What is a pastor to do when he realizes those in his congregation held captive to their hurts, habits, and hang-ups aren't being released as the Bible promises – despite the church's constant prayers?
Tony Turner, pastor of Community Church Derby in Derby, England, faced this dilemma in the late 1990s. Despite sincerely believing in miracles and the healing power of God, his church members weren't being set free from struggles that clearly held them in bondage.
"God laid on my heart one word: ‘responsibility,'" he said. "Then, I saw the material relating to Celebrate Recovery and quickly realized that this was a foundation that could help people take responsibility for their own actions and begin to change."
Turner and his wife, Val, absorbed and digested everything they could about the program, even visiting Saddleback Church in California and talking to John Baker, founder of Celebrate Recovery. For a year, the couple digested the materials and "prayed it all through" as Turner said, before implementing the Christ-centered, biblically based program of recovery in his church in October 1998 – becoming the first church in the United Kingdom to do so.
The number of people attending Celebrate Recovery meetings varies, Turner said. The Derby group has grown an estimated 10 percent each year to a regular attendance of 45 now.
Celebrate Recovery Summit, Aug. 16-18
Find out how to develop a Celebrate Recovery ministry in your own church at the next Celebrate Recovery Summit at Saddleback Church. Celebrate Recovery is a biblical recovery ministry that began at Saddleback 14 years ago. Now the program has been used in more than 4,500 churches around the world. Wherever you are in the process of putting together a Celebrate Recovery ministry – whether you're just starting or your church has been involved for years – there will be something at the conference for you.
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Since 2001, the Turners have helped many other churches in the UK establish Celebrate Recovery programs. Presently, 12 churches in the UK have been running a recovery meeting for the past two to five years. Two churches are looking to start in the next six months, and six hope to start in the next 18 months.
"At present, Celebrate Recovery also runs in Wayland Prison in Lincolnshire and Sudbury Prison in Derbyshire," Turner said.
Turner, a full-time pastor at Community Church Derby for 18 years, said he will concentrate more on Celebrate Recovery in the future.
"We here in Derby recognize the value of Celebrate Recovery and the need to help and support other churches," he said. "Each day, were are getting calls from all over the country inquiring about Celebrate Recovery, so the need in the UK is growing daily."
Purpose Driven UK conducted Celebrate Recovery conferences in England last September and in Northern Ireland last October in order to introduce other churches to the program.
Turner already knows how the healing power of Jesus has affected the lives of others through Celebrate Recovery. Many have written to him, sharing their testimonies of how a loving God has brought them into a better relationship and life with him.
"It has helped me to face up to issues in my life with confidence, within a secure environment," said one of the notes Turner received. "A place where I felt accepted and understood, gave me the tools to tackle life long problems and habits. It gave me space to think about me and come to understand myself better. It gave me hope and made my walk with God real again. I feel like I'm a different person."
Friday, February 23, 2007
Celebrate Recovery Among Pastors
TULSA, Okla. (PD) — Hess Hester, senior pastor of Southern Hills Baptist Church in Tulsa, Okla., wholeheartedly supported the ministry of Celebrate Recovery in his church from the time it started almost five years ago.
From time to time, he would even drop in to teach, attend a dinner, or visit one of their worship services, but he always felt like he was "on the outside looking in."
"When I spoke or taught at Celebrate Recovery and introduced myself, I always went generic or tried to make a joke out of it, saying, ‘Hi, my name is Hess. I'm a grateful believer in Jesus Christ who struggles with a variety of hurts, habits, and hang-ups,' or, ‘who struggles with being a pastor,'" he said. "But I knew I needed to wade in deeper."
Celebrate Recovery is a biblically based recovery program that started at Saddleback Church 15 years ago. It is now being used in more than 4,500 churches worldwide to help people overcome a variety of habits, including substance abuse, overeating, overspending, and sexual addiction.
Having seen the deep, life-changing impact Celebrate Recovery groups had on those involved with them, Hester began to wonder what concepts were transferable for other discipleship-type programs so he could implement them elsewhere.
He also knew the ministry was not just for other people: "I began to see I needed recovery too."
Although Hester said he doesn't have any "major" addictions, he said there were areas in his life he needed to deal with himself, ones he knew other pastors could identify with as well.
