Celebrate Recovery: Bible-based program is designed to heal personal hurts and pave the way for recovery

We all face battles within ourselves, and local churches believe there's no shame in asking for help. That's why five Southeast Missouri churches are now offering Celebrate Recovery meetings, where attendees are encouraged to share their struggles and rely on others for moral support.

"We don't deny Jesus Christ, his work on the cross, or his grace," says Mark Rankin, Celebrate Recovery leader at Unity Baptist Church of Benton, Mo. "When we come to the Lord, we heal the relationship between man and God. He already paid the price for our sins, and if we forgive ourselves and others, that's when the healing takes place."

Celebrate Recovery meetings aim to heal all "hurts, hangups and habits," says Rankin. Many attendees are dealing with substance abuse, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, anger control, the loss of a spouse, difficulty building relationships or holding jobs -- "anything that's been detrimental to being personally successful," says Judy Nilsen, outreach ministry director at Christ Church of the Heartland in Cape Girardeau, which hosts meetings on Friday nights. The 12-step recovery program is Christ-centered and Biblically-based because all the answers and life solutions we need are already in the Bible, she says.

"It does help people change their lives through Jesus Christ and the principles based in the gospels, especially Matthew," says Nilsen. The Beatitudes of Matthew 5:3-10 are a major component of the program.

John Baker, a preacher at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., began the Celebrate Recovery program in 1991. Since then, more than 10,000 people at Saddleback have completed the program, and more than 10,000 churches and 500,000 individuals have participated in the program.

Helen Carter, left, and Jenny McQueen, right, sing during the Celebrate Recovery meeting at Christ Church of the Heartland in Cape Girardeau on Friday, March 5, 2010. The program is a Christian based support and healing group for those suffering with addiction or other life-controlling issues. (KRISTIN EBERTS)

In Southeast Missouri, Celebrate Recovery meetings are held five nights a week, rotating among five churches. All are welcome to attend as many meetings as they like, and at different churches. Each meeting begins with large group worship, transitions into small groups, and ends with dinner and fellowship. Some meetings include a lesson, while others focus on personal testimonies. Those who are successful at recovery for 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, six months and one year are recognized for their progress.

"We find that when they praise the Lord, their hearts and minds are in the right attitude to accept Biblical teaching, renewal and strength," says Rankin.

Unity Baptist has participated in Celebrate Recovery since January 2009, with eight to 16 people attending each meeting. Christ Church of the Heartland, which began hosting meetings in July 2009, is one of the newest churches to participate in the program. So far, Nilsen says attendance has ranged from 30 to 55 people each week.

"In a very short time, I have already seen major changes that I thought it would take awhile to see," says Nilsen. "Even people who don't come to Christ Church will come to this because it's smaller, someone invited them, and there's a good meal."

Nilson and Rankin emphasize that Celebrate Recovery is not rehab or counseling, but group support.

"It's good to meet other people who have changed and to develop relationships through fellowship and encourage each other to success," says Nilsen. "It doesn't hurt to meet with others who have gone through the same thing you are and have come through it."

Rankin cites James 5:16 in the Bible, which says, "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."

Once attendees complete the program, many continue to attend meetings and become active in other areas of the church, thereby growing in their faith and encouraging others.

"We've seen a wide variety of people, and I'm really excited about how their attitudes have changed and they've developed a sense of worth," says Nilsen. "They realize, 'I can do this. I can make good changes.'"

Celebrate Recovery meeting schedule

• Sunday -- 5 p.m. at St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Cape Girardeau, 334-3200
• Monday -- 6 p.m. at Fruitland Community Church, Jackson, 204-0724
• Tuesday -- 5 p.m. at Lynwood Baptist Church, Cape Girardeau, 334-4600
• Thursday -- 6 p.m. at Unity Baptist Church, Benton, 545-3580
• Friday -- 6:30 p.m. at Christ Church of the Heartland, Cape Girardeau, 334-7726

For more information, contact any of the above churches or visit www.celebraterecoverycape.com or www.celebraterecovery.com.

In the Spirit is a Rust Communications publication published this month.