Celebrate Recovery

We are all broken. We have all sinned. We have all missed the mark. We are all struggling with a hurt, habit or hang-up.

— program founder John Baker, qtd. in Lobdell 1999

Celebrate Recovery is a recovery program aimed at all "hurts, habits, and hang-ups", including but not exclusive to: high anxiety; co-dependency; compulsive behaviors; sex addiction; financial dysfunction; drug and alcohol addictions; and eating disorders.[1] Celebrate Recovery is one of the seven largest addiction recovery support group programs.[2] Promotional materials assert that over 5 million people have participated in a Celebrate Recovery step study[3][4][5] in over 35,000 churches[3][4][6][7] Approximately two-thirds of these participants are in recovery for something other than drugs or alcohol.[8][1] Leaders seek to normalize substance abuse as similar to other personal problems common to all people.[1]

Celebrate Recovery uses both the 12 steps developed by Alcoholics Anonymous and a very similar set of eight sequential principles that are understood as a lesson of Jesus' Beatitudes.[9][10][11][12] In addition to issue non-specific large group gatherings and individual mentoring, Celebrate Recovery encourages participants to form a small group of "Accountability Partners" who all have the same problem and support one another closely.[9] Celebrate Recovery groups are held under the management of local church organizations.[9] A study of Celebrate Recovery participants found that levels of spirituality were associated with greater confidence to resist substance use.[13] Celebrate Recovery has not been significantly studied, so there is no empirical evidence regarding the impacts or efficacy of the Celebrate Recovery program.[14]

Driveway to Saddleback Church, Rancho Capistrano

John Baker was an alcoholic and staff member of Saddleback Church who began healing through Alcoholics Anonymous. He wanted a specifically Christian addiction recovery group, so with the support of Rick Warren, Celebrate Recovery began as a ministry of Saddleback Church under Baker's leadership[15][16] in 1991.[17][18] John Baker continues to be the primary author of The Celebrate Recovery curriculum and materials.[16]

The name Celebrate Recovery is a registered trademark of John Baker,[19] and the national Celebrate Recovery organization requires that groups using this name hold closely to a standardized format.[9][10] They may not use resources outside of the Bible and authorized Celebrate Recovery curriculum materials.[20] Group facilitators must be trained and agree to a list of expectations,[9] including standardized guidelines[21][22] at each meeting.[20]

• Addiction recovery groups
• List of twelve-step groups
• Recovery model
• Self-help groups for mental health

• Celebrate Recovery official website
• Celebrate Recovery UK