Celebrate Recovery

WHAT IS CELEBRATE RECOVERY?

CELEBRATE RECOVERY is a Christ-Centered Recovery Program based on God’s Word, the Bible.

This recovery program addresses all types of habits, hurts and hang-ups. Some recovery programs deal only with alcohol or drugs or another single problem. But Celebrate Recovery is a "large umbrella" program under which a limitless number of issues can be dealt with: anger, grief, drug and alcohol abuse, eating disorders, dysfunctional families are just a few of the issues being dealt with in Celebrate Recovery programs.

This recovery program is forward-looking. Rather than wallowing in the past, or dredging up and rehearsing painful memories over and over, Celebrate Recovery focuses on the future. Regardless of what has already happened, the solution is to start making wise choices now and depend on Christ’s power to help us make those changes.

This recovery program emphasizes personal responsibility. Instead of playing the "accuse and excuse" game of victimization, this program helps people face up to their own poor choices and deal with what they can do something about.

We cannot control all that happens to us. But we can control how we respond to everything. That is a secret of happiness. When we stop wasting time fixing the blame, we have more energy to fix the problem. When you stop hiding your own faults and stop hurling accusations at others, then the healing power of Christ can begin working in your mind, will, and emotions.

This recovery program emphasized spiritual commitment to Jesus Christ. Lasting recovery cannot happen without spiritual commitment to Jesus Christ. Everybody needs Jesus.

This recovery program utilizes the biblical truth that we need each other in order to grow spiritually and emotionally. It is built around small group interaction and the fellowship of a caring community. There are many therapies, growth programs, and counselors today that are built around one-on-one interaction. But Celebrate Recovery is built on the New Testament principle that we don’t get well by ourselves. We need each other. Fellowship and accountability are two important components of spiritual growth.

Celebrate Recovery - 12 Steps and their Biblical Comparisons
Step 1: We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and compulsive behaviors, that our lives had become unmanageable.	Romans 7:18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
Step 2: We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.	Philippians 2:13 For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.
Step 3: We made a decision to turn our wills and our lives over to the care of God.	Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship
Step 4: We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.	Lamentations 3:40 Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.
Step 5: We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.	James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for each other that you may be healed.
Step 6: We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.	James 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up.
Step 7: We humbly asked Him to remove all our shortcomings.	1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Step 8: We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.	Luke 6:31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
Step 9: We made direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.	Matthew 5:23-24 Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
Step 10: We continued to take personal inventory, and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.	1 Corinthians 10:12 So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall.
Step 11: We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry it out.	Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.
Step 12: Having had a spiritual experience as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs.	Galatians 6:1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.

STEP STUDIES

Celebrate Recovery uses the Twelve Steps and its related Scripture as the Biblical model for living your life. A Step Study is a personal journey though each of these steps in a confidential group lead by a facilitator who has completed a study.

We use Celebrate Recovery's four participant’s books. When you finish the study you will have worked your hurts, habits, and hang-ups through each step. A list of books is below.

A Step Study is a long-term commitment to the members of the group. It will typically take 6 to 12 months to complete the study. We do urge you to continue coming on Sunday nights even if you are participating in a Step Study on another night of the week. They both help to contribute to your recovery and you can minister to that newcomer who is just beginning!

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.

Check with your Small Group Leader to see what group is open,
or if you want your name on list when a new one starts

SOME EXAMPLES OF RECOVERY ISSUES ARE:

• Codependency	• Recovery from Guilt and Shame
• Chemically Addicted	• Depression and/or Loss
• Sexual Addiction	• Love & Relationship Addiction
• Eating Disorders	• Behaviors & Attitudes
• Dealing With Anger	• Adult Children of the Chemically Addicted
• Brokenness	• Recovery from Sexual/Emotional/Physical Abuse

CELEBRATE RECOVERY BOOKS USED IN STEP STUDIES

The Celebrate Recovery Bible

The Celebrate Recovery Bible is based on eight recovery principles found in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and the underlying Christ-centered twelve steps of the proven Celebrate Recovery® program.

If you long to break free from life’s hurts, habits, and hang-ups, the Celebrate Recovery® Bible is a powerful, positively. Unlike any other recovery Bible, this one is designed to walk you step by step through the recovery process mapped out in the successful Celebrate Recovery® program. Use it with the program or apart from it. Either way, the Celebrate Recovery® Bible offers you help and hope for every stage of recovery.

