I encourage All CR Groups to post their location on the Celebrate Recovery Global Directory. We receive 100’s of e-mails and phone calls a month from individuals looking to find a CR Group in their area. Considering that the CR Directory is our only resource, it is only as good as the information provided to us!

In order to be posted on the CR Directory, your group must meet the DNA of an authentic Celebrate Recovery. To verify that your group has met this requirement visit www.celebraterecovery.com

1. Select the “About” tab
2. Select “Can I Use The Celebrate Recovery Name?”

Once you have verified that your group meets the DNA of an authentic Celebrate Recovery you are ready to begin the process of posting your group on the CR Directory.

     3. Select the “Find a Group” Tab

     4. Select “Want to add your CR Group to our database? Contact Us!”

     5. An e-mail will be created. In this e-mail please include the follow information:

• Church Name
• Address
• Phone Contacts
• E-mail Contacts
• Website Address (if available)
• Group Meeting Information (ex: Fridays 7:00pm; Dinner 6:00pm; General Meeting 7:00pm; Open Share Groups 8:00pm; Solid Rock Café 9:00pm; the Landing (for Teens); Childcare Available

      6. Send the e-mail

The approval Process:

You will receive an e-mail verifying that your request has been received. This e-mail will include the contact information for your CR State Rep and/or your CR Regional Director, along with an attachment of the Celebrate Recovery “Trademark Statement and DNA Requirements”. These requirements will need to be adhered to in order to be approved for the website. In addition your new ministry will need to be up and running for 90-days to work through any logistical issues or leadership concerns.

Your request will be forwarded on to your CR State Rep and/or your CR Regional Director for approval. Once your State Rep receives the request he/she will contact you to set up a time to visit your CR Group. Please communicate directly with your State Rep on a regular basis to work through any questions, concerns, or hurdles you may face.

As soon as approval from your CR State Rep and/or Regional Director is given, your request will be filled and your group will be posted on the CR Global Directory. This process can take up to 4-6 weeks.

To make any updates or changes to listings already on the Celebrate Recovery Global Directory you will need to contact your CR State Rep and/or Regional Director. This can include updates to phone numbers, meeting times, contact information, etc… You will find contact information for your State Representative on the back pages of your Summit Notebook and/or your 1-Day 7-Keys/ALT notebook.

Tina Davis

National Training Coach

Here at the CR Model we encourage individuals to take their recovery chips based on their entire length of sobriety. This includes sobriety earned prior to their attending Celebrate Recovery.

The only exception to this would be in the case when “Outside Recovery Programs” have a different definition of sobriety than Celebrate Recovery. For instance, Celebrate Recovery is a Christ centered recovery program that requires total abstinence. Some “Outside Recovery Program’s” definition of sobriety may be “self-defined”, also known as, “your bottom line”. In this case, we simply ask the individual to respect CR’s definition of sobriety and not take a CR chip.

Ultimately, we cannot dictate when a person may take a chip. In the event you personally know of a CR Participant that does not retain CR’s definition of sobriety, yet still takes a chip, as Leaders we should not intervene. We can rely on the Holy Spirit to work in that individual’s heart. However, in the case of CR Group Leaders, they are required to hold true to CR’s definitions of sobriety for the group in which they are leading.

“To thy self be true!”

Tina Davis

National Training Coach

For more blogs about sobriety chips type “tips on chips” in the "Search here" box.

Offering a BBQ and Solid Rock Café encourages individuals to meet either before or after or both as they develop new healthy relationships. Eventually these relationships will grow into a support team of sponsors and accountability partners.   

At the CR model we charge for dinner and desserts.  The charge is based on our cost. We never make a profit but strive to break even.  Even with charging we sometimes end up in the red.  The only free item we offer is our fabulous church coffee and entry to our Solid Rock Café.  This way no one will ever feel left out from attending fellowship after Open Share group time.  In any event, if you have not been charging and now find yourself in a situation where your budget can no longer cover your food expenses here is a suggested transition from free to fee.

During your large group announcements, make a general announcement saying, “to help cover our dinner costs, we have created a new menu price list.”  Another option is, “We are committed to offering a safe place for fellowship, to help us continue to offer dinner and desserts, we have created a new menu price list” Provide a bulletin insert with your menu and prices.  After your initial announcement you would not necessarily have to make another announcement the following week because the newcomer does not know there was a charge.  However, if someone who has not attended your CR for a while shows up for dinner and has no money, consider giving him/her a free dinner just for that night.  Another case to consider giving out a free meal is to a newcomer who was unaware that there was a cost and does not have money to pay for the meal.    

For participants who attend on a weekly basis who cannot afford to purchase dinner, keep in mind that what you do for one you must be prepared to do for everyone.  Don’t forget why you needed to start charging in the first place. 

One last thought, volunteers who serve your dinner should not expect to eat for free.  If they are eating for free they are not serving.  To this day, for the past 20 years, Pastor John Baker has paid for every meal and every dessert he has ever eaten at CR.  He’s so awesome!

I hope this helps you decide what is best for your CR Group.

