You Are The Celebrate Recovery Sermon that Someone Else Reads

There were over 3,000 participants at this year's Celebrate Recovery Summit! Many of us came home charged up and overflowing with passion and renewed vision for this ministry. It's like a B-12 vitamin shot in the arm.  There is a renewed energy and excitement, a renewal of the call to help hurting people.

Three thousand is a great crowd of people, a full campus at Saddleback.  But with those numbers, a whole lot of people involved in this great ministry were not there.  In fact, about 75%, of those attending, raised their hands when asked who was there for the first time. This says to me that many of our veteran ministry teams were not there, for whatever reasons. 

As I have prayed for you this week, I have felt impressed to encourage those veteran teams, those who have CR ministries in place and have been faithful and committed each week to helping those in their churches and communities overcome hurts, habits and hangups.  As you remain consistent to following the model every week, attend Team meetings and trainings, prepare for step study groups, practice the music, or whatever you do, you are showing maturity and are setting a tremendous example for those who are watching you.  

Who is watching? Other leaders are watching, hopefully holding each other accountable to work the program and keep  to the model of Celebrate Recovery. The participants are watching. You are a role model for them as so many of the participants came from very dysfunctional, unsafe homes. They need godly role models. Your church is watching you! Many times newcomers from our Church would share with me in the Newcomer's group that they had been watching CR for several YEARS before they were ready to attend our meetings! Our families are watching. The change they see in you may be the key to drawing them into CR. What you do as a leader in ministry is IMPORTANT to God, to your Church, and to other people!

Thank you for all that you do for the ministry of Celebrate Recovery and for God's Kingdom! Lives are being changed!

Paula