Features:
*Articles explain eight recovery principles and accompanying Christ-centered twelve steps.
*112 lessons unpack eight recovery principles in practical terms
*Recovery stories offer encouragement and hope
*Over 50 full-page biblical character studies illustrate recovery principles
*30 days of devotional readings
*Complete NIV text: most read, most trusted
* Plus book introductions, side-column reference system keyed to the eight recovery principles, and a topical index

Stepping Out Of Denial (Participant's Guide #1)

Recovery is not an overnight phenomenon, but more like a journey. To start, we need to step out of denial and into God's grace. This guide goes through the first three principles.

We need to first look at the toll that denial has had on our ability to face reality, and acknowledge that we are powerless against this struggle. We alone do not have the power to conquer this problem. In Principle 2, we find our hope in Jesus Christ, and how through Him we can recover and restore our sanity. Finally, in Principle 3, we take the action to turn our lives and our wills over to His care and direction.

Each lesson goes through the different aspects of the subject. For example, in the first lesson on denial, we have to admit that there is a problem, and realize all the negative things that have come about because of the problem. Then, the most important part of the lesson is where you get a chance to respond. This is a set of questions that really helps you make it personal, and shows you how to apply it to your own life. When answering these questions truthfully and from the heart, you can benefit the most from the lesson, and you are fully prepared to move on to the next lesson and closer towards recovery.

The participant guides are essential to the person in recovery to take part in because it makes everything personal.

Taking An Honest And Spiritual Inventory (Participant's Guide #2)

The purpose of Celebrate Recovery is to allow us to become free from life's hurts, hang-ups, and habits. By working through the eight principles of recovery based on the Beatitudes, we will begin to see the true peace and serenity that we have been seeking.

The first three principles were based on getting right with God. After working through the first three principles, you are now ready to begin the journey of getting right with yourself, which is Principles 4-5. After each lesson there is a chance to respond to what you went over. After completing a lesson, it often helps to share it with someone that you trust.

In Lesson 7, you list all the significant events that happened to you in your life, and look at how those affected you. Listing both the good and the bad, openly and honestly, will eventually prepare you for the task ahead. The next step helps you discover how to build your support team.

In recovery, one of the most important things is having a sponsor. Lesson 8 explains all the aspects of why you should have a sponsor, how to find one, and the role of a sponsor. Three main reasons in having a sponsor is because it is biblical, it is a key part of the recovery program, and it is the best way to guard against relapse.

Finally, we take an inventory of different people in your life, different events, and certain spiritual aspects of your life. This is the next step after establishing your support system. The purpose of these is to analyze the shortcomings that can prevent God from working effectively in our lives.

Getting Right With God (Participant's Guide #3)

By this time you are well on your way to recovery, and that is something to be proud of. First, you stepped out of denial and into God's grace. Then, you continued your growth and completed the spiritual inventory, which took a lot of effort and courage.

After writing an inventory, we must deal with what we wrote. The first way to do that is to CONFESS our sins to God. We learn how we confess our sins to God, and instantly receive forgiveness. Then we need to admit our wrongs to another person. By doing this we gain healing that the Bible promises, we gain freedom, and we gain support. Next, we need to be entirely READY to have God remove our character defects. This lesson helps you to be willing to voluntarily submit to any and all changes God wants to make in your life. The good news is you can have VICTORY over your character defects. The acrostic of VICTORY takes you through the steps necessary to see this change in your life. The lesson on AMENDS helps you offer forgiveness to those who have hurt you and shows you how to make amends with those that you have hurt. Then learn the three types of forgiveness: accepting God's forgiveness, forgiving others, and forgiving yourself. Finally, learn how to receive and model Jesus Christ's freely given gift of grace.

After completing all seven lessons, you have taken a giant step towards getting right with God, yourself, and others. The last steps show you how to grow in Christ while helping others.

Growing In Christ (Participant's Guide #4)
After going through the first six principles, you are ready to "Grow in Christ While Helping Others." Principle 7 is having a daily time with God for self-examination, Bible reading, and to know God and his will. Principle 8 is yielding everything to God in order to show others Christ's love through your words and actions. The lessons in this guide are:

Crossroads - explains how you are now at the crossroads of recovery, and the last remaining steps are much more than just maintenance steps
Daily Inventory - shows how to do a Step 10 inventory. The key verse for this lesson is Mark 14:38: "Watch and pray that you do not fall into temptation. The spirit is indeed willing, but the body is weak."
Relapse - the best ways to prevent relapse is to follow the acrostic RELAPSE, that is outlined in this lesson
Gratitude - maintaining an attitude of gratitude, towards God, others, your recovery, and your church
Give - the divine paradox is what Principle 8 is about: "You can't keep it unless you give it away."
Yes - say "yes" to service: be a sponsor, be an accountability partner, serve at Celebrate Recovery at your church
Seven Reasons We Get Stuck - being familiar of how others can sometimes get stuck, so you can be effective as a sponsor.

