Oakdale Emory - United Methodist Church

If you know someone who could benefit from this group please pass this information along to them. It can only save their life

Contact:
Christy Pendleton or Tom Gallup

pendletoncep@aol.com, tpgallup@comcast.net or 301-774-2030 x38

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: Are there other Celebrate Recovery meetings in the area that I can attend?
A:  Yes.  For a complete list of ongoing meetings, please check the Celebrate Recovery website at www.MarylandCelebrateRecovery.org  or pick up a copy of our “Other Meetings” document at Celebrate Recovery on Thursday nights.

Q: How do I know if I need Celebrate Recovery?
A: If you struggle with any of the following, Celebrate Recovery can help you find hope and healing:  chronic use of chemical substances, alcohol, food, sex, or relationships; depression; anger; co-dependency; shame; or anything else that gets in the way of you being all that God has called you to be.

Q: Who leads the groups?
A: Group leaders are compassionate volunteers who have struggled with their own hurts, hang-ups, habits or addictions, AND have found hope and healing through Celebrate Recovery.  Each leader has worked through the curriculum and has maintained at least one year of abstinence and/or sobriety.

Q: How does the Celebrate Recovery program differ from Alcoholics Anonymous?
A: Although Celebrate Recovery is considered to be 12-step program, we outwardly proclaim that Jesus Christ is our “higher power,” and we firmly believe and depend upon the miracle-working power of the Lord Jesus Christ in the process of recovery.

Q: Can a person overcome an addiction or behavior that they have struggled with for many years?
A: We believe the answer is a resounding YES! Through prayer, the penetrating work of the Holy Spirit, a commitment to change, a system of accountability, and the surrender of our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ, we can be free of any addiction, addictive behavior, hurt, hang-up or habit.

Q: What if my struggles are not related to alcohol or substance abuse?
A: We believe the principles used in Celebrate Recovery are helpful for all types of addictive behaviors and anything in our lives that keeps us from being all that God has called us to be.

Q: I myself am not addicted, but have been deeply hurt and affected by my spouse's addictions. Can you help me?
A: Absolutely.  Addiction has an impact on the entire family.  Celebrate Recovery is a ministry for the whole family and offers small groups that address a variety of issues for men and women that will provide support and a safe place to deal with the hurt and pain in your life.

Q: I am too embarrassed to let someone know what I am struggling with. Can I just come and sit quietly?
A: We will do nothing to intentionally embarrass you or shame you. We trust the safe and caring atmosphere of the group will encourage you to share your hurts.  We believe that we are changed as we share our experience, strength and hope with others.

Q: Will I need to find a sponsor in the group?
A: Yes.  We also encourage individuals to establish a team of accountability people – people who can walk with you in the process, holding you accountable for different aspects of your recovery.

Q: Does Celebrate Recovery offer in-depth counseling or clinical therapy?
A: Although each of our group leaders has a caring heart, they are not equipped to offer in-depth counseling or clinical therapy. In the event this type of treatment is necessary, we would be happy to refer you to a qualified Christian professional.

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 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. 

AND 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.
 
RECOVERY PRINCIPLES
The Celebrate Recovery curriculum is based on the following eight principles that come from Jesus' Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-10 and the Christ-centered twelve steps.

Eight Principles Based on the Beatitudes
By Pastor Rick Warren

The word RECOVERY is the foundation for the following acrostic and the eight principles we encourage participants to commit to.
1. Realize I'm not God. I admit that I am powerless to control my tendencies to do the wrong thing and that my life is unmanageable.
“Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor.”

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.”

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

4. Openly examine and confess my faults to myself, to God, and to someone I trust.
“Happy are the pure in heart.”

5. Voluntarily submit to every change 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.”

6. Evaluate all my relationships. Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make amends for harm I've done to others, except when to do so would harm them or others.
“Happy are the merciful. Happy are the peacemakers.”

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

8. Yield myself to God to be used 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.”

Twelve Steps and their Biblical Comparisons
1. We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and compulsive behaviors, that our lives had become unmanageable. (Romans 7:18)
2. We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. (Philippians 2:13)
3. We made a decision to turn our wills and our lives over to the care of God. (Romans 12:1)
4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. (Lamentations 3:40)
5. We admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. (James 5:16)
6. We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. (James 4:10)
7. We humbly asked Him to remove all our shortcomings. (1 John 1:9)
8. We made a list of all the persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all. (Luke 6:31)
9. We made direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. (Matthew 5:23-24)
10. We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admit it. (1 Corinthians 10:12)
11. We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and power to carry it out. (Colossians 3:16)

12. Having had a spiritual experience as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs. (Galatians 6:1)

The purposes of Celebrate Recovery are fellowship and celebration of God's healing power in our lives through the 12 steps and 8 recovery principles.  Some programs deal only with alcohol or drugs or another distinct problem.  Celebrate Recovery addresses all kinds of hurts, habits and hang-ups.  The ministry uses a blend of large group meetings, praise worship, music, Bible teachings, small group meetings and step studies to achieve the growth needed for recovery with Jesus Christ as the main ingredient for change.  Celebrate Recovery also emphasizes personal  responsibility, spiritual commitment to Jesus Christ and utilizes the biblical truth that we need each other to grow spiritually and emotionally.