Celebrate
Recovery is
a biblical and balanced program that helps us overcome our hurts, hang-ups, and
habits. It is based on the actual words of Jesus rather than
psychological theory. 27 years ago, Saddleback Church launched Celebrate
Recovery with 43 people. It was designed as a program to help those struggling
with hurts, habits and hang-ups by showing them the loving power of Jesus
Christ through a recovery process. Celebrate Recovery has helped more than
17,000 people at Saddleback, attracting over 70% of its members from outside
the church. Eighty-five percent of the people who go through the program stay
with the church and nearly half serve as church volunteers. Celebrate Recovery
is now in 90,000 churches worldwide!
Hurts, Hang-ups, and Habits
A wide variety of hurts, hang ups and harmful behaviors are represented at
Celebrate Recovery. Examples include dependency on alcohol or drugs,
pornography, low self-esteem, need to control, depression, anger,
co-dependency, fear of rejection, fear of abandonment, perfectionism, broken
relationships, and abuse. For a more extensive list, see our Hurts, Hang-ups, and Habits page.
Large
Groups
Large group meetings are a time to set aside the cares and worries of the day,
worship God together, spend time learning either from a lesson about a topic in
recovery or hearing about how God has dramatically changed someone's life in
Celebrate Recovery through a testimony. Sharing is not required.
Open Share Groups (Small Groups)
These groups meet for one hour following Large Group where you can share your
experiences, strengths and hopes. Open Share Groups are gender specific. Sharing
is optional in Open Share Groups, but confidentiality is a requirement in
following the 5 Guidelines.
Step Studies
Celebrate Recovery uses the Christ-centered Twelve Steps and Eight Recovery
Principles as the biblical model for living your life. A Step Study is a
personal journey through each of these steps in community with a group led by a
facilitator, who has completed his or her own Step Study. We use Celebrate
Recovery’s four participant guidebooks. When you finish a Step Study you will
have worked your hurts, hang-ups and habits through each of the Christ-centered
Twelve Steps. A Step Study is a serious commitment to yourself and the other
members of your group and typically takes between 6 - 12 months to complete,
depending on the size of the group and time of the meeting. Contact a CR
Ministry Leader at your own group for more information about Step Studies, or
to find an open an open Step Study in the area, choose the option Step Studies
in the menu above. It is not recommended to go to ONLY a Step Study, so you
will need to find a Large Group and Open Share Group to also attend.
Life's Healing Choices
Happiness and Healing are yours for the choosing. We've all been hurt by
other people, we've hurt ourselves, and we've hurt others. And as a result,
every single one of us ends up with some sort of hurt, hang-up, or habit. But
the question we all face is, where do we go from here? Life's Healing
Choices offers freedom from our hurts, hang-ups, and habits through eight
healing choices that promise true happiness and life transformation. Using the
Beatitudes of Jesus as a foundation, Senior Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback
Church and John Baker, who is also a pastor at Saddleback, developed the eight
choices shared in this book and DVD lessons. Through making each of these
choices, you too will find God's pathway to wholeness, growth, spiritual
maturity, happiness, and healing. You'll find real answers, real hope, and a
real future -- one healing choice at a time. Life's Healing Choices
studies provides an 8 week "introduction" to recovery in a familiar
DVD-based "small group/bible study" format that is accessible to
those just beginning recovery as well as friends, family, and church members
looking to learn more about recovery. To find an open an open Life's Healing
Choices group in the area, choose the option Step Studies in the menu above.
Confidentiality
One of our ground rules is the guarantee of anonymity. We respect each other’s
confidentiality and seek to keep CR a safe place for everyone.
CR is for everyone. At CR, we believe everybody needs recovery and none of us
have arrived or will arrive until Jesus comes back. There is no need to sign
up, just show up. It is a ministry for anyone with a hurt, habit or hang-up. In
CR, we believe there isn't anyone who that doesn't cover. We would love for you
to come be a part of the life-changing ministry that has allowed us to
experience true freedom by restoring relationships, first of all with God, and
then with others. We believe it is vital to walk this road of life
together. One of our ground rules is the guarantee of anonymity. We
respect each other’s confidentiality and seek to keep CR a safe place for
everyone. We ask all participants to honor that commitment for others and
expect it for yourself.
Celebrate Recovery Small Groups CAN:
- Provide you a safe place to share your
experiences, strengths, and hopes with others that are also going through
a Christ-centered recovery.
- Provide you with a leader who has gone
through a similar hurt, hang-up or habit and who will facilitate the group
as it focuses on a particular Step each week. The leader will also follow
Celebrate Recovery’s “Small Group Guidelines,” listed below.
- Provide you with the opportunity to find an
Accountability Partner or a Sponsor.
- Encourage you to attend other recovery
meetings held throughout the week.
Celebrate Recovery Small Groups Will NOT:
- Attempt to offer any professional advice.
Our leaders are not counselors. At your request, we can provide you with a
list of approved counseling referrals.
- Allow its members to attempt to “fix” one
another.
Small Group Guidelines
- Keep your sharing focused
on your own thoughts and feelings. Limit your sharing to 3–5 minutes.
- There will be NO cross
talk. Cross talk is when two individuals engage in conversation excluding
all others. Each person is free to express his or her feelings without
interruptions.
- We are here to support
one another, not “fix” one another.
- Anonymity and confidentiality are basic requirements. What is shared in the group stays in the group. The only exception is when someone threatens to injure themselves or others.
- Offensive language has no place in a Christ-centered recovery group.