Severns Valley Baptist Church » Celebrate Recovery

Life is difficult. It doesn’t always turn out like we had planned. Sometimes our dreams get shattered. Other times they just get put on hold. Either way, the result can be devastating. It can change our attitude from hope-filled to hopeless. The One who overcame has the power to heal your hurt, your plans, your dreams, and your relationships.

Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered, biblically-based recovery ministry that seeks to celebrate God’s healing and redemptive power in our lives through the 8 Recovery Principles. We invite you to experience change, allow God’s grace to help you solve life’s problems, and allow Him to release you from the hurts, hang-ups and habits that have been holding you back from authentic joy.

Celebrate Recovery Introduction

Weekly Schedule

Celebrate Recovery (CR) meets every Monday night, 52 weeks a year even when Monday falls on a holiday.

5:15 – 6:00 PM Lite Bites. Families are encouraged to gather here before going to Large Group. (Donations help to cover the cost.)

5:55 – 6:00 PM Child Care Check-in

6:00 – 7:00 PM Large Group. Adults meet together for a time of worship with the CR band and praise team, then teaching or a testimony. Upon arrival a greeter will hand you a bulletin to help you become acclimated.

7:00 – 8:00 PM Open Share Groups. After large group, adults break into recovery-specific groups and meet others with similar hurts, hang-ups and habits. These groups are gender-specific and meet in separate areas. Locations are printed each week in the bulletin. If you are new to recovery or a guest we invite you to attend our “Newcomers” group.

8:00 PM Child Care Pick-up. Prompt pick-up of children is appreciated.

8:00 – 8:30 PM Connecting Time. This is a time to fellowship with others from your group, have a cup of coffee and enjoy a sweet treat.

8 Recovery Principles

1. Realize I’m not God; I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and my life is unmanageable. “Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor.” Matthew 5:3

2. Earnestly believe that God exists; that I matter to Him, and that He has the power to help me recover. “Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Matthew 5:4

3. Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control. “Happy are the meek.” Matthew 5:5

4. Openly examine and confess my faults to myself, to God, and to someone I trust. “Happy are the pure in heart.” Matthew 5:8

5. Voluntarily submit to every change God wants to make in my life and humbly ask Him to remove my character defects. “Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires.” Matthew 5:6

6. Evaluate all my relationships. Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make amends for harm I’ve done to others except when to do so would harm them or others. “Happy are the merciful.” Matthew 5:7; “Happy are the peacemakers.” Matthew 5:8

7. Reserve a daily time with God for self-examination, Bible reading and prayer in order to know God and His will for my life and gain the power to follow His will.

8. Yield myself to God to be used to bring this Good News to others, both by my example and by my words. “Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires.” Matthew 5:10

Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as a pathway to peace; taking, as Jesus did, the sinful world as it is; not as I would have it; trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will; so that I may be resonably happy in this life; and supremely happy with You forever in the next. AMEN – Reinhold Niebuhr

Testimonies

As participants walk the road of recovery, God begins the process of healing and restoration. Every other week during large group someone gives their testimony. Here are some stories related to specific struggles you may be having. We hope these stories will encourage and help you as we walk the road to recovery together. The contributors are all people who have gone through Celebrate Recovery in their own lives and have seen the healing work that Jesus offers us all.

Celebrate Recovery Changes Lives

Anxiety, Depression & Perfectionism

Procrastination & Disorganization

Insecurity & Low Self-Esteem

Codependency & Control

Anger & Forgiveness

Alcohol/Drugs, Abuse

Fear & Anxiety

Small Group Guidelines

These guidelines are read at the beginning of each small group (open share or step study) meeting. The small group guidelines ensure that your small group is a safe place.

1. Keep your sharing focused on your own thoughts and feelings. Please limit your sharing to 3-5 minutes.

2. There is no cross talk. Cross talk is when 2 individuals engage in a dialogue, excluding all others. Each person is free to express their feelings without interruption.

3. We are here to support one another; not “fix” one another. This keeps us focused on our own issues.

4. Anonymity and confidentiality are basic requirements. What is shared in the group stays in the group. The only exception is when someone threatens to injure themselves or others.

5. Offensive language has no place in a Christ-centered recovery group.

Celebrate Recovery