"We all need recovery," he said. "The theological word for ‘recovery' is ‘sanctification.' As believers, we are seeking to recover the image of Christ in our lives.
"I wanted that same experience of recovery in my life. But yet, even though we have a very safe, grace-oriented congregation, as a pastor I still did not feel comfortable going through the 12 steps with members of my congregation unless I could hand pick them."
Celebrate Recovery
For more information about starting a Celebrate Recovery in your congregation including all the resources you'll need, click here.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That's when the idea for a Celebrate Pastors Recovery group surfaced.
So with the help of his area's Celebrate Recovery representative, Norma Murphy, Hester made a presentation of the idea for the pastors recovery group at an appreciation luncheon for area pastors who had Celebrate Recovery groups in their churches.
Those who signed up were invited to an informational breakfast where materials were distributed and a start date announced for the first group.
As a result, two pastors, who had already been through the 12-step process, volunteered to lead the pastors' group. The group started with 10 pastors – five Methodist, four Southern Baptist, and one non-denominational pastor. Fifteen months later, eight pastors finished the process and received their "gold coins."
Hester describes the experience as one of "serendipity."
"There were times that we didn't even open up the lesson by the time everybody had shared what their week was like," he said. "Often it was more for prayer and encouragement as much as the lessons."
He said the time spent together met a critical need for almost every member of the group.
"Virtually every pastor in our group encountered one or more major unexpected life challenges during the 15 months we met together," he said. "Through each of those times, the Holy Spirit ministered through the group to that pastor in ways that left us all very grateful for what we shared together."
Hester noted there is a lack of options available for pastors seeking help in times of crisis.
"One of the great dangers for pastors is that there are few places to turn to," he said. "What will sneak up and eat our lunches are the things that seem like little things we think we've got under control or resentments that build up that we keep burying. You have nowhere to dump some of the junk we have to deal with in working with people."
He added: "The danger is that all those hurts, habits, and hang-ups start building up and start killing you before you start to finally realize, ‘I need to deal with this.'"
The key though, he said, is a safe environment "where you feel like you can build that level of trust in your group. Then it's a place where you can experience encouragement and healing."
That's what his Celebrate Pastors Recovery group did for him.
"Only pastors fully understand what fellow pastors are experiencing," he said, noting that most of the issues discussed would be difficult to share with a member of a pastor's own congregation.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's an exciting process of discovery and makes it that much more natural as you provide support for the ministry from the pulpit and other teaching opportunities. Once you've become immersed in recovery, you will be amazed at how much of the Bible speaks to
the matter.
Hess Hester
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And, he said, Celebrate Recovery groups go past what a typical accountability group might do to dig down to the "hurts, habits, and hang-ups that are keeping you from experiencing life as Christ wants us to experience it."
"I think when you're working with 12 steps you're inclined to be more honest in that when you come down to your moral inventory you have the opportunity to get more honest with one other person than you've probably ever been before in your life," he said.
According to Hester, the time spent with his group was not only personally beneficial and life changing, but an eye opening experience for him to be able to use as he ministers to his congregation and others.
"It's an exciting process of discovery and makes it that much more natural as you provide support for the ministry from the pulpit and other teaching opportunities," he said. "Once you've become immersed in recovery, you will be amazed at how much of the Bible speaks to the matter."
Hester can be contacted online at his church's Web site, www.shbc-tulsa.org.
From time to time, he would even drop in to teach, attend a dinner, or visit one of their worship services, but he always felt like he was "on the outside looking in."
"When I spoke or taught at Celebrate Recovery and introduced myself, I always went generic or tried to make a joke out of it, saying, ‘Hi, my name is Hess. I'm a grateful believer in Jesus Christ who struggles with a variety of hurts, habits, and hang-ups,' or, ‘who struggles with being a pastor,'" he said. "But I knew I needed to wade in deeper."
Celebrate Recovery is a biblically based recovery program that started at Saddleback Church 15 years ago. It is now being used in more than 4,500 churches worldwide to help people overcome a variety of habits, including substance abuse, overeating, overspending, and sexual addiction.
Having seen the deep, life-changing impact Celebrate Recovery groups had on those involved with them, Hester began to wonder what concepts were transferable for other discipleship-type programs so he could implement them elsewhere.
He also knew the ministry was not just for other people: "I began to see I needed recovery too."
