📝 Worksheet 8.5: Recovery Coaching, Sponsorship, Spiritual Formation, and Sponsor Support

📝 Worksheet 8.5: Recovery Coaching, Sponsorship, Spiritual Formation, and Sponsor Support

Purpose of This Worksheet

This worksheet helps you clarify the difference between an Addiction Recovery Chaplain, a sponsor, a recovery coach, a pastor, a counselor, and a disciple-maker. It also helps you practice supporting sponsors and recovery accountability without replacing them.

Addiction Recovery Chaplains bring Christ-centered presence, prayer by permission, Scripture with consent, spiritual encouragement, wise boundaries, and referral-aware care. They do not take over the recovery process. They do not become the person’s sponsor. They do not become the person’s therapist. They do not become the easier spiritual substitute for hard accountability.

The goal is to strengthen the recovery circle, not compete with it.

Part 1: Key Concept Review

Fill in the blanks.

1. A sponsor often helps a recovering person with recovery accountability, step work, honesty, and sober living within a recovery community. A chaplain should not __________ the sponsor.

2. A recovery coach may help with practical recovery goals and support, but a chaplain must not pretend to be a clinical __________ provider.

3. Spiritual formation focuses on growing in Christ, prayer, Scripture, worship, repentance, obedience, and Christian maturity. Recovery step work focuses on recovery honesty, surrender, amends, accountability, and sober living. These may overlap, but they are not exactly the __________ thing.

4. The Addiction Recovery Chaplain offers prayer by __________ and Scripture with __________.

5. A chaplain should support sponsor relationships by encouraging honest __________ with sponsors.

6. If a recovering person says, “My sponsor is too hard on me,” the chaplain should listen carefully, ask clarifying questions, and avoid taking __________ too quickly.

7. If sponsor behavior appears abusive, exploitative, unsafe, or spiritually manipulative, the chaplain should not ignore it, but should involve appropriate recovery, church, or ministry __________.

8. A chaplain must not become a secret alternative to __________.

9. The chaplain’s calling is to strengthen recovery support, not create __________.

10. The chaplain should remain clearly Christian without using spiritual care to bypass recovery __________.

Part 2: Role Clarity Chart

Complete the chart with short phrases.

Reflection

Which role is easiest to confuse with Addiction Recovery Chaplaincy?

Why is that confusion risky?

Part 3: Sponsor-Support Discernment

Read each situation. Write what the chaplain should do.

1. The Recovering Person Wants to Avoid the Sponsor

A recovering man says, “I do not want to tell my sponsor I relapsed. Can I just talk to you instead?”

Wise chaplain response:

2. The Sponsor Feels Discouraged

A sponsor tells you, “I am tired. I keep showing up, but he keeps lying to me. I do not know if I can keep doing this.”

Wise chaplain response:

3. The Pastor Does Not Understand the Sponsor’s Role

A pastor says, “Why does this person need a sponsor? Shouldn’t prayer and church attendance be enough?”

Wise chaplain response:

4. The Chaplain Is Tempted to Become the Preferred Helper

A woman in recovery says, “You are kinder than my sponsor. I want to talk only to you.”

Wise chaplain response:

5. The Recovering Person Says the Sponsor Is Too Hard

A person says, “My sponsor is harsh and controlling. I do not feel safe.”

Wise chaplain response:

6. The Sponsor Relationship Needs Repair

A recovering person says, “I avoided my sponsor for two weeks. I know I need to reconnect, but I am ashamed.”

Wise chaplain response:

Part 4: Practice Phrases

Write a helpful chaplain phrase for each situation.

Situation 1: Encouraging honesty with a sponsor

Helpful phrase:

Situation 2: Refusing to replace a sponsor

Helpful phrase:

Situation 3: Praying for a sponsor without taking over

Helpful phrase:

Situation 4: Supporting a pastor’s understanding of recovery accountability

Helpful phrase:

Situation 5: Responding to possible sponsor abuse or exploitation

Helpful phrase:

Situation 6: Helping a recovering person take the next honest step

Helpful phrase:

Part 5: Boundary Check Scenarios

Choose the wisest response.

Scenario A: “You Are Easier to Talk To”

A recovering person says, “My sponsor always asks hard questions. You are easier to talk to. Can I just call you every day instead?”

☐ Agree, because spiritual care should feel safer than sponsor accountability.

☐ Refuse to speak with the person again because they are avoiding accountability.

☐ Listen with compassion, clarify your chaplain role, and encourage honest sponsor communication.

☐ Tell the sponsor immediately that the person is trying to manipulate you.

Why is the wisest response best?

Scenario B: “My Sponsor Is Controlling”

A person says, “My sponsor is controlling and shames me when I struggle.”

☐ Dismiss the concern because sponsors are supposed to be firm.

☐ Tell the person to stop working with the sponsor immediately.

☐ Ask what happened, take safety concerns seriously, and involve recovery or church leadership if needed.

☐ Become the person’s temporary sponsor until the conflict is resolved.

