Week 30

This is week 30 of Celebrate Recovery here at Hydesville Church.  It's been a wild ride.  We have seen scores of new faces but our core group remains small.  We have seen miraculous changes in the lives of the participants.  I love the 'realness,' honesty and humility of Celebrate Recovery.  There is just something powerful in knowing we are not alone in our life struggles.  It is like a warm balm to a hurting and scraped up soul to have real people - spiritually broken people - offer non-judgmental encouragement and support on our own life's journey.  The reality of Jesus Christ, expressed within this group, is that He is not a distant figure from the Bible, but a true friend today and a savior whose love, guidance and compassion is relevant to every struggle and triumph we have in life.

I like Celebrate Recovery, because it is the love of Jesus - with a human touch.

Guest Post from Deborah Leathers

Question: How important do you think it is to have a Celebrate Recovery Ministry at Hydesville Church?

I feel it is very important. We just need people to get past the barrier of thinking that Celebrate Recovery is only for people who have drug or alcohol addictions. That is just not the case! Every person in our church has suffered from some hurt, loss or abuse of some kind. And we all need help getting past the pain. Letting go, making amends with those people who we have hurt or have hurt us. Doing this EXTREMELY hard step is important it not only sets you free but it enables us to grow into the individuals God has created us to be. I do know how hard it can be even in a church setting for people to humble themselves and admit they have a problem. We worry what others will say on Sunday after they have seen us at a meeting on Friday. It's hard for people to really trust that confidential means confidential. I say come trust and see. Your life is worth it

Your Opinion

How important do you think it is to have a Celebrate Recovery Ministry at Hydesville Church?  Please vote your opinion on the poll on the lower right of this blog.  Thank you!

Stay Strong and Don't Be Alone!

Holidays can be wonderful or difficult depending on the memories attached to this time of year.  It's a busy time to be sure.  There are many activities and responsibilities that vie for our attention. 

I was asked the other day if Celebrate Recovery at Hydesville Church takes time off during the holidays.  No!  We are here especially through the holidays.  Although all human beings struggle with hurts, hang ups and habits (whether one chooses to acknowledge this or not) for some memories attached to Christmas are especially painful.  Those hurts, hang ups and habits can tempt us to lose sight of our commitment to change.  Sometimes as we ponder those memories the celebration of Christmas can feel lonley.  So choose not to be alone!  Celebrate Recovery will go on every Friday during the holiday season starting at 6 PM.  A down home dinner is served for a very reasonable $4 ($3 for children 5 and under).  And, even if holidays aren't personally difficult for you, YOU might help someone else.  See you Friday!

Confession, the Way to Freedom

Friday night we are talking about 'Confess' and the way to freedom.  Check out this youtube video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDIbOPLqVk8

Hurtin' for Certain

The holidays can be a tough time when you are hurting.  It may be a loss - death, divorce, a job, a significant relationship....it may be a decline in health, a problem that won't seem to go away, an inner discouragement.  Perhaps you feel, "hey, I made some bad choices, why would anyone care about me?  I'm hurtin' for certain."  To that we can say, we are all human, we struggle.  But there is a God in heaven who loves us tremendously.  In fact, He specializes in taking broken hearts and restoring them to a beautiful place.  Sound hard to believe?  Join us for Celebrate Recovery where we hear and see people who are on a spiritual journey and very positive change is taking place.  Where there is God, there is hope.  Join us!

Do You Want to Tell Someone You Care About?

There is probably someone you really care about that could be helped through Celebrate Recovery...but you don't know quite how to tell them.  Here is an easy way.  Wear the shirt.  Details coming before Christmas...

The Beginning of Hope

When people ask me about how Celebrate Recovery is going, I always have to say - it's about the life stories I hear that keep me rivited to this ministry.  When someone comes there is an openess to change.  Life has been difficult and one comes to a point where the way of life is no longer acceptable.  There is a feeling that something has to change!  And that is where we start - that is the beginning of HOPE.  We find in Celebrate Recovery there is hope for us and our situations.  As we meet with others in friendship and in worship, we gain a better perspective.  We begin to place our trust in God, and not ourselves, for the answers to our life problems.  And we find a whole lot more, because we realize we are not alone, there are people who care, and God loves us  in ways we never realized before!  We welcome you to come out on Friday nights!

What About Celebrate Recovery?

Some facts about Celebrate Recovery:

Celebrate Recovery has:

A PROVEN DESIGN:  Celebrate Recovery was designed as a program to help those struggling with hurts, habits and hang-ups by showing them the loving power of Jesus Christ through a recovery process.

A CLEAR GOAL:  The goal of Celebrate Recovery program is not simply to recover from past sins and hurts; the goal is to become Christ-like in our character.

REMARKABLE RESULTS:  To date, hundreds of thousands of people world-wide have experienced a Biblically balanced approach to repentance and recovery.

REFLECTS A UNIVERSAL NEED:  No matter what situation you find yourself in, whether it is emotional, financial, relational, spiritual, sexual or whatever, regardless of what you need help with, God wants to help you!

A PRECEPTION WE HAVE TO FIGHT:  You may think "recovery" is only for drug addicts and alcoholics - people whose lives seem out of control. But that's just not true. The Bible teaches that all of us have addictions in our lives.

SPEAKS TO REALITY:  Sin is addicting, and the Bible says, "all have sinned." Not one of us is perfect. We've all blown it; we've all made mistakes. We've hurt ourselves, we've hurt other people, and others have hurt us.  We are human and we all struggle.  But with our Higher Power, Jesus Christ, there is great hope.