Although Hester said he doesn't have any "major" addictions, he said there were areas in his life he needed to deal with himself, ones he knew other pastors could identify with as well.
"We all need recovery," he said. "The theological word for ‘recovery' is ‘sanctification.' As believers, we are seeking to recover the image of Christ in our lives.
"I wanted that same experience of recovery in my life. But yet, even though we have a very safe, grace-oriented congregation, as a pastor I still did not feel comfortable going through the 12 steps with members of my congregation unless I could hand pick them."
Celebrate Recovery
For more information about starting a Celebrate Recovery in your congregation including all the resources you'll need, click here.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That's when the idea for a Celebrate Pastors Recovery group surfaced.
So with the help of his area's Celebrate Recovery representative, Norma Murphy, Hester made a presentation of the idea for the pastors recovery group at an appreciation luncheon for area pastors who had Celebrate Recovery groups in their churches.
Those who signed up were invited to an informational breakfast where materials were distributed and a start date announced for the first group.
As a result, two pastors, who had already been through the 12-step process, volunteered to lead the pastors' group. The group started with 10 pastors – five Methodist, four Southern Baptist, and one non-denominational pastor. Fifteen months later, eight pastors finished the process and received their "gold coins."
Hester describes the experience as one of "serendipity."
"There were times that we didn't even open up the lesson by the time everybody had shared what their week was like," he said. "Often it was more for prayer and encouragement as much as the lessons."
He said the time spent together met a critical need for almost every member of the group.
"Virtually every pastor in our group encountered one or more major unexpected life challenges during the 15 months we met together," he said. "Through each of those times, the Holy Spirit ministered through the group to that pastor in ways that left us all very grateful for what we shared together."
Hester noted there is a lack of options available for pastors seeking help in times of crisis.
"One of the great dangers for pastors is that there are few places to turn to," he said. "What will sneak up and eat our lunches are the things that seem like little things we think we've got under control or resentments that build up that we keep burying. You have nowhere to dump some of the junk we have to deal with in working with people."
He added: "The danger is that all those hurts, habits, and hang-ups start building up and start killing you before you start to finally realize, ‘I need to deal with this.'"
The key though, he said, is a safe environment "where you feel like you can build that level of trust in your group. Then it's a place where you can experience encouragement and healing."
That's what his Celebrate Pastors Recovery group did for him.
"Only pastors fully understand what fellow pastors are experiencing," he said, noting that most of the issues discussed would be difficult to share with a member of a pastor's own congregation.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's an exciting process of discovery and makes it that much more natural as you provide support for the ministry from the pulpit and other teaching opportunities. Once you've become immersed in recovery, you will be amazed at how much of the Bible speaks to
the matter.
Hess Hester
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And, he said, Celebrate Recovery groups go past what a typical accountability group might do to dig down to the "hurts, habits, and hang-ups that are keeping you from experiencing life as Christ wants us to experience it."
"I think when you're working with 12 steps you're inclined to be more honest in that when you come down to your moral inventory you have the opportunity to get more honest with one other person than you've probably ever been before in your life," he said.
According to Hester, the time spent with his group was not only personally beneficial and life changing, but an eye opening experience for him to be able to use as he ministers to his congregation and others.
"It's an exciting process of discovery and makes it that much more natural as you provide support for the ministry from the pulpit and other teaching opportunities," he said. "Once you've become immersed in recovery, you will be amazed at how much of the Bible speaks to the matter."
Hester can be contacted online at his church's Web site, www.shbc-tulsa.org.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
SERENITY PRAYER
GOD, GRANT ME THE SERENITY
TO ACCEPT THE THINGS I CANNOT CHANGE,
THE COURAGE TO CHANGE THE THINGS I CAN,
AND THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.
LIVING ONE DAY AT A TIME,
ENJOYING ONE MOMENT AT A TIME;
ACCEPTING HARDSHIP AS A PATHWAY TO PEACE;
TAKING, AS JESUS DID, THIS SINFUL WORLD AS IT IS;
NOT AS I WOULD HAVE IT;
TRUSTING THAT YOU WILL MAKE ALL THINGS RIGHT
IF I SURRENDER TO YOUR WILL;
SO THAT I MAY BE REASONABLY HAPPY IN THIS LIFE
AND SUPREMELY HAPPY WITH YOU FOREVER IN THE NEXT.
