisions-and realistically, you have too.  Wouldn’t it have been great if someone could have lifted you up when you had made those bad decisions and helped to wipe away your pain.

Perhaps you can help one of these men or women in their struggle down their pathway to salvation.  Perhaps God has blessed you and in turn you would like to bless others.  Or perhaps you just want to make a difference in someone’s life.  Sponsor someone in our program and see the power of God at hand in the life of one of His children.  Eagle Christian Ministries, Inc. is a non-profit organization and exists primarily on donations, so your offerings do make a difference.

If you’re reading this letter and you’re unsure of what to do, remember Job 32:8, “It is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty that gives him understanding.”  Meaning that when you don’t know what to do-God will show you.

With Christ In Mind,

J. Scott McWhirter

Program Minister/Director

Eagle Christian Ministries, Inc.

(405) 702-HEAL

info@eaglechristianministries.com

It begins with stress

All of us face situations in our lives that cause us to feel stress. Sometimes, we hardly recognize that we are experiencing it. It is hard to have a conscious awareness in the exact moment that stress occurs when we are facing it.  Unless what you face is rather severe, it is an unusual person who has the presence of mind to recognize that, “I’m in a stressful situation.”  Think about it, how many times after something happened to you did you later think, “Hey I was under a lot of stress back then”?  One of the ways that you can identify stress is to ask the question, “What’s alive in me right now?”  What’s alive in you is whatever you find your mind constantly thinking about.  Perhaps its constant arguing with a spouse or friend.  Perhaps its some situation at work.  Whatever is constantly on your mind is one of the stressors in your life.

Stress requires that we seek relief

Stress always requires that we seek a form relief so that we may feel comfort. We all recognize that when one of our primary needs is not being met, such as being hungry, tired, thirsty, or cold, that we’ll seek out ways of meeting that need.  What we may not realize is that this same principle holds true for the other stresses in our life as well.  For each stress, we will feel a compulsion to seek relief.  To carry this a bit further, we need to recognize that each day we face hundreds of little stresses.  We have bills to pay, telephone calls to return, errands to run, food to buy, work situations, relationships to balance, and so on.  Each of these stressors, in and of themselves, may not amount to much, or so we think; so, we don’t worry or give much thought to them.  But whether we recognize it or not, each of these stressors require that we do something to bring about needed relief.

Stress is synergistic

Synergy means that the end result of a set of conditions is greater than when we add each of the conditions together.  Stress is like that.  The tension we feel in our lives will always be much greater than it would be were we to add all the big and little stresses together.  So, when we think about it, we may now realize why it is that we can feel stressed out even when we don’t have a lot of big stresses in our lives.

We react to stress predictably

The longer we live, the more habitual we become.  The same is true about the ways in which we handle stress.  Some people develop patterns of avoidance and passivity while others may blow up, become angry and full of rage.  Over time, the ways that we handle stress become predictable, that is, we use the same methodology over and over again.  The pattern we use to handle our stress was developed, for the most part unconsciously.  Some say that it was developed in the early years of our childhood.

We choose things that feel rewarding

When we feel stress or pain, we will want to do something about it–we want to relieve the pain.  Thus, each of us will turn to some behavior that brings relief or feels rewarding in some way.  Some people may choose a behavior that causes them to forget or numb their pain such as drugs or alcohol.  For those caught in addictions or compulsive behaviors, our temptation is to act out in dysfunctional ways.

Some of us choose dysfunction

As said earlier, we handle stress predictably. The choices we make will either be functional or dysfunctional.  Another way of saying this is that we choose to react in ways that benefit or don’t benefit us in the long term.  You may wonder why someone would choose to react to stress in a way that is not beneficial for the long term.  The answer is simple, when we first make our choice, the approach doesn’t seem harmful to us.  In fact, it may feel wonderful and brings a sense of pleasure and euphoria.  For instance, those with sexual compulsions and addictions, make choices that feel good physically and give a temporary sense of emotional relief. The same is true of other compulsive behaviors such as drugs, alcohol, spending, risk taking, working and so on.

