THE VALUE OF USING THE CELEBRATE RECOVERY NAME
Celebrate Recovery desires to be a network of like-minded, Bible-based, Christ-centered recovery ministries. This growing network crosses denominational and cultural boundaries to help hurting people in our churches and communities.
There are many benefits of using the Celebrate Recovery name. Here are just a few:
1. CONNECTION
Your ministry is part of an international movement to bring Christ-centered, Bible-based recovery to the world. As a genuine Celebrate Recovery ministry, you join a network of thousands of other local Celebrate Recovery ministries reaching people for Christ. At the same time, you are helping others break free from their hurts, hang-ups, and habits.
2. SUPPORT
Your ministry has the support and partnership of the Celebrate Recovery National Team, as well as assistance from your Regional Directors and State Reps. These individuals work to help your ministry succeed.
3. RESOURCES
Your ministry has access to the materials and resources from Saddleback Church that are proven and invaluable tools in recovery.
4. VALIDATION
Your ministry is validated in your church and community by being associated with Celebrate Recovery.
5. PROMOTION
Any Celebrate Recovery ministry that is adhering to the DNA of an authentic Celebrate Recovery is listed with the other Celebrate Recovery programs on the official Celebrate Recovery website.
It is our desire for each local Celebrate Recovery ministry to have a clear and consistent character that identifies it as a genuine part of the Celebrate Recovery movement. At the same time, each ministry maintains its own creative distinctions of its local ministry and church.
To illustrate, here’s an example of what it means to have consistency while allowing for creativity.
A McDonald’s® restaurant in Boulder, Colorado, may have a Western theme and a McDonald’s in Orlando, Florida, may have a Mickey Mouse® theme. Nevertheless, you can be sure that when you order a “Big Mac®,” it will taste the same at both locations. Our desire is that no matter where a Newcomer attends a Celebrate Recovery meeting, they will experience the same quality content and program to find God’s healing from their hurts, hang-ups, and habits.
THE CELEBRATE RECOVERY® NAME IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK
In a desire to protect the integrity of the broader ministry, Celebrate Recovery requires that if you use the Celebrate Recovery name, the following are an irreducible minimum of your program.
THE DNA OF AN AUTHENTIC CELEBRATE RECOVERY MINISTRY
1. Jesus Christ is the one and only Higher Power. The program is a Christ-centered ministry.
2. The Bible* and Celebrate Recovery curriculum consisting of the Celebrate Recovery Program Kit, Leader’s Guide, The Journey Begins, The Journey Continues, Advanced Leadership Training Kit, Celebrate Recovery Lessons, Celebrate Recovery Program Bundle, Your First Steps to Celebrate Recovery, Life’s Healing Choices, The Road to Freedom, Celebrate Recovery Daily Devotional, Celebrate Recovery Devotional Booklet, Celebrate Recovery Journal, Celebrate Recovery Prayer Journal, Testimonies to Go, Testimonies to Go: Special Edition with John and Cheryl Baker, Never Let Go, Senior Pastor Support DVD, Worship DVDs, Celebrate Recovery Words DVD, Celebrate Recovery Visual Kit, The Landing, and Celebration Place are to be used exclusively. The Large Group lessons are taught from the Leader’s Guide, keeping at least the acrostic and the Scriptures as the key points in the lessons. This is to keep consistency within groups, allowing teachers to be creative with the introduction and conclusion of each lesson.
3. The ministry is “group based.” All groups are gender-specific and “The Five Small Group Guidelines” are implemented and followed every time. As written below:
1. Keep your sharing focused on your own thoughts and feelings.
2. There is NO cross-talk. Cross-talk is when two people engage in conversation excluding all others. Each person is free to express his or her feelings without interruptions.
3. We are here to support one another, not “fix” one another. This keeps us focused on our own issues.
4. Anonymity and confidentiality are basic requirements. What is 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.
* The following guidelines are to be used in all online Open Share Groups and Step studies.
6. All members must use headphones. This will ensure that no one else can overhear what is shared in the group.
7. All members must be on camera. If the group leader asks, they must show the rest of the group that no one else is in the room.
8. The meetings will not be recorded.
For more the long version of the guidelines look here.
4. Celebrate Recovery is designed to be done in face-to-face meetings. That is the most effective form for building healthy ongoing connections and long-term growth and recovery. As such, there will be no Celebrate Recovery programs that are online only. Instead, online groups must be connected to a local in-person Celebrate Recovery.
When utilizing online small groups, please follow “The Small Group Guidelines” found on celebraterecovery.com to ensure safety for all in attendance.
With respect to the Celebrate Recovery Large Group experience, some groups in specific areas may still have a vulnerable population and therefore need the online Large Group Experience. In these cases, please do the following:
a. Use the CR parameters for online Large Groups to ensure anonymity and confidentiality are followed.
b. Please follow copyright licensing procedures per your church copyright permissions.
c. Before posting testimonies online, all testimonies must have written signed consent in accordance with your church.
d. Teaching and posting Celebrate Recovery Lessons online is permitted. Your local group must also follow proper copyright licensing procedures per your church copyright permissions.
5. We expect each group to be accountable to Christ, the local church, and the model of Celebrate Recovery established at Saddleback Church.
6. Celebrate Recovery is a ministry of the local church. Therefore, Celebrate Recovery will not attempt to dictate any doctrine or policy to a local church. A local Celebrate Recovery ministry should follow the policies of their local church and continue to be grateful for their continued support.
A church or organization may decide to use Celebrate Recovery curriculum and mix it with other materials, or programs. This is certainly up to their discretion. HOWEVER, they are prohibited from using the Celebrate Recovery name.
Items produced for commercial sale using the Celebrate Recovery name or any part of the Celebrate Recovery curriculums is strictly prohibited. This is a trademark and copyright violation.
*We strongly encourage the use of the Celebrate Recovery Study Bible. It is the only Bible that directly corresponds to the Celebrate Recovery curriculum. We designed the Celebrate Recovery Study Bible to work with the resources developed and tested in the national and international ministry of Celebrate Recovery.