Thursday, September 2, 2010 at 10:46PM Looks like something got posted here that was meant for something else. We removed it so if you didn't see it you don't have any idea what we're talking about.
Sorry about that.
Celebrate Recovery TEAM
Monday, August 30, 2010 at 6:18PM We will all wake up…eventually.
We will drink lots of coffee.
We will get a look at our watches as we groggily brush our teeth.
We will shout angrily at the disheveled image in the mirror at how late we are to the church.
We will clean off the mirror after shouting angrily with toothpaste in our mouth (the spouse abhors a speckled mirror!)
We will stop by Dunkin’ Donuts for more coffee and a bus-load of fine pastries.
We will arrive at the church parking lot.
We will be shunned by the non-morning people/we will shun the morning people.
We will all (eventually) feel the love again... because we remembered the fine pastries.
We will pile on the bus.
We will eat fine pastries, and drink coffee, and talk excitedly with our mouths full as the bus bumps along.
We will sing loudly, and inaccurately, with the worn out Switchfoot CD that the youth left from their trip to camp in the same bus.
We will arrive at the Celebrate Recovery One Day Seminar with great expectations.
We will laugh and talk and cry and learn and grow together.
We will go home closer to the Lord, closer to each other, and better equipped to bring the life-changing ministry of Celebrate Recovery to hurting people.
Are YOU going to a One Day near you? What better way to encourage your ministry than to spend the day together with your CR family? Get on the bus!
john e
Friday, August 27, 2010 at 1:48PM Part 5?! How many of these are there going to be?? I don't know. Lots I guess.
I'm getting ready for tonight's Celebrate Recovery at Saddleback and I'm teaching the Amends lesson. I love the lessons on Principle 6 because they show us that we don't recover in a vacuum. We all have people that have hurt us and people we have hurt and therefor need to learn to make amends and offer forgiveness. I'm excited about CR tonight!
I was just sitting here thinking though, are we ready? Do we have all of the elements of the night in place? I know who's teaching, but other than that, are we ready? The answer is, yes. We are ready, but not on accident and not without having to think about it some. If you're reading this blog (Hi!) then you probably know about the Advanced Leadership Training Guide. In that kit we have a module on the Large Group, which is of course part of the General Meeting Night (GMN). There's a worksheet in there called the "Large Group Format Worksheet." We use that each and every Friday night. It helps us keep organized and makes sure we don't forget anything.
Have you ever had that moment, maybe seconds before the Large Group begins and you think, "Did we get anyone to read the steps or principles tonight?" If you have, you know that panic. Ok, maybe panic is a bit strong but if you're the Ministry leader at your CR, that scenario probably does make you panic just a little. The worksheet has a place for you, or if you delegate this task like I do, for someone else to find readers and to write their names in that spot. It makes it so easy.
So, before you begin your next GMN, ask yourself, are we ready? Did we forget anything? If so, fix it.
If not, enjoy it. It probably won't happen twice in a row.
Johnny
GMN in Ministry Leader, TEAM Thursday, August 26, 2010 at 2:06PM Come on, admit it, you thought I forgot about the General Meeting Night series didn't you? Maybe you hoped?
Nope, I didn't forget.
The next part of the General Meeting Night (GMN) I wanted to talk about is the Information Table.
"WAIT! The information table is the responsibility of the Assimilation Coach. You aren't Mac!"
You're right on both counts. But, I still want to talk about it. I'll try to talk about it from the Ministry Leader perspective, though. Cool, Mac? Thanks.
The information table is a very important component of the GMN. Having a table with all of group sheets available goes a long way in making the newcomer feel comfortable. And remember, the GMN is all about who?
That's right, the newcomer.
The thing is, not everyone is going to feel comfortable telling someone else why they're coming to Celebrate Recovery. They might be afraid of being judged or singled out. That's why having the group description sheets available can be such a help. I've actually seen people come to our information table and take one of each sheet, both for men and women, so that no one can guess why they're there. Eventually they'll come to understand how Celebrate Recovery works, but that first night, they may want to be as unnoticed as possible.
Next, it's also important to make sure there are people at the table who can answer questions. We like to make sure the people behind our info table here at Saddleback are friendly, experienced leaders. We want people, at least one man and one woman, that know the program, the campus and that are good with people. We want them to be able to answer questions and help connect people if they'd like us to.
So, make sure you have an information table, that you have people behind it to answer questions and help the newcomer and that you have the right things on it.
As far as what goes on the table and what should be left of, I'll leave that for Mac.
GMN, General Information in General Info, TEAM Wednesday, August 25, 2010 at 10:33AM I just got back from a great vacation with my family. Every year, after the Summit, we take a break and get away from the phones, all of the email and the computer. Well, we used to. Now, with smart phones and other gadgets it’s harder and harder to “get away from it all.” In fact, for the first two days of our vacation, I had a really hard time unplugging, both literally and figuratively.
In the literal sense, I brought my laptop, my phone and my iPad. Three things that all have internet connections. It was hard to put them down. I found myself checking email, looking at the Facebook page, and keeping posted on what was going on with Celebrate Recovery in my absence. About half way through the second day though, I looked at my kids and realized that I didn’t want to miss one more second of our time together. All of the other stuff could wait. I knew that would mean more work for me when I got back, but I didn’t care at that moment. All I cared about was that we were eating hotdogs and laughing, and talking and trying to not get stung by bees. It was great. But it was really, really hard. I’ve gotten into this habit of taking my phone out of my pocket and, “just checking” any time I get a chance. It’s almost a reflex now. Some of you know just what I’m talking about.
Figuratively, it was much harder to unplug. I love Celebrate Recovery. I think about it all the time. This program has changed my life. It’s given me the tools to connect with Christ in a deeper way than I ever thought possible. I also know how many lives have been changed through Celebrate Recovery. And after a great experience like the Summit, my mind has been on overdrive. I’ve written more about Celebrate Recovery in the last two weeks than I have in the last six months. Just check the date of my last post before this year’s Summit. I have been charged up! Turning that off for a few days was tough. Instead of writing down an idea for a blog post or an illustration for a lesson, I had to let it go and trust that either God would bring it back to mind at the appropriate time, or He would give me something better.
I admit, I’m bad at this. Some of you are ok at unplugging and taking time away, but my gut feeling is most of us have a hard time with this. If so, can I just tell you how great it was for me? It was amazing. I finally feel rested. If you’re bad at this too, I want to encourage you to try it. Try to take some time and not think about CR. I know. I get it. But, for me at least, that time away has allowed me to come in today fresh and renewed.
So let me ask you, when is the last time you unplugged? Literally? Figuratively? Are you good at it? Tell us what you do and how we can learn from you in the comments.
Johnny