One thing I really love is going to the Celebrate Recovery Summit. Each year Celebrate Recovery offers two conferences. One is on the west coast in California and the other is in Nashville, Tennessee. Janie and I have been blessed to attend both of them several times. This year, if fact, later this week, Janie and I will leave to go to Nashville for the Celebrate Recovery East Coast! What I really love about this conference is the 2000, give or take a few hundred, recovering believers who worship together. At that event, you are in the presence of God along with over 2000 people who know they have been rescued, forgiven, born again, changed and set free. There is a deep sense of God’s grace and mercy.
I would agree with anyone who said “All believers should feel that way and all worship should be fueled by such joy.” That certainly should be the case.
So, we look forward to a time of training, a time of refreshing, a time of healing and a time of “recovery fellowship”! By the way, one of the most often misunderstood aspects of Celebrate Recovery is who is CR for? The overwhelming majority of people who attend Celebrate Recovery are not there for alcohol or drug abuse. Many of us attend for past trauma, co-dependency, mental health issues, grief, etc. Substance Use Disorder is certainly a part of CR but not the only part.
The Celebrate Recovery Ministry of JIBC has diminished in size over the past two years. The need for recovery has certainly not diminished. If anything, it has greatly increased. A fellow pastor in West Ashley said as they surveyed their community for felt needs, recovery issues were among the highest on the list. Pray for Celebrate Recovery, for our leaders, for our outreach, promotion in the community, our volunteers. It is a real need!
See you soon,
Pastor Tom
