A GATHERING OF PEOPLE WITH HURTS,HABITS AND HANG-UPS

By Amanda Moya

Every Friday night at 6:15 p.m. a group of people in recovery meets, it is called, “Celebrate Recovery”

Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-based meeting for everyone with habits, hurts, and hang-ups. It is held at Asbury United Methodist Church on the corner of South Staples and Yorktown.

The meeting has three parts they are dinner from 6:15 p.m. till 7:00 p.m.which is homemade by the group, tonight was spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread, green beans, and dessert all this for $2.50. This leads into Praise and Worship that is lead by Debra Scott-Brown, who herself is in recovery. This time is filled with lots of singing and even dancing in the pews. We sang with her What An Awesome God, Brothers and Sisters, and many other favorites, as we held hands, raised our hands, and took up an offering for the group to use for books and other needed things. There is also time to go to the Altar and pray.

Then, a young man got up to do his testimony, he spoke about how the program has helped him and made him stronger in Christ. He talked about that he had been a part of an abusive relationship for a long period of time, and that he needed help to make the changes he needed to make. That it took him having to go to the jail annex for him to get into this program, to make changes. And today, he is different. I could not get ahold of him for comment after this. Right after his testimony, there is a little more singing and then everyone goes upstairs were they are broken down into two groups of men and women. This is where the testimony is discussed and they can speak freely about how it can help them to change also.

Friday night, February 1, 2019, there were approximately 150 people in the sanctuary, for the meeting.

I spoke with Dotty White who herself is a recovering alcoholic and has been for over 28 years. Now, she leads the women’s group. She said,

“Celebrate Recovery has been a blessing to her in so many ways, that it has helped her to be a better mom and grandma, to her children and grandchildren. That attend with her.”

Celebrate Recovery is a 12-step program that members walk through the steps together in groups and also as individuals. So this gives each one of the members a chance to express what they are going through and get the extra help that they seek. It is a lot like Alcoholics Anonymous that also has a 12 step program. Celebrate Recovery is Christ-based though, and the man that started it intends for it to stay that way.

I spoke to Jon Baker, from Saddleback Church on February 4, 2019. He said, “ That Celebrate Recovery was born, from God, and God gave it to him as a way for him to deal with his own Alcoholism. This is the reason why it is still going strong after 26 years.”

Celebrate Recovery started in 1992, in Saddleback Church, in California. Jon Baker was the one that wrote the whole program, and books, devotionals, and added Devotionals to the Bible for participants. To date, Celebrate Recovery has helped more than 26,000 people across the world. This program is supported by Saddleback Church and Rick Warren, who is the author of “The Purpose Driven Life” Rick Warren himself has done program.

One of the participants at the meeting said, “ That without this meeting on Friday evenings, life would not be the same, as it is now.” I asked what that meant and was told, “Let’s put it this way, if you met me before this meeting I would not want to be your friend, but most likely your enemy instead. I was not nice at all.”

In Corpus Christi, this meeting is currently run by Valerie Caldwell, Chuck Votzmeyer, and many other leaders that serve in different capacities. As the program is meant to help those that seek it out. Asbury Church is behind the program and the Pastor, Tom M. Tarvor, will sometimes come in and lead service.

White said, “When the Pastor comes in the service does not change much at all. It stays the same, although sometimes he adds his own style to the service.”

Celebrate Recovery is there for anyone and you do not have to meet certain criteria to attend the meetings. All you have to do is show up at Asbury United Methodist Church on Friday night at 6:15 p.m. All are welcome.