Recovery Family

Here in Florida, I get lots of people asking me about being a Celebrate Recovery State Rep and what all does a State Rep do for the local recovery ministries. So I thought I would post a brief summary.

First and foremost, I would like to say that it is my honor and privilage to come alongside the CR leaders in my area, as you decide to start a Celebrate Recovery.

• Throughout the year, State Reps try to meet with as many leaders as they can, either in person or by email and phone.
• We’re there to help you create and run your ministry as close to the model of Celebrate Recovery as possible. As your CR gets under way, we’re there to bounce questions off of. If we don’t have the answer right off, we’ll inquire through the National team.
• Networking with other CR ministries is important, and you’ll see us frequently asssessing an area, encouraging the leaders to meet up, to help and pray for one another. A great place to meet is at our regional CR One Day and Advanced Leadership Training events, and the CR Summit of course. So the State Reps promote, attend and help out at these events.
• To get your CR listed on the National website, or to update a listing, you send your State Rep the complete info. Remember, your ministry has to be up and running for a minimum of 90 days, and modeling the “DNA” of CR.
• We always try to get you the latest info on new resources and upcoming events.

Now in Florida, we have only two Reps. There should be five. Are you interested? Just let me know and I’ll send you more info. Key thing is that you’ve been a CR Ministry Leader for awhile. Although a volunteer position, there are benefits to both you and your church.

I hope this info helps some, but what I’m really hoping for is that after reading this, that there might be someone that just “jumps out at you” as a great candidate for a State Rep prospect. If so, please talk with them, and then encourage them to contact their State Rep.

Many have asked me what a CR budget should look like, for starting up and sustaining a Celebrate Recovery ministry. For some, the church pays the way for the first year. For others, there is the pressure of being self-supported from the start.

Typically, one of the goals of a church-based Celebrate Recovery is to be self-funded. Although the startup costs and a small operational budget is desired, it has been my experience that the growth of the ministry will come from giving.

There are lots of variables to consider, but as a helpful tool for discussions, please print out a PDF file of my talking points, to review with your pastor or budget planner. Let me know if this is a benefit to you.

Journals are meant to be kept at the church or with the Leader so that the journals do not wind up lost or under the child’s bed collecting dust-bunnies. This also enables journals to be re-cycled, i.e., we know unfortunately, that sometimes kids may or may not be considered “regulars” so if one week “Johnny” does not come but little “Susie” shows up, Johnny’s weekly lesson page can be provided to Susie. Since weekly lessons are not “done over” or “made up,” this allows Susie to feel connected. This is sort of like the adult Large Group meeting each week. We don’t start over the teaching for the newcomer, they just start in where we are. So do the kids.

Like the kit, you may be able to find a better price by going to other sources like ChristianBook.com (currently $7.99 each). But if you’re going to buy FIFTY or more, then Group Publishing is your best price ($5.99, and can get free shipping).

Celebration Station, the new resource companion to Celebrate Recovery, was launched at this year’s 2009 Celebrate Recovery Summit. Whether you have heard of Celebration Station or not, the information below highlights some of the “life-changing” components of the program for our CR children.

• Celebration Station is the 52-week companion resource for your Celebrate Recovery program – co-written by John Baker, Johnny Baker and Christine Yount Jones – designed to coincide with the adult program. While adults explore topics that bring healing and wholeness, your kids will also be discovering the same truths in age-appropriate ways! Literally, the adult program has been translated into “kid-language.”
• Celebration Station provides kids hope, truth, joy, and friendship by helping them to discover Jesus loves them and equipping them to overcome the patterns of hurts, hang-ups and habits.
• Celebration Station teaches kids 5 – 13 to apply what they learn to daily life. The Celebration Station Kit has everything needed to lead kids as they make Jesus the enduring, rock-solid foundation of their lives.
• Highlights -
  • Lessons are undated. The program can begin at any point during your adult Celebrate Recovery program.
  • The Celebration Station starter kit is value driven – you use it year after year after year, just like your CR curriculum and is modestly priced ($199.99 retail).
  • The program doesn’t “require” a large volunteer base, nor special skills. Even your teens can assist, which gives them the opportunity to “give back” to the ministry.
  • Extremely easy to use!
  • Additional kid’s journals, music DVDs and CDs are available for purchase at anytime to accommodate future needs.
    (Music DVDs and CDs are GREAT for sending the “Celebration” home to keep kids excited!)

