The news is devastating—your child is on drugs.

Your emotions ricochet. You'll do anything to save your child, but you can't stand what he's doing to the rest of the family. You pray for a miracle, but you've heard of other families where the anguish lasted for years.

You fear for your child. You fear for your marriage. And if that weren't enough, you fear for your job—you're in the ministry.

Leadership gathered three pastors and a pastor's spouse to learn from their experience. We appreciate their candor and their courage.

Norma Bourland lives in Minnesota with her husband, Gene, who has pastored First Evangelical Free Church of Minneapolis for five years. They have four children. Norma works part-time as a child advocate network coordinator.

In 1984 their son, Stephen, a high school freshman, began using marijuana and alcohol. Soon he ventured into other drugs, including cocaine and crack. Stephen barely graduated from high school. After several failed attempts at further education ...