The Gospel Centre - an alternative in the care of alcohol and drue addiction

Our motto was; But God is able, when we opened the first centre at Roa, on July 2nd 1983. We have really experienced that this is true during all the years that are now behind us. Only God knows how many people have been delievered from a life of degradation and ziven a livine hoDe.

However, we know that our work has given such good results that our political authorities have valued our work, and given us economical support over and above the State budget. Year after year, the need for help has increased, and the individual Centres have been fully occupied before we had time to officially open them.

Many Centres

During the eight years the P.G.C. has been functioning, 35 centres have been opened in additions we have also begun a printing-work and a second-hand shop at Kl°fta, outside of Oslo. Our main office is in Oslo, where we have also opened Bible School, and have living quarters for some students. A school was started some time ago at Hopen to teach different trades, and a car repair shop is being opened at Roa. We have a contact work in the centre of Oslo, amongst those living on the streets. A carpentry work has been started at Ïrjetun, and besides this, we sometimes hold courses at the different centres, under the auspices of the Norwegian Free Church Study Council. Not all the Centres are in use at all times. Some of them are small and not so suitable, requiring much heating. Other centres were based on that time use, and larger centres have in the course of time replaced them. We refer to the map showing the different centres on pa°e 7

1983

A priliminary committee had done a fine work before the opening of the first centre at Roa on the 2nd of July, 1983. The purchase price of 569.000 crowns (about 56.000 dollars) for the old Police Headquarters was given by 35 interested friends who had guaranteed 10.000 crowns (about 1 500 dollars) and the rest was covered by bonds. So the work began. The same year we started at Odnestunet near Dokka, where we also had our first administrative office.

1984

In April of this year we opened the Elvesus Gospel Centre at Grue Finnskog. In June the Centre at Kallak in Ïrje followed. About the same time the Intermediary Committee was discontinued, and the foundation of the Pentecostal Gospel Centre became a reality. We established ourselves on the Grindaker Farm at Nannestad during the autumn and round about that time we received a permanent Doctor and Health Sister at the reception Centre at Kløfta. In November we took over the Samaritan Home at Eidsvåg in Molde.

1985

In February we opened the centre at Granlien, situated at Helg°øa in Mjøsa. This place was put at our disposal by the Filadelfia Church in Oslo. In the month of April we received a centre, Leifseth, in the county of Finnmark in the far North, and in October Byremo in the county of Aust-Agder was opened.

1986

For a long time we had seen the need for a place for the rehabilitation of whole families, and in January we were able to open a Centre for this purpose at Furuheim in Nannestad. Later in the spring Centres were opened at Fiskumfoss in Tr°ndelag and Gjerberg in Rakkestad. In November we began to work at StorÕsli in Dalen, Telemark.

1987

We established our own printing works at the beginning of the year, and ES-Grafic was born. The administrative part of the work had grown and demanded more space. At the end of February, we began renting a building in the Centre of Oslo for this purpose.

In June the Bibo Gospel Centre at VÕle in Vestfold was opened. The treatment of families needed more space, and the new centre took over from Furuheim. Later on, Bibo became a possibility for giving housing and help to expectant mothers not wishing to take an abortion. In July we opened Soltun at Grimstad, and in August Dragvold at Flatanger followed. In October we opened Hunsfossheimen, and in December the Reception Centre called Contact, in Drammen.

1988

As time went on, many people began to ask why we were continually opening new centres. Ludvig Karlsen was asked once if it wasn't time to stop and answered: We experience the need around us and have long waiting lists of people who have asked for help. Only God can make a stop to this.

1988 was certainly a despanding year for the Gospel Centre. During the course of the summer, places were opened at Dal in Eidsvoll, M°ller

haugen,Tonstad and Hopen. During the Autumn a Centre was started at Tjongsfjord, contact Centre in Bergen and Bodø, and in November we opened a Centre at Espa.

1989

ES-Grafic had poor working conditions during the first 2 years. We had a great increase in the numbers of our magazine printed, and we were able to take over the greater part of the building we were working in in January and also a proper printing press. As well as this, we were able to open a second-hand clothes shop and two offices.

The administration increased at the same time, and we were able to move into the next door property in Oslo during the month of February. The first building was partly used as living quarters. In the course of the spring we received the Centre at Jarholmen and a family Centre at Bjorli. In October the Gospel Ark Centre was opened at Korsfjorden in Finnmark.(in Lappland).

1990

Solbakken Gospel Centre in Heddal was bought very reasonably from the Notodden council, and we opened both the Shalom Gospel Centre and Shalom Contact Cafe in Trondheim. Ïrjetun in the Marker municipality in Ïstfold became a good addition in the treatment of whole families.

1991

At the time of writing (november 1991), we have begun a new family treatment Centre at Svanviken in the Eide area, the neighbouring area to Molde. Amongst the other things we have begun we can mention the following: The Gospel Bible School. The Gospel Centres' local radio, the Gospel Centres' street mission, Ïrjetun Carprentys Work, Vinstra Contact Cafe, Oasen Contact Cafe at Ïrje, the Gospel Centres' Information Service and a Second-Hand Shop.