Celebration Station is designed to equip our children with faith strengthening tools, life changing processes and ways to encourage their families as they progress in their recovery. There are no invasive conversations or false pretenses, just a safe and positive environment for the kids to play, learn, grow and get a warm hug from God!

Just as Celebrate Recovery is changing lives by the healing power of the one true Higher Power – Jesus Christ, Celebration Station will bring this same healing power built from the Eight Principles taken from Matthew chapter 5 on the Beatitudes. The lessons they will learn will build their toolbox for the choices they will be faced with as they grow and mature. Celebration Station begins the process of putting an end to the cycle of dysfunction.

Please visit the Celebration Station website for more information, FAQs, samples and more.

And don’t forget to check the “CURRENT BEST PRICES” list. Really good price on the Kit right now.

Just wanted to make you aware of or remind you of a great resource available to help you start your CR and/or to take your CR to the next level…

The Fall One Day Seminars
Sept 26 – Little Rock, AR / October 10 – Albany NY / October 24 – Denver, CO / November 7 – Fort Wayne IN / November 14 – Austin TX

While there are not any offered in the SE Region this fall, the CR One Day Seminars with founders John and Cheryl Baker are the first stop for training, to start and keep your CR growing and healthy. However, there are One Day Seminars scheduled close to us. If you’re traveling and happen to be in the area and able to catch a training, this communication is for you! Or if you have a leader or potential leader needing inspiration or training, and can afford to travel, they don’t have to wait for a Seminar to come right to your area.

Check out www.CelebrateRecovery.com for the latest training events and the links to register. We’re excited that all the scheduled seminars offer both the Seven Keys and the Advanced Leadership Training tracks. Please see the note from Pastor John below…

Hurts Increase During Hard Economic Times

Everyone is feeling the effects of the declining and uncertain economy. This includes our church budgets! I know as a church leader, one of the first things we consider in order to save money is cutting back on attending conferences. Let me give you some reasons why during these difficult times you need to consider attending the Celebrate Recovery One Day Seminar:

1. When the economy is struggling people in your church and community are hurting. They are facing the possibility of losing their jobs, their homes, or struggling just to pay their monthly bills. They can feel hopeless and defeated.
2. History has proven that during times like these the number of people turning to addictions and compulsions greatly increases. When people are hurting, they turn to anything to numb the pain. They start abusing alcohol, drugs, food, sex, gambling, and one another.
3. In the United States, there are already 18 million alcoholics, 4 million drug addicts, 16 million sex addicts, and 4 million addicted to food.

The list goes on and on. These numbers are only going to increase during the months to come!

We know the only true and lasting answer for those feeling hopeless and defeated is to turn to Jesus Christ! But how does your church reach out to those in your congregation and community that are struggling? Over 12,000 churches have found a way to help individuals with any kind of hurt, hang-up, or habit. They started a Celebrate Recovery – a Christ-centered Recovery program based on God’s Word.

I am praying that you, or a team from your church, will consider attending this Celebrate Recovery One Day Seminar. My team and I are coming to your area to help you keep your expenses down. You will learn everything you need to know about starting a Celebrate Recovery in your church. For more information go to www.celebraterecovery.com.

If you already have a Celebrate Recovery ministry currently running in your church, we will also have an Advanced Leadership Training track. It will help your leadership team be more effective in helping the individuals that God sends to your church find victory over their hurts, hang ups, and habits.

More info available at the CR site…In His steps,

John Baker
Founder and Pastor of
Celebrate Recovery

The kick off of the national Life’s Healing Choices Campaign with Pastor Rick Warren and Saddleback Church begins September 26-27, 2009!

If your church is unable to schedule the Series at this time, please consider doing it sometime in the near future. Be sure to promote this to your pastor and staff if you have not already done so. It’s a great way to grow your CR ministry! The following is a note from Saddleback Church about this important event:

“Dear Pastor or Church Leader,

The kick off of the national Life’s Healing Choices Campaign with Pastor Rick and Saddleback Church is just weeks away on September 26-27, 2009! Churches across the country are getting excited about the life-change that’s going to happen through this journey of healing and hope… .

For everyone in your congregation to experience the full, transforming potential of discovering freedom from their hurts, hang-ups and habits they need to not only hear the messages, but to be involved in a small group using the curriculum and to personally do the daily readings in the companion book, Life’s Healing Choices.