Why is the wisest response best?

Scenario C: The Pastor Wants to Lead the Recovery Plan

A pastor says, “I want the chaplain to handle the spiritual side, and I will decide the recovery plan.”

☐ Agree, because pastors have full authority over all recovery decisions.

☐ Explain respectfully that recovery plans may need sponsors, recovery leaders, counselors, or treatment professionals.

☐ Tell the pastor recovery is none of the church’s concern.

☐ Ask the recovering person to choose between the pastor and the recovery group.

Why is the wisest response best?

Scenario D: The Sponsor Is Burned Out

A sponsor says, “I am done. I cannot handle another relapse.”

☐ Tell the sponsor they lack compassion.

☐ Encourage the sponsor to keep going no matter what.

☐ Listen, pray if welcomed, encourage support and boundaries, and suggest involving recovery leadership.

☐ Take over the sponsor’s role so the sponsor can rest.

Why is the wisest response best?

Part 6: Spiritual Formation and Step Work

Write brief answers.

1. What is one way spiritual formation and recovery step work can support each other?

2. What is one way spiritual formation and recovery step work are different?

3. Why should a chaplain avoid saying, “You only need Bible study, not recovery accountability”?

4. Why should a chaplain avoid saying, “Recovery work is enough; discipleship is unnecessary”?

5. How can a chaplain help someone connect recovery honesty with Christian discipleship?

Part 7: Chaplain Self-Awareness

Check any statement that could become a temptation for you.

☐ I like being the person people trust most.

☐ I feel uncomfortable when sponsors or recovery leaders are stricter than I would be.

☐ I may confuse compassion with becoming constantly available.

☐ I may want to rescue people when they are ashamed.

☐ I may avoid involving others because I want to protect the person’s privacy.

☐ I may feel threatened when a sponsor has more influence than I do.

☐ I may want the recovering person to see me as the safest helper.

☐ I may struggle to say, “You need to talk with your sponsor.”

☐ I may assume a sponsor is wrong because the recovering person sounds wounded.

☐ I may assume a sponsor is right because sponsors are part of recovery.

Reflection

Which checked statement is most important for you to watch?

What boundary or practice would help you stay faithful?

Part 8: Local Ministry Application

Think about the recovery setting where you may serve.

1. What recovery accountability structures already exist?

☐ Sponsors
☐ Recovery groups
☐ Recovery coaches
☐ Pastors
☐ Counselors
☐ Treatment programs
☐ Recovery home staff
☐ Soul Center leaders
☐ Family support groups
☐ Other: ______________________________________

2. Who should the chaplain respect and communicate with appropriately?

3. What situations would require referral, escalation, or oversight?

☐ Sponsor abuse or exploitation
☐ Relapse disclosure with safety concerns
☐ Suicidal language
☐ Overdose risk
☐ Domestic violence or coercive control
☐ Severe withdrawal risk
☐ Unsafe transportation or impaired driving
☐ Predatory spiritual or sexual behavior
☐ Family danger
☐ Treatment or medical questions
☐ Legal questions
☐ Other: ______________________________________

4. What is one way your church, Soul Center, or ministry could support sponsors?

5. What is one way your church, Soul Center, or ministry could help recovering people stay connected to accountability?

Part 9: Calling and Readiness Reflection

Complete the statements.

1. As an Addiction Recovery Chaplain, I must remember that I am not:

2. One way I can support sponsors without replacing them is:

3. One way I can encourage honest recovery accountability is:

4. One risk I must avoid in sponsor-support ministry is:

5. One way I can help pastors or church leaders understand recovery support is:

6. One prayer I have for sponsors and recovery leaders is:

Part 10: Prayer and Commitment

Check the commitments you are willing to make.

☐ I will honor the sponsor’s recovery-accountability role.

☐ I will not become a secret alternative to sponsor accountability.

☐ I will encourage recovering people to communicate honestly with sponsors.

☐ I will listen carefully when sponsor concerns may involve harm, abuse, control, or exploitation.

☐ I will involve proper recovery, church, or ministry leadership when needed.

☐ I will support sponsors and recovery leaders through prayer, encouragement, and respect.

☐ I will help pastors and church leaders understand recovery accountability.

☐ I will distinguish spiritual formation from recovery step work without separating them completely.

☐ I will offer prayer by permission and Scripture with consent.

☐ I will strengthen the recovery circle instead of competing with it.

Closing Formation Prayer

Lord Jesus,
make me a faithful servant in recovery ministry. Teach me to support people in recovery without taking over their recovery. Help me honor sponsors, recovery leaders, pastors, counselors, and wise helpers who are part of the recovery circle.

Keep me from becoming the easier substitute for hard accountability. Give me compassion without confusion, courage without harshness, and humility without passivity. Help me pray with permission, share Scripture with care, and encourage honest steps of growth.

Bless sponsors and recovery leaders with strength, wisdom, patience, and healthy boundaries. Help churches and Soul Centers become places where recovery is supported with truth, grace, dignity, and accountability.

Amen.