Celebrate Recovery is an American
Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
twelve-step program
Twelve-step programs are international mutual aid programs supporting recovery from substance addictions, behavioral addictions and compulsions. Developed in the 1930s, the first twelve-step program, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), founded by B ...
designed to facilitate
recovery from a wide variety of troubling behavior patterns. The global headquarters is in
Lake Forest, California,
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
.
History
The organization was founded in 1991 by John Baker, a former
alcoholic
Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World Hea ...
staff member of
Saddleback Church with the support of Pastor
Rick Warren. John Baker served as the primary author of The Celebrate Recovery curriculum and materials. In 2004, the program was approved by the California Department of Corrections and entered prisons.
In 2020, the organization was present in 10 countries around the world.
Programs
Celebrate Recovery is a recovery program aimed at all "hurts, habits, and hang-ups", including but not exclusive to: high anxiety; co-dependency; compulsive behaviors; sex addiction; financial dysfunction; drug and alcohol addictions; and eating disorders. Celebrate Recovery is one of the seven largest
addiction recovery support group programs. Promotional materials assert that over 5 million people have participated in a Celebrate Recovery step study in over 35,000 churches. Leaders seek to normalize substance abuse as similar to other personal problems common to all people.
Methods
Celebrate Recovery uses both the 12 steps developed by
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a global, peer-led Mutual aid, mutual-aid fellowship focused on an abstinence-based recovery model from alcoholism through its spiritually inclined twelve-step program. AA's Twelve Traditions, besides emphasizing anon ...
and a very similar set of eight sequential principles that are understood as a lesson of
Jesus
Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
'
Beatitudes
The Beatitudes () are blessings recounted by Jesus in Matthew 5:3–10 within the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew, and four in the Sermon on the Plain in the Gospel of Luke, followed by four woes which mirror the blessings.
In ...
. In addition to issue non-specific large group gatherings and individual mentoring, Celebrate Recovery encourages participants to form a small group of "
accountability partners" who all have the same problem and support one another closely. Celebrate Recovery groups are held under the management of local church organizations. A study of Celebrate Recovery participants published in 2011 by the ''Journal of Religion and Health'', found that levels of spirituality were associated with greater confidence to resist substance use. Celebrate Recovery has not been significantly studied, so there is no empirical evidence regarding the impacts or efficacy of the Celebrate Recovery program.
Program fidelity constraints
The name Celebrate Recovery is a registered
trademark
A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a form of intellectual property that consists of a word, phrase, symbol, design, or a combination that identifies a Good (economics and accounting), product or Service (economics), service f ...
of John Baker, and the national Celebrate Recovery organization requires that groups using this name hold closely to a standardized format. They may not use resources outside of
the Bible and authorized Celebrate Recovery curriculum materials.
Group facilitators must be trained and agree to a list of expectations, including standardized guidelines
at each meeting.
See also
*
Addiction recovery groups
Drug addiction recovery groups are voluntary associations of people who share a common desire to overcome their drug addiction. Different groups use different methods, ranging from completely secular to explicitly spiritual. Some programs may advoc ...
*
List of twelve-step groups
*
Recovery model
The recovery model, recovery approach or psychological recovery is an approach to mental disorder or substance dependence that emphasizes and supports a person's potential for recovery. Recovery is generally seen in this model as a personal journe ...
*
Self-help groups for mental health
Notes
References
* Baker, John. Stepping out of Denial into God's Grace: Participant's Guide, 1. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1998. Print.
* Baker, John, and Richard Warren. Taking an Honest and Spiritual Inventory: Participant's Guide 2: A Recovery Program Based on Eight Principles from the Beatitudes. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Pub. House, 1998. Print.
* Baker, John, and Richard Warren. Celebrate Recovery: Getting Right with God, Yourself, and Others: Participant Guide, 3. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Pub. House, 1998. Print.
* Baker, John, and Richard Warren. Celebrate Recovery: Growing in Christ While Helping Others: Participant Guide 4. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Pub. House, 1998. Print.
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* Baker, John. Your First Step to Celebrate Recovery: How God Can Heal Your Life. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012. Print.
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Further reading
* Spriggs, J. David, and Eric Sloter. "Counselor-Clergy Collaboration in a Church-based Counseling Ministry." Journal of Psychology & Christianity 22.4 (2003).
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External links
Celebrate Recovery official websiteCelebrate Recovery UK
1991 establishments in California
Christian education
Christian organizations established in 1991
Christianity and alcohol
Twelve-step programs