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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I start Celebrate Recovery in my church? Who can I turn to for help in starting Celebrate Recovery? What kind of groups should I start with? How long does it take to go through Celebrate Recovery? Where do I get volunteers to run this ministry in my church? Why do you suggest we have "closed groups", when other programs allow newcomers to join anytime? Can we talk about anything in open share groups? We don't have large groups. We only have a few participants in our Celebrate Recovery meeting. Can I use other resources in my Celebrate Recovery ministry?
How do I start Celebrate Recovery in my church? After enlisting the support of your senior pastor, we suggest as a minimum, you follow the Ninety Day Kick Off Strategy outlined in the Celebrate Recovery Leader's Guide (p.20). It is also helpful to attend the annual Celebrate Recovery Summit at Saddleback Church, or attend one of the many Celebrate Recovery One Day Seminars held around the country. You may get information or register at purposediriven.com. Who can I turn to for help in starting Celebrate Recovery? You may access four regional websites through the Celebrate Recovery website of Saddleback Church. Through the regional sites you can contact your state representative or regional director, who may direct you to a local Celebrate Recovery ministry or area network. What kind of groups should I start with? The resources suggest you consider the "basic four" of men's and women's chemical dependency, and men's and women's codependency. You may find other needs that are more pressing in your church or community. The best suggestion is 'don't bite off more than you can handle'. Be patient and grow a healthy Celebrate Recovery ministry that will stand the test of time. How long does it take to go through Celebrate Recovery? If you follow the guideline established in the Leaders Guide (p.28), you will find you have a recovery resource that will take you r group through a calendar year. Where do I get volunteers to run this ministry in my church? Advertise in your church bulletin. You may be surprised to find volunteers that come to you with sobriety found through other programs or ministries. Keep in mind your ministry volunteers in five or ten years will be a lot different than your first round of leadership. If new ministries had to wait until leaders completed twelve steps and eight principles found in Celebrate Recovery, we wouldn't have many new ministries starting! Why do you suggest we have "closed groups", when other programs allow newcomers to join anytime? Closed groups are necessary to promote safety and security within a step study. When we close a group at the completion of the first participant's guide, the intent is not to alienate the newcomer, but to insure anonymity and confidentiality for the group members. This also prevents confusion of dropping a newcomer into material he or she is unfamiliar with, or causing the newcomer to rush through the early stages of their recovery to match the pace of an existing group. When step studies are closed to newcomers, it is important that your ministry offer 'open share' opportunities to provide an entry point for the newcomer. Can we talk about anything in open share groups? We encourage open share groups to follow the small group guidelines found in the leader's guide. This will insure that one individual does not monopolize all the group time and that everyone has an opportunity to share. In a healthy open share group a topic is assigned for discussion. The discussion usually follows a theme from the lesson or testimony given in the large group time. We don't have large groups. We only have a few participants in our Celebrate Recovery meeting. All Celebrate Recovery groups have 'large group' functions within their meetings. It is important to keep in mind we are not speaking of size when we talk about the 'large group' function of Celebrate Recovery. Large group time for healthy Celebrate Recovery ministries includes, worship, reading of the twelve steps or eight principles, announcements, and a teaching or testimony. Can I use other resources in my Celebrate Recovery ministry? Celebrate Recovery consists of the resources found in the leader's guide, the participant guides, resources developed by Celebrate Recovery of Saddleback Church, and the Life Recovery Bible. If you start supplementing your teaching with other resources, you are doing something other than Celebrate Recovery. The trademark statement of Celebrate Recovery notes "a church or organization may decide to use the Celebrate RecoveryŽ curriculum and mix it with other materials, or other programs, which is certainly up to their discretion. HOWEVER, they are prohibited from using the Celebrate RecoveryŽ name." If you are running an authentic Celebrate Recovery ministry, you may use the name for promotional items within your group only. Problems occur if you use the name of Celebrate Recovery to venture into the area of commerce. You may not produce items to sell to other groups. It is recommended you look first at products licensed under Celebrate Recovery at www.celebraterecoverygear , then consider the needs of your local Celebrate Recovery ministry.
The purpose of Saddleback Church's Celebrate Recovery ministry
Visit Celebrate Recovery at Saddleback Church
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