We’re preparing to start the Celebrate Recovery program at the Lake Merced Church of Christ in San Francisco.
Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered recovery program for people who struggle with various life issues – not just drugs and alcohol. Many have come to know the Lord through this program while simultaneously recovering from the hurts, habits, and hangups present in their life.
We’re formally kicking off CR at Lake Merced in a few weeks, and on the Sunday mornings leading up to that time the LMC ministry staff is preaching a series of lessons based on the eight Celebrate Recovery principles taken from the Beatitudes. Today I was privileged to present the lesson on principle #5:
- Listen here: Wes Woodell – Celebrate Recovery Principle #5: Voluntarily Submit to Every Change God Wants to Make In My Life (25:20) PowerPoint
(For more preaching, visit the Sermons page).
I’ll be glad when we formally start the meetings – this will be great for our church and community.
Anyone reading this have experience with CR?
The Overflow 
Cool, the Central church in Huntsville had a similar program that dealt with the spiritual dearth that is Alcoholics Anonymous. It baffles me, but apparently you are laughed at and even ridiculed for holding to Christian principles there, even though the founders had Christian ideals in mind when they started it. The ministry at Central, which has grown to include a residential treatment setting as well (if I understand things right, I’m so busy with school that I have only visited a couple times since I moved in 2006) and a thrift store that provides employment and funding for the work, was started to address recovery from a Christian viewpoint and unapologetically so. A lot of people have been served through it over the years, and in some senses we became the “clean up station” for issues other churches wouldn’t deal with. If someone had a problem, they politely suggested that they would like it at Central better…. If one of their own had a problem, they sent them our way to “get better” before they came back. Sorry, rambling, but I expect y’all should have similar results.
G – AA groups are like that here too, but the group I was familiar with in Little Rock was just the opposite.
Father, i pray blessings on the ‘celebrate recovery’ program beginning at lake merced church. i pray you are present in every meeting, and that lives are touched, and healed. i pray that you give each person present the courage and humility needed to admit his/her faults and to seek after you with deep desire. may you heal them of their hurts, and may you heal even those they have hurt. above all, God, may you be glorified and lifted up as Lord.
me personally? no, but i know a lot of my friends who are involved with it at downtown and really doing well and enjoying it. my best to you all at lake merced and i’ll be praying for you all specifically for this journey you are starting. miss you!
Thanks for the prayers 🙂
Excellent program. At Downtown church in Searcy we have seen many led to Christ and many Christians redeemed for their many types of addictions. This will be helpful to all ages.