CELEBRATE RECOVERY

CELEBRATE RECOVERY PURPOSE

The purpose of CELEBRATE RECOVERY is to fellowship and celebrate God's healing power in our lives through the 12 steps and 8 Recovery Principles. This experience allows us to "be changed." We open the door by sharing our experiences, strengths, and hopes with one another. In addition, we become willing to accept God's grace in solving the problems in our lives.

By working and applying these biblical principles, we begin to grow spiritually. We become free from our addictive, compulsive, and dysfunctional behaviors. This freedom creates peace, serenity, joy, and, most importantly, a stronger personal relationship with God and others.

The ministry helps people of all ages resolve their pain in the context of the church as a whole, and it is for anyone who has a hurt, habit, or hang-up. As we progress through the program, we discover our personal, loving, and forgiving Higher Power - Jesus Christ.

THE ROAD TO RECOVERY
EIGHT RECOVERY PRINCIPLES based on the BEATITUDES
by Pastor Rick Warren

Principle 1 - Realize I'm not God; I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and that my life is unmanageable."Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor."

Principle 2 - Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to him, and that he has the power to help me recover. "Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

Principle 3 - Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ's care and control.
"Happy are the meek."

Principle 4 - Openly examine and confess my faults to God, to myself, and to another person whom I trust. "Happy are the pure in heart."

Principle 5 - Voluntarily submit to any and all changes God wants to make in my life, and humbly ask Him to remove my character defects. "Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires."

Principle 6 - Evaluate all my relationships; Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make amends for harm I've done to others when possible, without expecting any reward. "Happy are the merciful." "Happy are the peacemakers."

Principle 7 - Reserve a daily time with God for prayer, Bible reading, and self-examination in order to know God and his will for my life and to gain the power to follow his will.

Principle 8 - Yield myself to be used by God to bring this Good News to others, both by my example and by my words. "Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires"

CELEBRATE RECOVERY RULES
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.

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.

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.

Hope does not currently offer this program.

Offered at Emmaus Baptist Church

One of our local churches, Emmaus Baptist Church, offers Celebrate Recovery on a yearly basis. Contact Emmaus for more information at 757-868-9215, or Celebrate Recovery's coordinator, Jeff Lewis, at jeff.lewis64@yahoo.com or 757-291-0026.

EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT, 6:30 p.m.

Emmaus Baptist Church
814 Yorktown Rd.
Poquoson, VA  23662
MAP

Offered at Northside Christian Church

One of our partner ministries, Northside Christian Church, offers Celebrate Recovery on a yearly basis. Contact Northside for more information at 757-595-5890, or Celebrate Recovery's coordinators, Mark & Carol Dale, at crmarkd@cox.net.

EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT

6:30 p.m. - Bring-a-brown-bag dinner. Fellowship and drinks provided.
7:00 p.m. - Large-group worship: music, teaching or testimony each week
8:00 p.m. - Gender-based Small Groups
9:00 p.m. - Cafe Recovery: coffee, cookies, and conversation

Northside Christian Church
1300 George Washington Mem. Hwy.
Yorktown, VA  23693
MAP 

NORTHSIDE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

THINGS THAT WE ARE

• 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 and protected
• A place to learn
• A place to demonstrate genuine love and acceptance
• 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 truly are
• A place for healthy challenges and healthy risks
• A possible turning point in your life

THINGS WE ARE NOT

• A place for selfish control
• Therapy
• A place for secrets
• 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 

Do I have to have a drug or alcohol problem to attend Celebrate Recovery?
Not at all. All kinds of issues or problems are addressed at CR. Actually only about one-third of those persons attending are dealing with chemical dependency. Some examples of other issues are low self-esteem, childhood abuse, inability to say "no," pornography, loneliness, loss of parent, divorce, wayward child, financial loss, and anger.

Do I need to attend Northside Christian Church to be a part of CR?
Absolutely not. You are welcome to attend any open CR events if you are 18 years old or older, regardless of your church attendance.

What is an Open Share Group?
Open Share Groups are opportunities for you to meet with others of your same sex dealing with issues just like you. The leaders of the group will direct the sharing and may give you a topic to respond to. These groups always remain open to new attendees and are different from Step Study Groups.

What are the 12 Steps and 8 Recovery Principles?
The 12 steps refers to guidelines established by Alcoholics Anonymous for realizing your problem, dealing with it, and following through with change. The 8 Recovery Principles are based on the Beatitudes in Matthew and were written by Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California. They are Bible-based guidelines for recovery from any habit, hurt, or addiction.

What is a Step Study Group?
Step Study Groups use the 12 steps and 8 Recovery Principles as their foundation, along with the Life Recovery Bible, to work through each step in a group setting. Participants are asked to purchase workbooks and attend weekly same-sex small group meetings. Such topics covered in the workbook lessons include denial, forgiveness, and grace. These groups remain open to new members until the 4th step.

Do I have to talk in an Open Share Group if I don't want to?
You are not required to share in an Open Share Group setting nor are you called on to answer questions. If you join a Step Study Group, however, you would be expected to complete the workbook lessons and share your answers to workbook questions, just as if you were a part of a Bible study or class.

Will my comments be kept confidential?
Absolutely! ALL participants are required to remember that anything shared within the group must stay within the group. Any violations of this policy would be immediately addressed by group leaders. It is very important that each attendee feel comfortable and free to share about his or her situation.

Do you provide child care?
We now are able to offer childcare. Parents need to call the church office no later than Wednesday afternoon to make reservations.

Additional questions? Please contact Mark & Carol Dale at crmarkd@cox.net or Carolyn Marshall at 757-595-5890.