Your loved one needs help
If someone you love is addicted to drugs or alcohol, John 3:16 Ministries is a free residential program in Charlotte, Arkansas for men and women 18 and over. It costs your family nothing. The program runs six to twelve months. The one thing we cannot do is admit someone who does not want to come, because the first call has to come from them. What you can do is call 870-799-2525 yourself, ask every question you have, and be ready with the answer when they finally ask you for help.
You cannot make this decision for them
This is the hardest thing on this page and it is the truest.
The criteria for coming here start with being at your own rock bottom and admitting you have a problem. Not your mother's assessment of your problem. Yours. A person dropped off here by a family who has run out of options, who has not decided anything himself, usually goes home inside of a few weeks. Staff here have watched it happen hundreds of times, and every one of them was somebody's son.
That is not a reason to quit. It is a reason to stop spending yourself on the part you cannot control and put everything into the part you can, which is being completely ready the day they ask.
What you can do
Call us yourself and get informed
870-799-2525. Ask what it costs, how long it is, what the blackout period is, what happens with their court case. Getting your questions answered now means that when they say yes on a Tuesday night, you are not starting from zero.
Have the number where they can see it
Write 870-799-2525 somewhere they will find it. The decision to call is usually made in a window that lasts about an hour, and the number needs to be within arm's reach when it opens.
Be ready to drive them on a Sunday
The interview happens after the 10:00am Sunday service. If they are accepted, they stay that day, which means somebody has to bring them, sign them in, and take the car home. Women are asked to bring a trusted person for exactly this. Be that person.
How the first call works
The person who needs help has to make the interview call, and it has to be their own voice on the line.
Here is what happens on that call. An intake worker asks about what they are using, how long, whether there are open court cases, and what medications they take. It takes about fifteen minutes. If they qualify, they are told which Sunday to come.
Women call a different number, 870-834-9959.
What this costs your family
Nothing.
No admission fee, no monthly charge, no insurance claim, no bill at graduation, and no fundraising obligation. Families come here expecting to be asked for money and there is nothing to ask for. Housing, meals, clothing, and everything a resident needs is covered for the entire stay by donations and fundraisers.
If your family wants to give afterward, plenty do, and that is how the next person gets a bed. It is not a condition of anything.
When you can see them
The first month is a blackout. No calls, no letters, no visits. Standard is 28 days and the ministry extends it for some residents when that is the better call for them. After the blackout, approved visitors come on Sundays.
Visitation and contact, in full →Questions families ask
What does it cost our family?
Nothing.
How long before I can talk to them?
One month, then Sunday visits for approved visitors.
Can they take their phone?
No. Nothing internet-capable comes on campus, which means you will not be texting.
What if they have a court case?
We work with local court offices and keep them informed of acceptance, progress, and completion. Mention it on the first call.
What if they leave early?
They can. Nobody is held here. If they leave and come back around later, call us again.
Can I call on my son's behalf?
Copy pending. The ministry needs to confirm whether a family member can make a first informational call.
The office is closed right now
Our phones are answered Monday through Friday from 8:30 in the morning until 4:30 in the afternoon, and Saturday morning until noon. If you are reading this outside those hours, leave your information below and we will call you the day we open.
Leave your informationIf you cannot wait until then, these lines are staffed around the clock and they are free: