Celebrate Recovery
Church is often described as “a hospital for the hurting" which is a metaphor that describes the church as a place for people to find acceptance and healing. The phrase is based on a passage from the Bible, Luke 5:31-32, where Jesus says, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
The metaphor is intended to encourage people to be welcoming to those who are far from Jesus. It can also be interpreted as a place where people can check in and leave healed or on the road to recovery.
However, as you may have read in “Light for the Journey Through Dry Bone Valley” church is sometimes not that for everyone. There can be judgement, condemnation, pretending or postering found among the “brothers and sisters”.
This is where support groups such as Celebrate Recovery becomes “More Church Than Church” (Walker Hayes) for believers looking for hope and healing.
Celebrate Recovery is a Christian 12-step program that helps people overcome "hurts, habits, and hangups". It's based on the Bible and the teachings of Jesus Christ, and is designed to help people find healing and sustainable recovery.
Celebrate Recovery is a fellowship-based program that emphasizes personal responsibility, community, and sharing. It's built around the idea that people need each other to grow emotionally and spiritually, and that they can't get well by themselves.
Here are some key aspects of Celebrate Recovery:
Program structure
Celebrate Recovery is based on the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and eight principles based on Jesus's Beatitudes. The program is structured around large and small group meetings.
Focus
Celebrate Recovery can help people with a wide range of issues, including addiction, codependency, anxiety, compulsive behaviors, eating disorders, and financial dysfunction.
Community
Celebrate Recovery is built around a caring community and small group interaction. Members are encouraged to share without crosstalk, offer support over giving advice, and maintain anonymity and confidentiality.
Spiritual commitment
Celebrate Recovery emphasizes a spiritual commitment to Jesus Christ. Many members go on to become lay ministers after completing the 12-step process.
Step Study
The step study small group is for those who are ready to delve deeper into the process of uncovering the unhealthiness and where freedom can be found. It has been said that “you go to a meeting to feel better, but you work the steps to get better.” Step Studies are a safe place to work through the Christ-centered 12 Steps in a gender specific group.
A Step Study is a personal journey through each of the 12 Steps of Celebrate Recovery in a confidential group led by a facilitator who has completed a study. The step study is where we get into the heart of the program and true healing from can occur. Recovery is not an overnight phenomenon, but more like a journey; step study groups meet once per week and typically take 6 to 9 months to complete the study. A Step Study is a long-term commitment to the members of the group. If you join a Step Study, the expectation is that you commit to come each week until the step study is complete. As with anything, the more effort you put into Celebrate Recovery, the more benefit you will gain.
If you are looking for more information on Celebrate Recovery, use the link to their website:
If you are ready to take the next step towards hope and healing in a place of nonjudgement, Christ-centered teaching please use the link to find a Celebrate Recovery group near you.
It will likely feel awkward for the first couple of times, but as you keep going you will experience growth in your relationship with the Lord and your recovery.