Tina Davis

National Training Coach

The time to start a new Open Share Group is once you have a qualified trained leader and co-leader for the new group. It is not a matter of waiting until you have a certain number of people attending who struggle in a particular area of recovery.

Once you are ready to start a new Open Share Group be very thoughtful in how you present this to your current mixed recovery group. I know that I am a real stickler when it comes to “words we say,” but the reality is that the way we communicate change can and will affect the way your leaders and participants respond to the changes.

Change can be especially tough for those who have been a part of the group since the beginning; this growth must be handled in the most positive light. Avoid saying, “splitting the groups.” There is a bond that has already formed. When you say “splitting”, participants may feel like they are losing someone. Instead say, “we are starting a new group!’ This translates to the leaders and participants that our program is growing and that they have been instrumental in that growth!

Why start new Open Share Groups:

I experienced, first hand, how important it is to have Open Share Groups that are specific for each area of recovery. For 5 months I participated in an Open Share group with mixed recovery issues. I watched as women would cycle through the group. The reality was that many of the women were not able to relate specifically to each other’s area of recovery and so they didn’t keep coming back. We of course had a core group of women who attended each week. While some of these women were comfortable to open up and really work their recovery, others struggled to open up and be completely honest. The group became a place where some of the women could hide out and their growth in their recovery became stagnate. For instances; when we were finally able to start the Women’s Chemical Addiction Open Share Group the truth came out. I was shocked to hear that some of the women who had been attending the mixed group were still drinking! There was no true accountability in the mixed Open Share group.

Until you are ready to start a new group, I suggest you start a Hurts, Hang-ups and Habits group.  CR participants will natural gravitate to this group if there is not a group specific to his/her area of recovery. For a copy of the group description for HHH, you may email me directly at tinad@saddleback.com.

I hope this helps!

Tina Davis

National Training Coach

Celebrate Recovery Materials

http://www.saddlebackresources.com

1-800-723-3532/1-877-727-8677

Celebrate Recovery Program Starter Kit

Celebrate Recovery Leaders Guide

Celebrate Recovery Participant’s Guides

Advanced Leadership Training Guide (ALT)

Celebrate Recovery Journal

Celebrate Recovery Bible      

Life’s Healings Choices         

The Invitation - CD

Senior Pastor’s Support Video            

Testimonies To Go – Volume’s 1-8 (Dvd)

Celebrate Recovery “Words” (Dvd)

CD’S, Recovery Music

Spanish Resources

The Landing – New Item!                                                    

52-Week complementary resource to Celebrate Recovery designed for Jr. High and High School kids. The Landing is a dynamic resource that targets and assists teenagers.

Celebration Station                                                            

52-Week complementary children’s resource to Celebrate Recovery designed for 5- to 12 year-olds

Celebrate Recovery Worship                                              

http://celebraterecoveryworship.com/

Downloads; Songs, PowerPoint’s

Celebrate Recovery Visual Kits (Power Point)                  

www.eyeeffectsworship.com

eyeeffectsworship@gmail.com

Visual Kit 1 – Power Point of 25 Lessons/Worship/8 Recovery Principles  

Visual Kit 2 – Celebrate Recovery graphic’s/images/logo’s

Advanced Leadership Training Visual Kit – Power Point coincides w/ the ALT

Visual Kit 3 – Celebrate Recovery New graphics/CR Fonts/Logo’s

Celebrate Recovery Chips                                                   

www.celebraterecoverygear.com

30, 60, 90 days, 1 year, etc…

CR Shirts/Banners/Logo’s/lanyards   

On-Line Registration                                                           

www.celebraterecovery.com

1-Day Seminars; 7-keys & ALT’s

Annual 3-Day Summit – August 10-12, 2011

Celebrate Recovery Official Website!                                

www.celebraterecovery.com           

Find A CR Group, Training Blogs, & Pod Casts                

Why create a group leader binder?  There are two reasons.  One is to keep pertinent information at your leaders’ fingertips during Newcomers 101.  This provides support to your leaders’ and gives guidance in various situations.  Two; the information included in the binder holds leaders accountable to the DNA of an authentic CR Ministry.  Creating a binder is a way to convey how your leaders should be leading Newcomers 101. It is important to you and to the overall integrity of Celebrate Recovery. 

Suggested Content

(ALT) Advanced Leadership Training Guide

Group Tally Sheet Sample* 

Once a quarter, collect tally sheets from the Newcomer 101 Binder.  Use the information to evaluate how attendance is growing in your Newcomer 101 Group(s).  

Tina Davis

National Training Coach

Why create a group leader binder?  There are two reasons.  One is to keep pertinent information at your leaders’ fingertips during step study group.  This provides support to your leaders’ and gives guidance in various situations.  Two; the information included in the binder holds group leaders accountable to the DNA of an authentic CR Ministry.  Creating a binder is a way to convey how your leaders should be leading their step study group. It is important to you and to the overall integrity of Celebrate Recovery. 

Suggested Content  

Sample Phone List*

Next post to include Newcomer 101 Leader Binder... previous post includes Open Share Group Leader Binder.

