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Program Description

Christian Recovery is a ministry of recovery from life's "hurts, habits, and hang-ups" (including, but not limited to, typical susbance abuse issues) with Jesus Christ as our loving Higher Power that was developed at Saddleback Church in southern California in 1993, using the Celebrate Recovery curriculum.  Since then, this recovery ministry has spread to many churches, including Christ Community Church in Allegan, across the United States and into some foreign countries.  The main recovery reference is the Bible, along with four Study Guides developed at Saddleback Church.  The essence of this recovery program is for each individual to work through the 8 Biblical Recovery Principles that constitute the program (they are analogous to the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous).  Many person have been helped by this recovery program in California and elsewhere.

Our Christian Recovery group began January 7, 2008 and meets at Christ Community Church on Saturday mornings at 10:00 A.M.  Call the church office if you have questions at 269.673.2329.

Welcome Newcomers!

The purpose of Christian Recovery is to fellowship and celebrate God's healing power in our lives through the 8 Recovery Principles found in the Beatitudes and Christ-centered 12 Steps.  This experience allows us to be changed.  We open the door by sharing our experiences, victories, and hopes with one another.  In addition, we become willing to accept God's grace in solving our life problems.

By working the Christ-centered steps and applying their Biblical principles found in the Beatitudes, we begin to grow spiritually.  We become free from our addictive, compulsive, and dysfunctional behaviors.  This freedom creates peace, serenity, joy, and most importantly, a stronger personal relationship with God and others.

A we progress through the principles and the steps, we discover our personal, loving, and forgiving Higher Power -- Jesus Christ.

Welcome to an Amazing Spiritual Adventure!

Our Facilitiator

Richard A. Brown was born and raised in Cheshire Township, about seven miles south of Allegan, and graduated from Allegan High School in 1964.  His family attended the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Allegan until his father died in 1963.  Due to his father's sudden death, and the normal struggles of an adolescent boy, Richard's emotional life was in turmoil for several years; although he probably looked fine outwardly.  He made the great mistake of turning away from God, with whom he was angry, and toward alcohol and pornographic magazines for comfort.

He obtained a BS in Geology from Michigan State University in 1968.  Upon graduation, he married a good woman and got a good job with the oil industry in California.  Although the marriage was in an Episcopal church, it was doomed because of Richard's increasing habitual addictions and the lack of personal relationship with Jesus.  In California, the drinking (and occasional use of drugs) increased, as did his obsession with prnography, which had graduated to visiting strip clubs and later to adultery.  Richard's first wife divorced him in 1974.  He married another good woman in 1976.

At the end of 1976, Richard joined Alcoholics Anonymous, a secular 12-step recovery group for alcoholism, because of his many troubles related to drinking, including the loss of a good job and marital problems.  He stopped drinking for good through application of the 12 Steps of AA and began helping others to do the same.

Richard's second marriage ended in 1986.  His personal relationship, especially with women, were all failing and he sought his way back to God (like the Prodigal Son of Luke 15).

By 1992, Richard had given his life to Christ and began the process of turning all aspects of his life over to Him.  In late 1992, he joined a Christian men's group dealing with sexual purity and then joined a secular 12-step program dealing with sexual issues.  Soon, he was leading the 12-step recovery groups for sexual issues as well as for alcoholism.

In 2002, Richard established a Christian men's sexual recovery group with the aid of the pastors of a church in California; he led that group for 4 1/2 years.  Then, in 2006, the Celebrate Recovery program was established in the church, which is a Christian recovery program that incorporates all "hurts, habits, and hang-ups" that anyone may be dealing with based on the Bible.

Richard retired in 2007 and returned to his hometown of Allegan.  It is his fondest desire to do ministry helping others to obtain recovery from any "hurts, habits and hang-ups", as he has, through the power of Jesus Christ and the Christian Recovery program offered at Christ Community Church.

Celebrate Recovery Small Groups WILL:

• Provide you with a safe place to share your experiences, victories, and hopes with others who are going through a Christ-centered recovery.
• Provide you with a leader who has gone through a similar hurt, habit or hang-up who will facilitate the group as it focuses on a particular principle each week.  The leader will also keep Celebrate Recovery's "Five Small Group Guidelines".
• Provide you with the opportunity to find an accountability partner or a sponsor.
• Encourage you to attend other recovery meetings held throughout the week.

Celebrate Recovery Small Groups WILL NOT:

• Attempt to offer any professional clinical advice.  Our leaders are not counselors.
• Allow its members to attempt to "fix" one another.

Five Small Group Guidelines

1. Keep your sharing focused on your own thoughts, feelings.
2. Please limit your sharing to 3-5 minutes. There is NO cross talk, please.  Cross talk is when two people engage in a dialogue during the meeting.
3. Each person is free to express feelings without interruptions.  We are here to support one another.  We will not atempt of "fix" another.
4. Anonymity and Confidentiality are basic requirements.  What's shared in the group stays in the group.  The only exception is when someone threatens to injure themselves or others.
5. Offensive language has no place in a Christ-centered recovery group, including no graphic descriptions.

Eight Recovery Principles based on the Beatitudes