Dysfunctions turns into addictions

Once we find a convenient way of relieving our stress, we will turn to it again and again.  As we know, for every action there is a consequence.  At first we choose, then IT CHOOSES US! We become addicted.  Once we are addicted there are powerful  consequences that impact every conceivable aspect of our lives.  Every thing is thrown into chaos.

Addictions enslave us.

Slavery, captivity, and bondage may be defined as being held, against one’s own will, to the will or desire of another.  In the beginning, this slavery may seem pleasant enough; but, golden handcuffs still keep one captive and a gilded cage is still a prison.

Slavery is a dead end

Dysfunctional ways of handling stress always lead to ruin–especially so in the long term.  In the short term, we may feel some guilt or shame about what we are doing.  Later on, it becomes clear that our lives aren’t working so well.  Depending upon where we are in the addictive process, we may or may not realize that our choices are a dead end.

Dead ends don’t have to stay that way

At the Eagle Christian Ministries, we’ve all been there, done that, and ordered the tapes.  We know from experience the beginning, middle and end for compulsions and addictive behaviors.  We learned from experience that problems never get solved by acting out.  All of us know what it is like to be caught up in something or some behavior and not know how to get out of it.  We know what it is like to not know who or where to turn for help.  We want to assure you that you don’t have to live like this.  We hope you’ll contact us for help–that’s what we’re here for.

Please explore the links above and learn more about our Program Overview, About Us, Our Facilities, or check out our latest News.

Eagle Christian Ministries was founded as a non-profit organization in 2008. The founders had dealt with the pain and helpless feelings that overwhelm parents and family members when a loved one is dealing with addictions. Sadly, we found that a 30 day detoxification program, while the first step in recovery, did not give the needed structure and long term support required to learn new positive habits nor does it give the Christian foundation to rebuild and overcome one’s past. We searched for a Christian based recovery center that would still allow residents to continue taking prescribed medications and maintain their affiliations with their physicians and therapists while rebuilding their lives and family relationships. Unfortunately, we could not find such a facility. We then realized that God could use us to reach out and help others in the same situation. Although it may sound odd, we now realize that dealing with our family’s situation has become one of the biggest blessings in our lives because God is using us to help His children that are in need and we have seen residents reunited with their families over and over again as they learn to put God first in their lives. Learn more about us here and read our staff bios here!

What is our mission?

Eagle Christian Ministries is a non-profit organization dedicated Biblical training, guidance, and support in order to provide a Christian environment where those struggling with destructive hurts and habits can receive healing and become committed Christians, contributing to their community and God’s kingdom.

Residential services include assessment and evaluation, individual spiritual development, individual and group Bible study, Christian family living principles and work training, in combination with the alcohol, drug, and addiction recovery programs. We also provide the facilities and opportunities for access to personal counselors, therapists, and physicians. Learn more about our program here.

Our Phase I, men’s residential program’s 7,700 square foot facility is located in the Oklahoma City suburb of Del City, Oklahoma. The main facility building includes a dining room, dormatory, laundry facilities, recreational room, chapel, and workout gym.

In addition there are separate meeting rooms and guest facilities. Our buildings are located in a quiet twelve acre wooded setting along walking trails with ponds that provide a peaceful place for reflection, meditation, and prayer.

Women’s Group Home

We are excited to introduce our Phase II, new Women’s Group Home that is located in a beautiful and secluded location in eastern Oklahoma County.

Our Women’s Group Home has been built in a rural and country location that celebrates all four seasons and provides for a warm, loving environment to re-establish one’s good standing in society. The home provides shelter, food, transportation, clothing, ministerial support, assistance in finding employment and overall moral and spiritual guidance for up to 16 women. The facility includes common areas, laundry facilities, seven bathrooms, central heat and air, a great room and outdoor recreational areas. The two-story facility has two entrances and a large, centrally located kitchen with a spacious attached dining area.