Tina Davis

National Training Coach

Why create a group leader binder?  There are two reasons.  One is to keep pertinent information at your leaders’ fingertips during open share group.  This provides support to your leaders’ and gives guidance in various situations.  Two; the information included in the binder holds group leaders accountable to the DNA of an authentic CR Ministry.  Creating a binder is a way to convey how your leaders should be leading their open share group. It is important to you and to the overall integrity of Celebrate Recovery.

Suggested Binder Content

Group Tally Sheet Sample*

Once a quarter collect tally sheets from Open Share Binder.  Use the information to evaluate how attendance is growing in your Open Share Group(s).

Phone List Sample*

My next posts will include Newcomer 101 Leader Binder and Step Study Group Leader Binder.

Tina Davis

National Training Coach

Each Leader has an opportunity to share about all their areas of recovery and character defects in their small groups and certainly when they share their testimonies.  It is important that our Leaders set the example for our participants.  Although we cannot control how participants introduce themselves, each participant should state their area of recovery. If they don’t, other group members will feel awkward and unsafe to express their own.  At the very least, a newcomer may say, “Hi my name is _____, and I’m exploring this area of recovery.”

So why do we introduce ourselves to begin with?  As I was writing this blog, Pastor John Baker walked by my desk, so I asked him, “John, why do we introduce ourselves in this way?”  He said, “If I ever forget my struggles, and the pain and destruction they caused, I am more prone to repeat them.  It humbles me.  It helps me remember what Christ has done for me.”

So we introduce ourselves as believers because our identity is in Jesus Christ. We identify our struggles so that we don’t repeat them, and to offer hope to those struggling with the same issues.  Our introductions bring us closer together as a group by establishing accountability and strengthening our fellowship.

Tina Davis

National Training Coach

As Ministry leaders, we are responsible for ensuring that all participants are safe.  More often we think about keeping our groups safe; but what about our time of fellowship?  Celebrate Recovery is unique in that we offer “issue specific” groups for all areas of recovery.  For some, CR fellowship may be the only reprieve he/she has from living with an active drug addict or alcoholic.  The last thing we want is for someone to come, grab a hamburger at the CR barbeque, and have to sit next to an individual who is under the influence. 

We also want to ensure that the individual, who is under the influence, is safe.  This person could trip; fall down a set of stairs, etc… Additionally, having knowledge that someone is intoxicated and then allowing them to stay on campus may be a potential liability to your church.

Here are a few safety tips to use when you become aware that an individual is under the influence.

Ensure two people are tending to the individual.  These two people must be of the same gender as the intoxicated individual.  Do your best to avoid causing a scene.

• Anyone intoxicated should be calmly escorted away from the mainstream area.
• If necessary, inform your campus security. Campus security is often trained in this area and will be a helpful resource.
• If possible, acquire the individual’s car keys. 
• Offer to call a family member/friend to come pick them up.
• Call for a taxi.
• Offer a cup of coffee and wait with them.
• Get their phone number and give them a call the next day and invite them back to CR.  Recovery is not just about ensuring our CR Group is safe, but also to reach out and welcome others who are hurting.

 In the case the person does not relinquish their car keys:

• If possible, obtain their license plate #.
• Let the individual know you will need to inform the police that a driver, you believe to be under the influence, is operating a vehicle. Hopefully this will deter him/her from driving away. 

Keeping the Chemical Addiction Open Share Group Safe

In the case that an individual is already in a meeting, you may consider allowing her/him to stay.  But they should not be permitted to share.  During the guidelines, make this statement, “if anyone has had anything to drink or use today, to keep the group safe, we ask that you not share this evening.  If he/she is being disruptive, your co-leader should calmly escort him/her out of the group.  (Follow safety tips above)

Keeping mix issue group safe 

Our step studies are mixed area of recovery.  How are those trying to focus on workbook questions, going to feel sitting next to someone who is under the influence?  Here again, how safe does someone feel sitting next to someone who is under the influence?  How will an addict in recovery feel?  Will they feel distracted or have the urge to relapse?  In the case of mixed issue groups, have your co-leader calmly escort the individual outside the group.  (Follow Safety tips above.) 

As you’re deciding on the best way to handle the situation, ask yourself, “Is this current situation helping others feel safe?”   

Bonus Question:

“We have a participant attending CR who is struggling with alcohol. For the last 2 months or so they have found help in another area of recovery, however they relapsed two weeks ago and began drinking again. Recently as a leadership, we have decided to ask those struggling with substance abuse to stay with the substance abuse open share until they have had one year sobriety. Is that appropriate?” 

 REPLY:

Asking participants to attend another group is inappropriate.  CR Participants are free to attend whatever meeting they choose.  It is not our role, as a ministry, to dictate what group we think he/she needs to attend.  However, if a participant asks a leader what group he/she recommends he/she should attend, then by all means, a leader may respond honestly based on their experience.  Hopefully, as in all cases, as individuals are ready, he/she will choose the best group.  In this case, the good news is, this individual is attending CR!

Tina Davis

National Training Coach