A Scio church is continuing in March its new ministry for individuals who are struggling with any type of hurts, hangups or habits that are negatively affecting their lives and those of family members and people around them.
Celebrate Recovery gatherings, including a broader-focus
Celebrate Victory model, are being held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. each Saturday at
Knights Creek Evangelical Methodist Church, 2987 County Road 9 (Knights Creek
Road).
An additional weekly gathering of the international ministry
is hosted at the same times Thursdays at Yorks Corners Mennonite Church, 3350
County Road 29, Wellsville, with both churches joining together at Allegany
County Jail on Tuesdays for a modified Celebrate Recovery Inside version for
inmates only. Individuals can join
groups, conducted on different teaching schedules, at any time due to recovery
from struggles being a process.
The free March schedule, including refreshments, will
include a personal testimony on March 3 as to how an individual overcame their
struggles through the healing power of Jesus Christ.
The March 10 focus will be on how to seek "Sanity"
when overwhelmed by any type of life struggles, including addictions.
A third week testimony on March 17, will be followed a March
24 teaching on "Turn," the decision to change direction and seek a
new life without holding onto the same struggles that may have been going on
for years.
Sessions alternate weekly between actual testimonies of individuals
who are finding victory over their struggles, and teachings that outline the
process to help it happen, culminating
in a desire of participants to help others through their journey to also find
victory.
Group facilitators say the ministry is for anyone
experiencing most any type of negative personal situation, including
individuals struggling with anxiety, depression, isolation, aging, overeating,
oppressive financial situations, physical or sexual abuse, childhood trauma,
marital and family strife, wayward children, loss of an unborn child and other
grief due to the death of a loved one, early childhood and other traumas,
workaholism, destructive behaviors and addictions such as alcohol, drugs,
gambling and pornography, and more.
Couples often attend, they report, due to being able to hear
the same information about recovery and victory and then finding individual
support in separate small groups for both men and women, providing a common
basis for increased communication.
Families of jail inmates also are encouraged to participate
in the community groups to learn how to support those who are incarcerated,
particularly when they are released, since understanding and communication are
key ingredients for positive assistance and change.
Weekly sessions also include a time of music, life skills
presentations based on 12 Steps and their Biblical Comparisons and Eight
Principles reflecting the Beatitudes from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, the
personal testimonies, and the non-judgmental, gender-specific small groups.
Knights Creek uses the expanded Celebrate Victory model that
embraces the internationally-acclaimed Celebrate Recovery (CR) curriculum developed by Saddleback Church in
California, pastored by Rick Warren, author of the long-running, best-selling
book, Purpose Driven Life.
In addition to the CR format, the Scio group seeks to assist
participants in addressing any additional needs on a broader, holistic --
physical, mental/emotional and spiritual -- basis through connection with
individual and family resources within the broader community, many of which are
available at little or no cost.
Further information about Celebrate Recovery/Celebrate
Victory at Scio is available at www.facebook.com/KnightsCreekChurch, or from
Casey Jones, a group facilitator, at bps461@msn.com or (484) 435-0503.
Information about Celebrate Recovery at Yorks Corners is
available at www.facebook.com/CelebrateRecoveryYorksCorners.
Further details about the ministry in general in Allegany
County is at https://ppaccentral.org/celebrate-recovery.