GROUP GUIDELINES

Keep your sharing focused on your own thoughts and feelings. Please limit your sharing to 3-5 minutes.

There will be no cross talk please. Cross talk is when 2 individuals engage in dialogue, excluding all others. Each person is free to express feelings without interruption.

We are here to support one another. We will not attempt to “fix” another.

Anonymity and confidentiality are basic requirements. What is shared in the group stays in the group!

Offensive language has no place in a Christ-centered group.

Celebrate Recovery Small Groups Can:

Provide you a safe place to share your experiences, strengths and hopes with others who are going through the “Principles” in a Christ-Centered recovery.

Provide you a leader who has gone through a similar hurt, hang-up on habit that will facilitate the group as it focuses on a particular Step each week. The leader will also keep Celebrate Recovery's “FIVE RULES.” (Link to the 5 Rules)

Provide you with the opportunity to find an accountability partner or sponsor.

Encourage you to attend other recovery meetings held throughout the week, if available.

Celebrate Recovery Small Groups Will Not:

Attempt to offer any professional clinical advice. Our leaders are not counselors. We will provide you with a list of approved counseling referrals.

Allow its members to attempt to fix one another.

Rules and Why’s
Other Focus: Concentrating on others needs and problems. Analyzing their motives and behavior. Asking questions of others. Telling stories about what he/she did.

NEGATIVE RESULTS: Helps us avoid our own issues. Makes us observers, not participants. Puts a safe (and lonely) distance between ourselves and others.

RULE 1: Keep your sharing focused on your own thoughts and feelings. Please limit your sharing to 3-5 minutes.

RULE 2: We are here to support one another. We will not attempt to "fix" one another.

GOALS: Work on self. Share personal needs, feelings, ideas and problems. Allow time for all those who need share.

Breaking Confidentiality: Telling outsiders what was said or done in group. Gossip disguised as a prayer request.

NEGATIVE RESULTS: Violates trust and safety. Makes members afraid to share risky material.
RULE 3: Anonymity and confidentiality are basic requirements. What is shared in the group stays in the group.
GOALS: Celebrate Recovery is a safe place.

Cross-Talk: Interrupting people, asking questions, having a dialogue with one other member of the group.

NEGATIVE RESULTS: Members fear that they won't be able to finish sharing, that their ideas are not valued, or that they won't get a chance to speak.

RULE 4: There will be no cross-talk please. Cross-talk is when two individuals engage in a dialogue, excluding all others. Each person is free to express feelings without interruption.

RULE 5: Offensive language has no place in a Christ-centered recovery group.

GOALS: Listen respectfully to what others choose to share.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT CELEBRATE RECOVERY

What is Recovery?
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.

Who started Celebrate Recovery?
John Baker started Celebrate Recovery with the main purpose of being able to talk about Jesus Christ as his Higher Power.

Is Celebrate Recovery for me?
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 statements then we urge you to attend a Celebrate Recovery meeting to see if it is for you.

Does it cost anything to attend?
Celebrate Recovery does not charge for this ministry. Free-will offerings are received on Sunday evenings. Our Celebrate Recovery is self-supporting. Workbooks are utilized in the Step Studies and are available for purchase. Prices for these materials range from $6 - $20.

Is Celebrate Recovery confidential?
Yes, Celebrate Recovery maintains strict confidentiality. This promotes an atmosphere of trust and enables recovery.
We have a saying that is repeated in every Large Group meeting :

WHO you see here.
WHAT you hear here.
WHEN you leave here.
STAYS HERE.
Hear! Hear!

We are diligent about confidentiality and anonymity. The guidelines/rules protect all of us from judgment and being “fixed”. In a “safe place” 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.

Do I have to be a member of The Link Church to attend?
No, Celebrate Recovery is a ministry for anyone who is interested in a Christ centered recovery program that will enable them to recover from life’s hurts, hang-ups habits and addictions. There are attendees who are not members and/or do not attend The Link Church. You are welcomed by our loving fellowship of believers to visit with us on Sunday mornings at 10:00 am and Wednesdays at 7:00 pm.

What is a Step Study?
The Step Study takes place on a another night other than Sundays. Celebrate Recovery uses the Twelve Steps and its related Scripture as the biblical model for living your life. A Step Study is a personal journey though each of these steps in a confidential group lead 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 several 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.

Do I have to share?
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.

What if I can't make it every week?
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.



For more information, contact Susan Bence Phone: (918) 381-6079 Email: mrssbence@aol.com