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. Twenty 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 Church, 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 over 19,000 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.
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 and it's 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 though each of these steps in community with a group lead 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.
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 whom 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
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.
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 and it's 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 though each of these steps in community with a group lead 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.
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 whom 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.