Celebrate Recovery is a Christ centered 12-step program designed to help people

address the addictive patterns in their lives. Experience God's healing power and learn

important principles found in his Word that can help you every day.

Celebrate Recovery was founded in 1991 as a ministry of Saddleback Church by Pastor

John and Cheryl Baker. John shared with Senior Pastor Rick Warren a vision God had

given him for a new Christ-centered ministry where people could find freedom from their

hurts, hang-ups, and habits.

Thousands of churches have started a Celebrate Recovery ministry around the world,

and that number continues to grow. Celebrate Recovery is not just growing in churches,

but in recovery houses, rescue missions, universities, and prisons around the world. It

continues to be a growing global movement. 

The need for Celebrate Recovery is unmistakable, being a safe place for people to

find freedom from the issues controlling their lives.

We all have hurts, habits, and hang-ups. We want you to know that Celebrate Recovery

is a place where it’s okay to not be okay. But here’s the cool part—you don’t have to

stay that way. God’s radical grace provides not only a way out of the mess but healing in

the midst of it. No matter what you’re facing and no matter what you’re going through,

we’re committed to navigating through the tough stuff with you.

All facilitators for these groups have walked through their own challenges and now

return to assist others in their journey. These groups meet throughout the year — you

do not need to register in advance and can join the group at any time.

The large group meeting is designed for the participant to set aside the

busyness and stress of the outside world by entering into a time of prayer,

praise and worship, and teaching as a way of getting in touch with the one

and only Higher Power, Jesus Christ. We alternate lessons and testimonies

each week.

The open share small group meets immediately after the large group

meeting and provides a place for the participant to connect with other

Celebrate Recovery attendees. This is a safe place where participants can be

in gender-specific groups and issue-specific groups.

Newcomers 101 is for first-time attendees and will help you better understand

what Celebrate Recovery is all about as well as provide you the opportunity to

ask questions or process your feelings in a safe environment before you make

a commitment to a small group.

After you’ve attended Celebrate Recovery for a while, you will join a step

study. The step study small group is for those who are ready to delve deeper

into their past and the choices they have made. This is where participants will

see real, lasting changes start to happen. Step studies take place another

night of the week.

Step 1: We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and compulsive behaviors,

that our lives had become unmanageable.

1. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I

have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. (Romans 7:18)

Step 2: We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

1. For it is God who is at work in you to will and to act according to his good

purpose. (Philippians 2:13)

Step 3: We made a decision to turn our lives and our wills over to the care of God.

1.  Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your

bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual

act of worship. (Romans 12:1)

Step 4: We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

1. Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD.

(Lamentations 3:40)

Step 5: We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being, the exact nature of

our wrongs.

1. Therefore, confess your sins to each other, and pray for each other, so

that you may be healed. (James 5:16)

Step 6: We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

1.  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (James 4:10)

Step 7: We humbly asked Him to remove all our shortcomings.

1.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins

and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

Step 8: We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make. amends

to them all.

1. Do to others as you would have them do to you. (Luke 6:31)

Step 9: We made direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so

would injure them or others.

1. Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember

that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front

of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother, and then come and

offer your gift. (Matthew 5:23-24)

Step 10: We continue to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly

admitted it.

1. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! (1

Corinthians 10:12)

Step 11: We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with

God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

1.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. (Colossians 3:16)

Step 12: Having had a spiritual experience as the result of these steps, we tried to carry

this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

1.  Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should

restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.

(Galatians 6:1)

1. Realize I’m not God. I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency

to do the wrong thing and that my life is unmanageable. (Step 1)

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 5:3 NIV

2. Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to Him and that He has

the power to help me recover. (Step 2)

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5:4 NIV

3. Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and

control. (Step 3)

“Blessed are the meek,for they will inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5 NIV

4. Openly examine and confess my hurts, hang-ups and habits to myself,

to God, and to someone I trust. (Steps 4 and 5)

“Blessed are the pure in heart,for they will see God.” Matthew 5:8 NIV

5. Voluntarily submit to any and all changes God wants to make in my life

and humbly ask Him to remove my character defects. (Steps 6 and 7)

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will

be filled.” Matthew 5:6 NIV

6. Evaluate all my relationships. Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt

me and make amends for harm I’ve done to others when possible,

except when to do so would harm them or others. (Steps 8 and 9)

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

Matthew 5:7 NIV

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

Matthew 5:9 NIV

7. Reserve a daily time with God for self-examination, Bible reading, and

prayer in order to know God and His will for my life and to gain the

power to follow His will. (Steps 10 and 11)

8. Yield myself to God to be used to bring this Good News to others, both

by my example and my words. (Step 12)

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:10 NIV