By Mary-Justine Lanyon
Celebrate Recovery – a faith-based recovery program – is coming to the mountain.
“Our church has experienced some tragic loss due to addiction over the last year,” said Pastor Daniel Meers of Woodlands Church. “We are also aware of the drug problems that are plaguing our community and even schools.”
Church members Heather and Nate McDonald are starting and will be leading this program, which will begin on April 12.
Celebrate Recovery, Heather said, “has eight principles based on the eight Beatitudes.” A traditional recovery program talks about a higher power, she noted, “but doesn’t say what it is. Celebrate Recovery is specific about that higher power being Jesus Christ.”
The program will address any hurt, hang-up or habit, Nate said. “Everyone has something they’ve been hurt from, addicted to. You can’t walk down the street or among friends or family members without finding someone who has been hurt by a habit.”
The program, the couple said, started in 1991 with a letter written by John Baker to Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest about wanting to bring healing and restoration to individuals and families whose lives had been fractured by hurts, hang-ups and habits. Since then, it has spread to 37,000 churches internationally.
“And now it will be at 37,001,” Nate said.
He and Heather come to Celebrate Recovery with their own stories of addiction and recovery.
Nate had broken his ankle, had surgery and ended up with a nerve disease. He was prescribed pain pills. Ten years went by with bottle after bottle of pills being prescribed.
“I wasn’t sleeping and suffered from depression,” Nate said. Eventually the disease went into remission – “God healed me,” Nate said. His pain subsided and he figured he didn’t need the medications anymore. “I got sick, had bad withdrawals. It took me 2-1/2 months to wean myself off them.
“I kept praying to God, saying, ‘You took this disease – help me get off these medications.’”
Nate didn’t know about Celebrate Recovery until finding his way to Woodlands Church and talking with Pastor Meers. When Meers told him about the death they had experienced in the church from an overdose, “It really hit me,” Nate said. “What struck me is it could have been me. At my lowest point, I almost committed suicide. I asked myself why I wasn’t doing something for people in the same situation I was in – help them get to a better place.
“God has been here every step of the way. Everything has fallen into place.”
As for Heather, she is a recovering alcoholic. “I am still trying to forgive myself,” she said. “I could have been a better mother if I weren’t an alcoholic.”
During her 20-plus years of drinking, Heather said, she was a functioning alcoholic. “I drank too much every day, even more on weekends. It wasn’t social drinking – I was home alone and happy drinking. I was depressed.
“Addiction doesn’t just affect the one person,” she added. “What we love about this program is it touches on everything, not just substance abuse but other hurts and hang-ups.”
Initially, the McDonalds will offer one general meeting. As they grow – and gain more volunteers – they will be able to break up into different groups depending on the person’s hurt, hang-up or habit. The participants, Nate said, “will have a better connection if they are with someone going through the same thing.”
Celebrate Recovery offers programs for youth and for younger children. Many spouses, Nate said, attend the general meetings.
“Once we started mentioning the program to the folks at Woodlands Church,” Nate said, “we ended up with so many volunteers, it’s mind boggling.”
“The whole team is so excited,” Heather added. “Everyone has their own reasons. We’re all excited to heal with our community – we’re on this journey together.”
Celebrate Recovery meetings will take place in the education building adjacent to the Crestline First Baptist Church at 533 Springy Path on Fridays from 6:30 to 8 p.m., beginning April 12. Folks are welcome to just show up.
For more information on the program, visit www.celebraterecovery.com.
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