Pam, myself and nine other people from Believers Church
Celebrate Recovery were fortunate enough to be able to go to the annual CR
Summit in California this year. It was CR’s 25th anniversary. Saying
it was awesome just does not do it justice. What a wonderful time of
celebration, of inspiration, of training, of motivation and encouragement.
After 25 years of CR there are now approximately 29,000 official Celebrate
Recovery Groups across the country and around the world. This ministry works!
The place was packed out, 3300 people together for three
days celebrating what God has done in their lives. And not just celebrating but
learning how to carry the message that there is a God, He does care about you
and He has the power to help you recover, set you free and transform your life.
Most people come to CR initially to get help for themselves
or someone they love. But as they begin to get free from their hurts, habits
and hang ups they realize it’s far bigger than just their own healing. There is
a devotion in the Life Recovery bible that says it well and it is one of my
favorites, entitled “Our Mission” it reads; “A life set free from all
addictions by the Lord is a beautiful sight to behold. When we practice these
principles and share our experiences, people will see the glory of God in our
life and gain hope. We know from experience the depths of suffering,
affliction, and brokenness. We know the pain of being enslaved to our passions
and blinded by our denial. We have endured our seasons of grieving. We can
relate to those who struggle to be free. We also know that there is more to
life than bondage. In Christ are healing and freedom, clarity and mercy, beauty
and joy. When Jesus came to earth he had a mission, which was expressed in
these words: “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has
anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the
brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will
be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s
favor has come…. To all who mourn… he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a
joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair” (Isaiah
61:1-3).
This mission has been passed on to us. Some people talk
about “preaching the gospel” but may alienate those who need the Good News the
most. We are in a unique position to share our experiences, our strengths, and
our hope in a way that broken people can understand and receive it.”
Thank you for traveling with us on this wonderful mission!
Free in Christ,
Jim & Pam
