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Hoosier United Methodist News Archives
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May/June 2006 |
Church program welcomes community
Recovery with Christ ministry in Fort Wayne makes a difference
By Nancy Vendrely
The Journal Gazette
Celebrate Recovery.
Even the name of this outreach program, recently started at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, conveys the nature of this Christian-based recovery program, which originated at Rick Warren's mega-church, Saddleback, in Lake Forest, Calif.
Aldersgate senior pastor the Rev. Brian Witwer says of the recovery program, "It emphasizes positive aspects and doesn't dwell in gloom and doom. It's all in the name."
"It's not living in the past and our misery and where we failed, but accepting it and moving forward," associate pastor Don Wismer says. "It's about healing."
"This is not just about drugs or alcohol. This is for any hurts, habits and hang-ups - anything that comes along."
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Since Celebrate Recovery was founded at Saddleback 14 years ago, 7,500 people have gone through the program there, and the church Web site says the program is now in 3,500 congregations in the United States and 14 other countries.
Wismer, in his role as small-group pastor, went to a seminar in Michigan to learn about Celebrate Recovery and liked what he saw. When Ellen Rhoads was hired as a pastoral assistant to be in charge of the program at Aldersgate, she was sent to Saddleback for a training seminar attended by 3,000 people from across the U.S. and a dozen other countries. Both are enthusiastic about the program.
"This is not just about drugs or alcohol," Wismer says. "This is for any hurts, habits and hang-ups - anything that comes along."
That "anything" might be chemical dependency; co-dependence and relationship issues; sexual, emotional or physical abuse; guilt; shame; fear; anxiety; grief; relationship loss; sexual addiction; food addiction; eating disorders; gambling; even workaholism.
"We aren't trying to be counselors or therapists," Wismer says. "It's about getting real, admitting your issue and working it out in a faith environment."
"We're here to support one another; we're not here to fix one another," Rhoads says.
The recovery program is an outreach of the church, and therefore, is open to the public. It isn't necessary to be a member of Aldersgate or any other church, Wismer says. And, there is no charge for the program. People can just show up for the regular Wednesday night program, or they can call ahead for more information.
The evening begins at 7 p.m. with a group gathering for worship and music. These half-hour sessions explore the eight recovery principles found in the Beatitudes and a 12-step guide that includes Scriptures. Then participants break into small groups, separated by gender and recovery issues.
"Small groups are supposed to be issue-specific," Rhoads says, "but when you first start out, they can't be. Eventually, all issues will be in separate small groups."
For now, the men are meeting in one group and the women in another, and there may be as many issues as people at this point. There have been only five meetings so far.
The sharing in groups remains confidential. The goal is to provide a safe place where people can talk about their issues, gain encouragement from others, follow the Christ-centered steps and biblical principles, and grow spiritually through recovery.
Each evening ends at the Day By Day Cafe, where participants can have coffee and refreshments and form friendships and accountability relationships.
The mission statement says: "The purpose of Celebrate Recovery is to encourage fellowship and to celebrate God's healing power in our lives as we work our way along the road to recovery."
"It is all based on God's word," Wismer says. "It is forward-thinking, not dwelling in the past."
Warren, author of The Purpose-Driven Life, says on Saddleback's Web site that the program has seven important features. Besides being "based on God's word," it is forward-looking, emphasizes personal responsibility and spiritual commitment to Jesus Christ, uses the biblical truth that people need each other to grow spiritually and emotionally, addresses all types of recovery issues and produces lay ministers "from people who have found recovery in Christ."
"It's not a program that's real big yet in Indiana," Rhoads says. "But Bob McDowell in Goshen is a state coordinator, in charge of training and getting programs started."
Interested churches can call Aldersgate at 260-432-1524 for more information.
Of Indiana's 30 existing Celebrate Recovery programs, three are in Fort Wayne. Besides Aldersgate's program, there is one at Fellowship Missionary Church on Thursday nights and one at Grace Point Church of the Nazarene on Wednesday nights.
Aldersgate United Methodist Church is at 2417 Getz Road. Meetings are weekly, 52 weeks a year, even on holidays.
Clint Keller/The Journal Gazette: Aldersgate United Methodist Church pastoral assistant Ellen Rhoads and associate pastor Don Wismer are part of a team that has brought to the church a Christian-based community-outreach recovery program. Copyright (c) 2005 The Journal Gazette.
Last updated on 25 Apr 2008