Celebrate Recovery part I and II

Celebrate Recovery began in 1991 at Saddleback Church, in Lake Forest, California. When John Baker shared his vision of this ministry with Rick Warren, the pastor of the church, he was encouraged and supported by Pastor Rick. Over the past two decades, the program has spread around the world and is being used in prisons, treatment centers and rescue missions, as well as in churches.

            

 The purpose of Celebrate Recovery is to help people deal with their “hurts, habits or hang-ups,” through God’s healing power. It is based on Jesus’ teaching from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:3-12. There are eight main principles of recovery found in the Beatitudes, which spell out the word RECOVERY:

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.” (Matthew 5:3)

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)

Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control. “Happy are the meek.” (Matthew 5:5)

Openly examine and confess my faults to myself, to God and to someone I trust. “Happy are the pure in heart.” (Matthew 5:8)

Voluntarily submit to every change that 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.” (Matthew 5:6)

Evaluate all of 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.” (Matthew 5:7, 9)

Reserve 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.

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.” (Matthew 5:10)

Nancy Baird has been attending the program at Westfield Christian Church since the very first meeting. She is enthusiastic about Celebrate Recovery and tells people about it wherever she goes. “So many people don’t know that we have anything here,” she says. “The public needs to know.”

           

 How true! The principles above apply to each of us, no matter what our individual “hurts, habits and hang-ups” may be. We all have them!  Next week’s article will be a continuation of this topic, with interviews from Ted Wuth, pastor of Westfield Christian Church and Nancy Wuth, Celebrate Recovery Ministry Leader. To find out more, contact Nancy Wuth at 559-350-3150 or cr.westfield@yahoo.com
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 Part II

      

Perhaps while driving north past Wal-Mart on Prospect street in Porterville you have noticed a sign in the lawn of the little church on the corner of Westfield and Prospect: CELEBRATE RECOVERY—Tuesdays at 6:30 PM. Pictured on the sign is a silhouette of a person with arms raised upward which might represent different things to people passing by…surrender, freedom, joy, celebration, worship…maybe all of the above.

       

How did Westfield Christian Church become the home of Celebrate Recovery? Nancy Wuth, CR Ministry Leader and wife of Pastor Ted Wuth, was approached by a friend several years ago who told her that if the church ever did anything for people who had suffered from any kind of abuse, she wanted to be involved. When Nancy heard about the Celebrate Recovery training being offered at Saddleback church in Lake Forest, California, she thought it might be something their church could do.

      

With the blessing and support of pastor Ted and the elders, Nancy, her friend and another person attended the Twelve Step training at Saddleback. Over a two year period, a strong team of volunteers from the church and community was formed; and in September, 2008, the program was launched in Porterville.

     

According to Nancy, “It’s exciting to come every Tuesday night and see God at work. We have a front row seat to see God work miracles.” The group meets each week, regardless of holidays, 52 weeks a year. Because Christmas Eve falls on a Tuesday night this year, the meeting will be combined with the traditional candlelight service at the church.

      

Holidays can be a rough time for people, often triggering painful memories and resulting in harmful behaviors. Celebrate Recovery offers a place where they can come for support and encouragement. Worship, Bible centered lessons, testimonies, small group sessions and time to fellowship over coffee or special meals help people connect with each other while growing stronger in their faith.

      

Confidentiality is emphasized, including “who you see and what you hear.” Successes are celebrated together. There is no sense of condemnation or judgment, but rather the realization that all of the participants share a common need for God’s help.

       

The Wuths’ passion and commitment for this ministry is evident. Many lives have been changed for the better, greatly benefiting the community as well. In 2010 the Westfield group was approved to sign “court cards,’ so that people could carry out part of their court mandates by attending weekly meetings. However, anyone wanting to get help with past hurts, habits or various hang-ups can attend CR.

        

Pastor Ted’s message is “if you are struggling with any kind of hurt, hang-up or habit in your life and you long to be free from the pain, frustration, guilt and discouragement that come with that struggle, I believe Celebrate Recovery can help you on your journey of recovery to wholeness and victory. I say that, not just as the pastor of Westfield Church, but as one who has experienced my own painful struggle and as one who can testify that the Twelve Steps and Eight Principles of Celebrate Recovery truly do lead to joy and freedom. I invite you to join us on this journey—this road to recovery.”

          

So the next time you pass that little sign on the corner of Prospect and Westfield, why not turn in? Visitors are always welcomed with smiles. You might just end up celebrating recovery!

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” 

2 Corinthians 12:9a NIV

(published in the Porterville Recorder on 11/23 and 11/30/2013)