Red Ribbon Week Special:
Located at the old Jena Elementary Campus, the local Celebrate Recovery (CR) Program is a Christ-centered, biblically based effort and ministry that provides help and support to sustainable recovery for those dealing with various addictions or issues. Under the guidance of the LaSalle Parish Ministerial Alliance, the goal of the program is to direct participants toward new, healthy truths and life-giving habits as relationships are repaired.
LaSalle Celebrate Recovery began in May 2016 through the LaSalle Parish Ministerial Alliance and is currently endorsed by multiple churches and is in partnership with the LaSalle Parish Sheriff’s Department, the Parish Parole Board, the LaSalle Parish School Board and the LaSalle Parish District Attorney’s Office. LaSalle CR is led by trained volunteers from multiple area- churches of diverse denominations. The CR Alliance Board consists of Pastor Heath Harris – President, Pastor Chauncey Hardy Vice President, Pastor Jeff Morea – Secretary and Lori Andrews Treasurer. The LaSalle CR team includes husband and wife, Danny and Dana Spicer, John Robbins, Todd and Krystle Knick, Patricia Nealy, and Lonnie Cater. Lori Andrews serves as the Assimilation Coach.
Weekly meetings are held at the LaSalle Celebrate Recovery facility on Wednesday nights from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. The LaSalle CR team includes (front row, left to right): Dana Spicer and Patricia Nealy; (back row, left to right) Danny Spicer, John Robbins, Todd Knick and Krystle Knick. Not pictured are Lonnie Cater and Lori Andrews.
Confidentiality is highly regarded and maintained for those attending local Celebrate Recovery meetings. The meetings are held each Wednesday night from 6:30 – 8:00 pm and there is no cost to attend. The meetings open with worship, prayer and the reading of the 12 Steps or eight principles of CR. A brief teaching on recovery or a testimony followed by small group discussions for specific life or substance abuse issues may follow.
Internationally, CR has more than seven million graduates who have completed the program. The twelve recovery steps are based on the eight principles of the Beatitudes in Matthew chapter five. The steps include conviction, conversion, surrender, confession, restitution, prayer, quiet time, witnessing and helping one another, and typically takes 9-12 months to complete. As in the LaSalle CR, graduates often choose to stay and work with others in the program.
Among the issues participants may face are those of anger, mental health, drug and alcohol addiction, gambling addiction, various forms of abuse and childhood dysfunction. The ministry is dedicated to giving people the resources and relationships to find a ‘new way of living’ and is for anyone struggling with these past or present hurts, habits or hang-ups. As members make progress and surrender habits and issues to God, they receive blue chips called recovery chips to celebrate the special occasions or clean time in their recovery.
Founded and established by Saddleback Church in 1991 in Lake Forest, CA, by Pastor Rick Warren and John Baker, the ultimate goal of the program is to create a bridge to millions of people in need, and in doing so, introduce them to the one and only true higher power, Jesus Christ. It encourages fellowship, provides hope and celebrates the healing power of God while members work their way along the road to recovery. Those changed share their experiences, strengths and hopes with others in the recovery support group. The program offers a group of friends and quality people who are present for and actively care for each other. There are currently over 35,000 churches with a Celebrate Recovery ministry.
Celebrate Recovery is not a replacement for professional counseling, therapy or medical treatment. However, it is, among other things, a safe place to share, a place of refuge and belonging, a place to care for others and to be cared for, a place where respect is given to every member and a potential place for a turning point in the lives of those struggling and seeking support to overcome with the challenges and issues they face.
“The biggest stigma associated with Celebrate Recovery is that people think it’s just for drugs,” CR President and local Pastor Heath Harris said. “They are surprised when they go to CR and realize it’s for everyone and every need and it will really help them (with the issues they face).”
“We all have something in life that is controlling, even if it’s not a problem with drugs and alcohol addictions. Anger, unforgiveness, depression, grief. People will be surprised, if they go check it out, CR can really help them,” he further explained. “We even had a guy attend who had lost his child. He found support during his grief.”
LaSalle CR serves as an entry-level or introduction into the local churches that support the program. The hope is that participants will connect into a local church, attending on Sunday, and after graduation transitioning full-time into church services on both Wednesdays and Sundays.
If you are a resident of Central Louisiana, the LaSalle Parish Celebrate Recovery Program is available weekly at Oak and Drewitt, Jena, LA on Hwy. 84. Contact information includes facebook. com/celebraterecovery. lasalle/ and the lasalle.alliance@gmail.com. You can also call 318.992.0793 for information.
