Suffering from Pain and Dependency?

We’ve been there, and THERE IS A SOLUTION!

Celebrate Recovery invites you to experience God’s healing power through the eight recovery principles found in the Beatitudes and in the Christ-centered 12 Steps. You can and will change! We open the door by sharing our experiences, strengths, and hopes. We become willing to accept God’s grace in solving our life problems.

By working the Christ-centered steps and applying their biblical principles, we begin to grow spiritually and to free ourselves from addictive, compulsive, and dysfunctional behaviors. This freedom creates peace, serenity, joy, and, most importantly, a stronger personal relationship with God and others.

As we progress through the principles and the steps, we discover our personal, loving, and forgiving Higher Power—Jesus Christ.

First Church's Celebrate Recovery meets every Friday night - all are welcome to come for the whole evening or whichever parts you are able:

6:15—7:00 pm—dinner (for the whole family) (FREE WILL OFFERING)
7:00—8:00 pm—large group meeting with praise and worship
8:00—9:00 pm—small group meeting (men and women separately)
9:00—9:30 pm—Solid Rock Cafe

Codependency and Christian Living

On the surface, codependency messages sound like Christian teaching:

• Codependents always put others first before taking care of themselves. (Shouldn’t Christians put others first?)
• Codependents give themselves away. (Shouldn’t Christians do the same?)
• Codependents martyr themselves. (Shouldn’t Christians honor the martyrs of Christianity?)

Those statements have a familiar ring. How, then, can we distinguish between codependency, which is unhealthy to codependents and their dependents, and mature faith, which is healthy?

Codependency says:

• I have little or no value.
• Other persons and situations have all the value.
• I must please other people regardless of the cost to myself or my values.
• I must give myself away.
• If I claim any rights for myself, I am selfish.

Jesus taught the value of the individual. He said we are to love others equal to—not more than—ourselves. The differences between a life of service and a life of codependency take several forms.

Motivation differs. Does a person give service and self out of free choice or because she/he considers herself/himself of no value? Does she/he seek to please people? Does she/he act out of guilt or fear? Does she/he act out of a need to be needed (which actually means using the other person to meet one’s own needs)?

• Service is an active choice. A person acts; codependents react.
• Codependent behavior is addictive rather than balanced. Addictions control a person instead of a person being in charge of her/his own life.
  

Small Groups

Celebrate Recovery Small Groups CAN:

• Provide you a with safe place to share your experiences, strengths, hopes, and trepidations with others who are going through a Christ-centered recovery.
• Provide you with a leader who has gone through a similar hurt, hang-up, or habit. Your leader will facilitate the group as it focuses on a particular principle each week. Your leader will also keep Celebrate Recovery’s five rules.
• Provide you with the opportunity to find an accountability partner or a sponsor.
• Encourage you to attend other recovery meetings held throughout the week.
  

Celebrate Recover Small Groups Will NOT:

• Attempt to offer any professional clinical advice. Our leaders are not counselors. We will provide you with a list of approved counseling referrals.
• Allow its members to attempt to fix one another.

O Lord, help me to accept the process of change You plan for me.
I may not see my ultimate destination,
but let me trust in Your wisdom as I walk the road to recovery.
The image of Your goodness, Your magnanimity,
Your love shines before me.
Let me reshape myself in accordance with this image.
Amen.

For information, contact Andrea Jones at 459-1749 or by email.