Church Leadership Support

I was recently asked again, “How can we get the support from our Pastors and Elders?  They love our Celebrate Recovery but still think of us as “those people.” I can’t tell you how many times I have been asked that. 

Having your Leaders and Church Staff behind your CR, or better yet, involved in your CR (because we ALL have hurts, hang-ups and habits) is VITAL. It will directly determine the size of your CR or whether or not you’re CR survives. When people come to me and say “our CR is struggling” the very first thing I ask is, “Do you have support from your church leadership?” Their reply, "Yes, our pastor said ya'll do that."  That's not really the kind of  "support" I'm talking about.

When your CR becomes a regular part of your church’s outreach and ministries, your CR will flourish and grow. There are many ways to get the word out.  But as far as your church leadership goes, when they really feel a part of this ministry, every time someone comes to them with a problem or struggle it will become second nature for them to say “Have you heard about CR?”

So how can you get your church leadership connected? Target them! That’s right target them through a campaign of encouragement. Have all your CR leaders send individual cards, not group cards to them. You want them overwhelmed by the number of cards they receive. Write on the cards how much you appreciate being given the opportunity to bring such a great ministry to your church, how much it has helped you, and how much it is helping people in your community and church.

And then to top it all off, we planned a formal Appreciation Dinner for our elders and staff. All of our CR leaders dressed in black pants and white shirts and served them an amazing dinner. When dinner was over we gathered around them in a circle as they stayed seated and we prayed over them thanking God for their leadership and support. They never have forgotten that night! Our leaders have become our greatest advocates.  And it all starts with a little encouragement.

Peace,

Mac

Avoiding Stress and Burnout in Celebrate Recovery

Ministry Leader, I  am often asked how one can continue leading year-after-year, and still be fresh and vital in the ministry of Celebrate Recovery?

The answer is to remain involved in your own recovery, to focus on your growth in Christ and recovery. It is highly important that every member of your TEAM and each volunteer in your Celebrate Recovery ministry keep in contact with the accountabiulity and support that got them where they are in the first place.

Some of the biggest disasters I've observed over the years have been leaders who focus on "doing" recovery, helping others, while neglecting their health and progress in their spiritual walk - and their walk of recovery.

No matter what happens, no matter the trials, ramain faithful to your call to Christ and recovery. You will be a success and you will overcome in His name.

Celebrating Recovery - each day in Christ! - Jim