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Newcomers

Newcomers
We welcome you to join us on this road to recovery. God has a purpose for your life and we know He will do great things for you through this program. 

History of Celebrate Recovery

Celebrate Recovery started in 1991 at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California. At that time, the church was meeting at a high school gymnasium. John Baker wrote Pastor Rick the “now famous concise 13-page single-spaced” letter outlining the vision God had given him for Celebrate Recovery. After reading John’s letter, Pastor Rick said, “Great John, go do it!”

The first night 45 people attended, and Celebrate Recovery was born. Beginning with only four Open Share Groups—Men’s and Women’s Chemical Dependency, and Men’s and Women’s Co-Dependency—the ministry has grown to over fourteen groups today. Over 8,500 people have gone through the program at Saddleback Church, and many of them are now serving in Celebrate Recovery and the church. Celebrate Recovery has become the number one outreach ministry at Saddleback Church, with over 70 percent of its members now coming from outside the church.

The first ten years were the birth stage of Celebrate Recovery, and now God is calling us to take it to the world. There are now thousands of Celebrate Recovery ministries around the world and it is growing. We are part of a movement that is bringing the hurting and broken to the healing power of Jesus Christ.

In addition, Celebrate Recovery is not just growing in churches, but in recovery houses, rescue missions, and prisons around the world. New Mexico was the first state to adopt Celebrate Recovery into their state prison system.

Now, New Mexico has Celebrate Recovery pods in all their state prisons. In August of 2004, Celebrate Recovery was announced as California’s state approved substance abuse program for prisons. This is an exciting and growing outreach opportunity for every Celebrate Recovery.

Celebrate Recovery:

  • Provides a safe place to share your experiences, strengths and hopes with others who are going through the “Principles” in a Christ-Centered recovery.
  • Provides a leader who has gone through a similar hurt, hang-up or habit that will facilitate the group as it focuses on a particular Step each week. 
  • Provides you with the opportunity to find an accountability partner or sponsor.
  • Encourages you to attend recovery meetings throughout the week, when available.

Celebrate Recovery will NOT:

  • Attempt to offer any professional clinical advice. 
  • Our leaders are not counselors.  We will provide you with a list of approved counseling referrals.
  • Allow its members to attempt to fix one another. 

Celebrate Recovery Ten Commandments:

1. Thou shalt not visit the opposite sex alone at home.

2. Thou shalt not counsel the opposite sex alone at the office.

3. Thou shalt not counsel the opposite sex more than once without that person’s mate. Refer them.

4. Thou shalt not go to lunch alone with the opposite sex.

5. Thou shalt not kiss any attender of the opposite sex.

6. Thou shalt not discuss detailed sexual problems with the opposite sex in counseling.

7. Thou shalt not discuss your marriage problems with an attender of the opposite sex.

8. Thou shalt be careful in answering e-mails, cards, and letters from the opposite sex.

9. Thou shalt make your administrative support your protective ally.

10. Thou shalt pray for the integrity of other staff members.

Celebrate Recovery Slogans and Sayings:

  • Hurts, Hang-up and Habits
  • Easy does it
  • Live and let live
  • One day at a time
  • First things first
  • God never wastes a hurt
  • Do the next right thing
  • Keep the main thing the main thing
  • The one who angers you controls you
  • Place principals above personalities
  • Avoid the craziness of the busies
  • Don’t quit before the miracle
  • We are as sick as our secrets
  • Hurt people hurt people
  • People make mistakes…People are not mistakes
  • Let go and let God!
  • Didn’t cause it. Can’t control it. Can’t cure it.
  • I can’t. God can. I think I’ll let Him.
  • 3-step it now or 12-step it later.
  • Would you rather be right or well?
  • Nothing changes if nothing change