Celebrate Recovery

Celebrate Recovery (CR) is an international, Christian twelve-step 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. Promotional materials assert that over 3.5 million people have participated in a Celebrate Recovery step study in over 29,000 churches Approximately two-thirds of these participants are in recovery for something other than drugs or alcohol. In addition to the 12 Steps, Celebrate Recovery utilizes eight Recovery Principles that are based on the Sermon on the Mount. The name Celebrate Recovery is a registered trademark of John Baker, and groups using this name may not use resources outside of the Bible and authorized Celebrate Recovery curriculum materials.

John Baker was a an alcoholic and staff member of Saddleback Church who began healing through Alcoholics Anonymous. He wanted a specifically Christian addiction recovery group, so with the support of Rick Warren, Celebrate Recovery began as a ministry of Saddleback Church under Baker's leadership in 1990. John Baker continues to be the primary author of The Celebrate Recovery curriculum and materials.

Celebrate Recovery utilizes three different types of meetings. The Large Group and Open Share Groups are held on the same night. These groups are typically preceded by a meal time and are followed by a time for refreshments and connections.

Large Group consists of a time of worship, announcements, the reading of the 12 Steps and/or 8 Recovery Principles, the presentation of either one of 25 lessons based on these steps/principles or the testimony of a Celebrate Recovery participant, a chip ceremony recognizing lengths of sobriety/victory over hurts, habits, and hang-ups through, and the reading of the complete version of Reinhold Niebuhr's Serenity Prayer. Large Group typically lasts one hour.

Immediately after Large Group, participants break out into open share groups. Each open share group is gender-specific and issue-specific. These groups are facilitated by trained group leaders who share and maintain the Five Small Group Guidelines at each meeting. Open Share Group participants are free to share about their victories and struggles in their particular area of recovery. Open Share Groups typically last one hour.

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