Beginning April 17, 2008

Thursday Evenings                                

6:30 p.m. Doors open

7:00 p.m. Praise and Worship

                Large Group Meeting

8:00 p.m. Small Group Meetings

Everyone is welcome…

 

Click Here For Map

 

Things We Are

Things We Are Not

A safe place to share. A refuge. A place of belonging. A place to care for others and be cared for. Where respect is given to each member. Where confidentiality is highly regarded. A place to learn. A place to demonstrate genuine love. A place to grow and become strong again. A place for progress. Where you can take off your mask and allow others to know who you are. A place for healthy challenges and healthy risks. A possible turning point in your life.

A place for selfish control. Therapy. A place for secrets. A place to look for dating relationships. A place to rescue or be rescued by others. A place for perfection. A long-term commitment. A place to judge others. A quick fix.

 

Celebrate Recovery is a biblical and balanced program to help people overcome their hurts, habits and hang-ups. Based on the actual words of Jesus rather than psychological theory, Celebrate Recovery is unique and proven more effective in helping people change than anything else I've seen or heard of. Most people are familiar with the classic 12 step program of A.A. and other groups.  While undoubtedly many lives have been helped through the twelve steps, I've always been uncomfortable with that program's vagueness about the nature of God, the saving power of Jesus Christ, and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

·         This recovery program is based on God's Word, the Bible. Jesus is openly proclaimed as the “Higher Power.”

·         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 me 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. 

·         This recovery program emphasized spiritual commitment to Jesus Christ. Lasting recovery cannot happen without this step. Everybody needs Jesus.  Celebrate Recovery is thoroughly evangelistic in nature. Changed lives always attract others who want to be changed.

·         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. 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.

·         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.

The earnest prayer of this congregation is to help people recover from hurts, habits and hang ups that hinder God’s use of His people and to proclaim the truth of salvation in Christ alone.

Group Guidelines 

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

2.     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.

3.     We are here to support one another.  We will not attempt to "fix" another.

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

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

Celebrate Recovery Groups Can/Will Not…

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.