and in need of.........?

Christian companionship to grow and become strong?

Supportive, respectful, and confidential sharing?

A place to learn, and to grow spiritually?

Finding a turning point in your life?

A safe haven of refuge, and caring?

Then Celebrate Recovery is a place for you.

Many Christians today struggle with a hurt, hang-up or habit and remain under the control of the world and all its vices and entrapments. Celebrate Recovery is a recovery ministry based on biblical principles with a goal to let God work through us in providing His healing power through a Christ-centered 12 Step program. This experience allows people to be "changed" spiritually by working through sound biblical principles. Participants open the door by sharing their experiences, strengths, and hopes with one another. In addition, they become willing to accept God's grace and forgiveness in solving life's problems. Celebrate Recovery provides a safe place for individuals to begin their journey of breaking out from their bondage and into God's grace (II Corinthians 12:9), by helping them to start dealing with their life's hurts, hang-ups, and habits.

Worship is a major strength and difference between a Christ-centered and a secular recovery program. Worship provides a time for everyone to put aside the busyness and hassles of the world and get in touch with the true Higher Power, Jesus Christ. It allows time for the power of the Holy Spirit to fill all those who attend with a peace and a safety that only He can provide. The main focus of every fellowship event is to help members develop healthy relationships that will grow into a support team of sponsors and accountability partners. First Baptist Church of Lexington's Celebrate Recovery ministry hosts open meetings every Tuesday evening beginning at 6:00 for a time of worship, fellowship and small group sharing.

Celebrate Recovery is based on God's Word, the Bible. When Jesus taught the Sermon on the Mount, He began by stating eight ways to be happy. Today we call them the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-10). These 8 Principles are God's road to recovery, wholeness, growth, and spiritual Christ-like maturity. Celebrate Recovery utilizes the biblical truth that we need each other in order to grow spiritually and emotionally. It is built around small group interaction and the fellowship of a caring community that is built on the New Testament principle that we don't get well by ourselves. We need each other. Fellowship and accountability are two important components of spiritual growth.

Celebrate Recovery emphasizes personal responsibility. Instead of playing the "accuse and excuse" game of victimization, this program helps people face up to their own poor choices and deal with what they can do something about. Rather than wallowing in the past or dredging up and rehearsing painful memories over and over, Celebrate Recovery focuses on the future. Regardless of what has already happened, the solution is to start making wise choices now and depend on Christ's power to help make those changes. We cannot control all that happens to us, but we can control how we respond to everything. That is a secret of happiness. When we stop wasting time fixing the blame, we have more energy to fix the problem. When we stop hiding our own faults and stop hurling accusations at others, then the healing power of Christ can begin working in our mind, will, and emotions.

Celebrate Recovery emphasizes spiritual commitment to Jesus Christ. It calls for people to make a total surrender of their lives to Christ. Lasting recovery cannot happen without this step. Everybody needs Jesus. Celebrate Recovery addresses all types of habits, hurts, and hang-ups. Some recovery programs deal only with alcohol or drugs or another single problem. But Celebrate Recovery is a "large umbrella" program under which a limitless number of issues can be dealt with.

The Truth: God loves you just as you are. You are welcome at Celebrate Recovery just as you are. Support in making the decision to be sober is just as helpful as support in staying sober. It can be hard to do on your own. We know that.