AMEN.
What Celebrate Recovery Is and What It Is Not
CELEBRATE RECOVERY IS:
* 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 grow and become strong again
* Where you can take off your mask
* A place for healthy challenges and healthy risks
* A possible turning point in your life
CELEBRATE RECOVERY IS NOT:
* 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
* 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 grow and become strong again
* Where you can take off your mask
* A place for healthy challenges and healthy risks
* A possible turning point in your life
CELEBRATE RECOVERY IS NOT:
* 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
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
8 Recovery Principles Based on Jesus' Beatitudes
# 1
Realize I’m not God; I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and my life is unmanageable.
"Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor." Matthew 5:3
# 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." Matthew 5:4
# 3
Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control.
"Happy are the meek." Matthew 5:5
# 4
Openly examine and confess my faults to God, to myself and to another person whom I trust.
"Happy are the pure in heart." Matthew 5:8
# 5
Voluntarily submit to any and all changes God wants to make in my life.
"Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires." Matthew 5:6
# 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" Matthew 5:7
"Happy are the peacemakers" Matthew 5:9
# 7
Reserve a daily time with God for self-examination, Bible reading, and prayer in order to know God and His work for my life and gain the power to do it.
# 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." Matthew 5:10
Sunday, February 18, 2007
CELEBRATE RECOVERY CURRICULUM
Participant's Guides:
1.) Stepping Out of Denial into God's Grace
2.) Taking an Honest and Spiritual Inventory
3.) Getting Right with God, Yourself, and Others
4.) Growing in Christ While Helping Others
PARTICIPANT'S GUIDE 1: STEPPING OUT OF DENIAL INTO GOD'S GRACE
lESSON 1: DENIAL
2: POWERLESS
3.: HOPE
4: SANITY
5: TURN
6: ACTION
PARTICIPANT'S GUIDE 2: TAKING AN HONEST AND SPIRITUAL INVENTORY
LESSON 7: MORAL
8: SPONSOR
9: INVENTORY
10: SPIRITUAL INVENTORY (PART 1)
11: SPIRITUAL INVENTORY (PART 2)
PARTICIPANT'S GUIDE 3: GETTING RIGHT WITH GOD, YOURSELF, AND OTHERS
LESSON 12: CONFESS
13: ADMIT
14: READY
15: VICTORY
16: AMENDS
17: FORGIVENESS
18: GRACE
PARTICIPANT'S GUIDE 4: GROWING IN CHRIST WHILE HELPING OTHERS
LESSON 19: CROSSROADS
20: DAILY INVENTORY
21: RELAPSE
22: GRATITUDE
23: GIVE
24: YES
25: THE SEVEN REASONS WE GET STUCK
1.) Stepping Out of Denial into God's Grace
2.) Taking an Honest and Spiritual Inventory
3.) Getting Right with God, Yourself, and Others
4.) Growing in Christ While Helping Others
PARTICIPANT'S GUIDE 1: STEPPING OUT OF DENIAL INTO GOD'S GRACE
lESSON 1: DENIAL
2: POWERLESS
3.: HOPE
4: SANITY
5: TURN
6: ACTION
PARTICIPANT'S GUIDE 2: TAKING AN HONEST AND SPIRITUAL INVENTORY
LESSON 7: MORAL
8: SPONSOR
9: INVENTORY
10: SPIRITUAL INVENTORY (PART 1)
11: SPIRITUAL INVENTORY (PART 2)
PARTICIPANT'S GUIDE 3: GETTING RIGHT WITH GOD, YOURSELF, AND OTHERS
LESSON 12: CONFESS
13: ADMIT
14: READY
15: VICTORY
16: AMENDS
17: FORGIVENESS
18: GRACE
PARTICIPANT'S GUIDE 4: GROWING IN CHRIST WHILE HELPING OTHERS
LESSON 19: CROSSROADS
20: DAILY INVENTORY
21: RELAPSE
22: GRATITUDE
23: GIVE
24: YES
25: THE SEVEN REASONS WE GET STUCK
Celebrate Recovery Five SMALL 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 TWO 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 RECOVERY GROUP.
2.) THERE WILL BE NO CROSS TALK PLEASE. CROSS TALK IS WHEN TWO 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 RECOVERY GROUP.
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