Celebrate Recovery

Celebrate Recovery offers a person the opportunity to participate in a group fellowship where love and hope combine with God’s purpose to mend our lives. Ask yourself: 

• Are there things in my life that I do that hurt others? 
• Is there something I wish I could live without? 
• Is it time to crack my denial and admit I am not in control of my life? 
• Do I have a painful habit or hang-up from which I need to be freed? 

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, we urge you to attend a Celebrate Recovery meeting to see if it is for you. 

The evening is entirely confidential, and you don’t have to be a member of Hope. We have a saying repeated in every large group gathering, “Who you see here. What you hear here. When you leave here. Stays here. Hear! Hear!” We are diligent about confidentiality and anonymity. You will be protected from judgment and being “fixed.” It’s a safe place where you can take off your mask and be real and honest without fear. You are 100% in control of when and how much you participate. 

In physical health, recovery refers to the process of moving from illness to wellness. Our hurts, habits and hang-ups are like an illness, and using the tools of Celebrate Recovery we begin to move toward wholeness. Some might say from bondage to freedom in Christ. Others might say from self-reliance to faith in Christ. 

Celebrate Recovery does not charge for this ministry. Freewill offerings are received on Thursday evenings. Our Celebrate Recovery is self-supporting. Workbooks are used in the Step Studies and are available at the Resource Table on Thursday evenings. Prices for these materials range from $6-20. 

John Baker started Celebrate Recovery with the main purpose of being able to talk about Jesus Christ as his Higher Power. That’s one of the main differences between AA (and other Twelve Step programs). Celebrate Recovery’s Eight Principles to the Road to Recovery tie the 12 Steps to Jesus Christ’s teachings known as the Beatitudes given in The Sermon on the Mount. 

The Step Study takes place on another night. Celebrate Recovery uses the 12 Steps and its related Scripture as the biblical model for living your life. A Step Study is a personal journey through each of these steps in a confidential group led by a facilitator who has completed a study. We use Celebrate Recovery’s four participants books. When you finish the study, you will have worked your hurts, habits and hang-ups through each step. A Step Study is a long-term commitment to the members of the group. It will typically take six months to complete the study. After completing the Step Study, we hope you will join with us as we minister to others dealing with their hurts, habits and hang-ups. We do have guidelines for the groups that are strictly followed. 

In the Issue Groups, absolutely not … until you are ready. You can pass anytime you wish and for as long as it takes for you to become comfortable. In the Step Studies everyone is required to share as the questions are answered. 

To ensure confidentiality and anonymity the following five rules are followed at all times: 
 

• Rule 1: Your sharing is focused on your own thoughts and feelings and is limited to 3-5 minutes. 
• Rule 2: There is no cross talk. Cross talk is when two individuals engage in dialogue to the exclusion of others. Each person is free to express feelings without interruption. 
• Rule 3: We are here to support one another. We will not attempt to “fix” another. 
• Rule 4: Anonymity and confidentiality are essential requirements. What is shared in the group stays in the group. 
• Rule 5: Offensive language has no place in a Christ-centered group. 

You are welcome to come when you can for worship, large group and issue groups. However, if you join a Step Study, you are expected to come each week until you complete it. As with any endeavor, the more effort you put into Celebrate Recovery, the more benefit you will gain.