As a Life’s Healing Choices Access Pass holder, ordering curriculum in bulk for your congregation is easy! Just visit our campaign Resource Center at www.LifesHealingChoices.com. We’ve provided two order options for you:

1. Choose to order the Life’s Healing Choices curriculum with a 1-year subscription to Purpose Driven Connection. Includes:
· LHC curriculum (study guide and DVD).
· 3 additional curriculums, each featured in a brand-new issue of Purpose Driven Connection.
· $15 each, that makes each curriculum only $3.75.
2. Or choose to order single copies, in bulk of the Fall issue of Purpose Driven Connection. Includes:
· LHC curriculum (study guide and DVD).
· $10 each.

We’ve done our best to serve you by making what you need for each person at your church really simple. They need: 1) a copy of the Life’s Healing Choices curriculum study guide and DVD in the Purpose Driven Connection and 2) a copy of the book Life’s Healing Choices. Remember, the national launch is on September 26-27 which will mean you’ll want to distribute your materials the prior weekend. To ensure delivery by September 17th so you can distribute them and be ready for a strong launch, your order needs to be placed by September 6th at  or give us a call at 1-800-240-8313.

Sincerely,
Pastor Gerald Sharon
North American Director
Purpose Driven Network

P.S. We know many churches are facing difficult financial times right now and might not have the funds to place a church order for all of their small groups or attendees. In order to serve you, we have created a brand new ordering option we hope will help solve that problem. As an alternative to the church purchasing material for everyone, your members can now place their own orders directly. All you have to do is provide them with the email address you used to sign up for your Online Access Pass, along with this password: “lhc0926.” They can then place and pay for their personal order at the campaign price and have it shipped directly to their home. That’s all there is to it!”

There is also an updated video clip about this at www.CelebrateRecovery.com.

There’s a new way people can find your Celebrate Recovery! Please note the info sent from the National Team…

“Below is a link to the Purpose Driven Connection website. Take a look at it!  Make sure you take note of the feature down towards the middle of the page where it says “Celebrate Recovery Groups” in red letters. Right underneath that it gives you a really new, neat option…you can enter in any zip code and it gives you five Celebrate Recovery groups in that area! How cool is that?! Take a look.”

www.PurposeDriven.com

Just wanted you to know that the opening session of the Celebrate Recovery 2009 Summit will be webcast live this morning, Wednesday, August 12 at 8:30 a.m. PDT.  Pastor Rick Warren will address the 3000+ in attendance.

UPDATE: If you missed it or want to review, it’s archived over at pastors.com. It’s now broken into three video clips with the title “08-12-09 The Jesus Model for Healing…”

NOW AVAILABLE, the “Life’s Healing Choices Small Group Study” and “Guided Journal,” used with the “Life’s Healing Choices” book, is an eight-week small group study guide designed to help a small group discover and begin facing their hurts, hang-ups and habits.

We learned at the Celebrate Recovery Summit in August, that this material is to be offered, not as part of your CR ministry, but taught from within the church’s regular small group ministry!

Should only be presented when there is a strong Celebrate Recovery ministry available, as people will want to get further insight or help by checking out your CR.

One of questions asked was, “What do we do if our current small group is mixed, men and women?” The answer is to meet as normal for worship, fellowship, etc. But when it’s time to go over the study material for that week, the men and women would break and meet separately.

Also asked, “Will some look at this as an eight-week version of the CR Step Study?” The answer is that this curriculum, like the book, is an overview or “survey” of the Eight Choices (like the Eight CR Principles), and not the to used to work through the entire recovery process. That’s why the Study and Journal are NOT to be offered by the CR ministry, but through the small group ministry. The materials should NOT be on the CR Information Table. The “Life’s Healing Choices” book can be on the table of course.

The Journal is not necessary to go through the complete study, but is a “powerful companion” and helps with getting through the study. Can also be used with the book. It’s a great value and that’s why we try to always find the best prices for you.

This small book is a great aid to women in recovery. It will help you stay on your daily walk as you live out your recovery. Having a daily devotion to read everyday keeps me in the Word. But the stories of other women and their journeys in recovery gives me daily hope and encouragement.

Although currently out of print, this Devotional can be found at a really good price at Amazon.com.