Celebrate Recovery
Find Community and Freedom From Struggles
There’s something for everyone at Celebrate Recovery. CR meets at Hope West Des Moines every Thursday night, 52 weeks a year, to provide a safe, healing environment for adults looking for the healing power of Jesus and to find community and freedom from things that have taken control of their lives.
Thursdays, 6:30-9:00 pm
Hope WDM Worship Center
Everyone is welcome!
You can just show up on Thursday, no registration necessary. You don’t need to be a Hope member or even attend church here. Come to Lutheran Church of Hope West Des Moines between 5:00 and 6:15 pm for dinner and fellowship. That’s followed by large group worship and a message or testimony starting at 6:30 pm, then open-sharing small groups start at 7:30 pm, if you’d like to attend. You can even stay after for coffee at 8:30 pm for more fellowship time. If you have kids, the Nursery is open for children up to age 5. Celebration Place is available for children age 5 – grade 6, and The Landing is available for kids in grades 7-12.
Upcoming Classes & Events
Find Hope Here
People come into CR broken and find healing and wholeness through this program. Lives are restored. Families are restored. It’s not just for those who are challenged with alcohol or drug addiction. People who struggle with issues such as codependency, fear, depression, anxiety, sexual integrity, abuse, food issues, grief, loneliness and more can find hope and healing at Celebrate Recovery through the healing power of Jesus Christ and eight recovery principles. These 12-step principles not only allow us to grow spiritually, but they free us from addictive, compulsive and dysfunctional behaviors, drawing us to a stronger personal relationship with God and others.
We also offer monthly fellowship events and Step Studies on additional nights that provide a deeper dive into recovery. Step Studies help participants fully define the hurt they have been through. Participants are taken through forgiveness for self and others. They learn about character defects and surrendering it all to Christ. Participants are taught how to live a daily life of recovery so they never have to go back to where they were.
Celebrate Recovery’s Eight Recovery Principles
The Road to Recovery Based on the Beatitudes
- Realize I’m not God; I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and that my life is unmanageable. (Step 1)
“Happy are those who know that they are spiritually poor.” Matthew 5:3a - Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to him and that He has the power to help me recover. (Step 2)
“Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Matthew 5:4 - Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control. (Step 3)
“Happy are the meek.” Matthew 5:5a - Openly examine and confess my faults to myself, to God, and to someone I trust. (Steps 4 and 5)
“Happy are the pure in heart.” Matthew 5:8a - Voluntarily submit to any and all changes God wants to make in my life and humbly ask him to remove my character defects. (Steps 6 and 7)
“Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires.” Matthew 5:6a - Evaluate all my relationships. Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make amends for harm I’ve done to others when possible, except when to do so would harm them or others. (Steps 8 and 9)
“Happy are the merciful.” Matthew 5:7a
“Happy are the peacemakers.” Matthew 5:9a - Reserve a time with God for self-examination, Bible reading and prayer in order to know God and his will for my life and to gain the power to follow his will. (Steps 10 and 11)
- Yield myself to God to be used to bring this Good News to others, both by my example and my words. (Step 12)
“Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires.” Matthew 5:10a
Frequently Asked Questions
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.Rule 4: Anonymity and confidentiality are essential requirements. What is shared in the group stays in the 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.
Celebration Place for Kids
Celebration Place is a complementary resource for children age 5 – grade 6. Kids do not need to register ahead. While adults explore topics that bring healing and wholeness, kids can discover truths, hope, joy and friendships in age-appropriate ways. While kids learn to rely on God, they find hope for all the amazing things God has in store for them. They learn how to lean on Jesus while overcoming life’s challenges, and they can build friendships with other children.
Contact Us
Men and women who have done the program and are recovering from similar addictions or hurts, habits and hang-ups serve as leaders of Celebrate Recovery. The leaders are not counselors and do not offer any professional clinical advice. If professional advice is required, referrals can be made.
Melissa Dale
- Celebrate Recovery Minister
- 515-422-9142
- [email protected]