Anniversary Time - Great Rejoicing in Celebrate Recovery

This past November, Pastor John and Cheryl Baker celebrated SEVENTEEN years of loving and serving people at Saddleback Church's Celebrate Recovery ministry. A great time was had by all, whether part of leadership for years, or showing up the first time as a newcomer.

All year long, there are many other anniversary celebrations in CR ministries across the country and around the globe.

On many occasions I've had the opportunity to drop a note of congratulations to the ministry leader and team who are working hard to faithfully operate a ministry that is meeting the needs of people from the church and community every week of the year.

Last week, Paula and I had a great opportunity to join Marty and Carri Kennedy, friends through CR who were celebrating a four year anniversary at Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler, TX (pictured above). It was an awesome evening rejoicing with 300 people who were there to mark a special occasion in the life of a recovery ministry serving one of the largest churches in East Texas. National Assimilation Coach, Mac Owen and his wife Mary , were part of the celebration as well.

You will often be encouraged in CR with the concept "we are better together". The leadership of the ministry at Green Acres is formed with the help and encouragement of several churches that have banded together to provide the volunteer manpower necessary to carry out the large group and open share on Monday night, along with step studies that occur other times during the week.

Through networking and cooperation, Marty and his team have successfully raised other leaders who have since started Celebrate Recovery at several churches in and near the Tyler area.

Ministry leader - I know many of us put the name of our church on the shirts we design for the leaders or participants of our ministries, but this team thinks so much of community networking, the shirts that are provided to the leaders and participants say "Celebrate Recovery - Tyler Texas". Truly a sign they are a community minded resource. - looking well beyond the walls of the church to meet the needs around them.

Another observation is that Celebrate Recovery functions as another door to the church, noting that many of the Celebrate Recovery participants seek a growing relationship with Christ through the great Bible teaching of Green Acres.

If you have leaders who have never been to a One Day Seminar, if you have experienced leaders who need to go to the Advanced Leadership track, please drop by CelebrateRecovery.COM

to check out upcoming training opportunities for Winter and Spring 2009. Drop by and say "hi!" when you come to any of these events!

Celebrating Recovery - each day in Christ! - Jim

jimk@saddleback.com