Questions about Celebrate Recovery
Do I have to be a member of St. Matthew Cumberland Presbyterian Church to attend?
No, Celebrate Recovery is a ministry for anyone who is interested in a Christ centered recovery program that will enable them to recover from life’s hurts, hang-ups habits and addictions. There are attendees who are not members and/or do not attend St. Matthew.
What is Recovery?
In physical health, recovery refers to the process of moving from illness to wellness. Our hurts, habits and hang-ups are like an illness and using the tools of Celebrate Recovery we begin to move toward wholeness. Some might say from bondage to freedom in Christ. Others might say from self-reliance to faith in Christ. See a list of some of the areas we try to help.
What is the difference between AA and Celebrate Recovery?
The principle difference between AA (and other Twelve Step programs) and Celebrate Recovery is that Celebrate Recovery focuses on Jesus Christ as the true Higher Power and uses God's Word as the authority in relation to the Twelve Steps. The Twelve Steps have a Christian heritage as they were modeled after the Oxford Society. In order to reach people who would be offended by Jesus or the church, AA focused on a Higher Power, but Celebrate Recovery's 8 Principles to the Road to Recovery tie the Twelve Steps to Jesus Christ's teachings known as the Beatitudes given in "The Sermon on the Mount".
Is Celebrate Recovery confidential?
Yes, Celebrate Recovery maintains strict confidentiality. This promotes an atmosphere of trust and enables recovery.
We have a saying that is repeated in every Large Group meeting :
WHO you see here.
WHAT you hear here.
WHEN you leave here.
STAYS HERE.
Hear! Hear!
We are diligent about confidentiality and anonymity. The guidelines/rules protect all of us from judgment and being “fixed”. In a “safe place” you can take off your “mask” and be real and honest without fear. You are 100% in control of when and how much you participate.
Is Celebrate Recovery for me?
Celebrate Recovery offers a person the opportunity to participate in a group fellowship, where love and hope combine with God’s purpose to mend lives. Ask yourself:
If you answered “yes” to any of these statements then we urge you to attend a Celebrate Recovery meeting to see if it is for you.
When Is Celebrate Recovery?
Every Sunday Night starting at 5:30pm. Childcare available.
From 5:30pm to 6:30pm we meet in a large group session, for a time of fellowship, worship, and testimony in the Sanctuary. There is no pre-registration or sign-up required. Upon arrival you will be greeted by a greeter and handed a bulletin to help you become acclimated with the groups.
From 6:30pm to 7:00pm, we invite you to stay for the Cross Talk Cafe. This is held in the Fellowship Room and is open to everyone. This is the time to fellowship with others from your groups and join us for coffee and refreshments.
From 7:00pm til 8:00pm there are two different sessions. If this is your first time, we offer a New Comer's 101. This is a one time meeting where you will learn about Celebrate Recovery, hear personal mini-testimonies, and can ask direct questions. If you are not new we have Open Share Groups during this time.
The Open Share Groups break into recovery specific groups. They meet others with similar hurts, hang-ups, and habits. All of these groups are gender specific.