DECEMBER 2006 NEWSLETTER

Merry Christmas to you all-

We wish you, your families and ministries a heartfelt Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from your Celebrate Recovery National Family. We want you to know we greatly appreciate all your service to our Lord through the life saving ministry of Celebrate Recovery. Speaking of the New Year, here's a planning suggestion that will start your Recovery New Year off on a healthy and prosperous note.

1) Have you heard about the San Jose One-Day Seminar?

Attend the One Day Seminar hosted by Family Community Church's Celebrate Recovery on Saturday, January 27, 2007. Saddleback Church's very own John and Cheryl Baker, along with the National TEAM, will present a comprehensive overview of the program.

During this one day event we will have the opportunity to learn more about the seven keys that lead to a smooth running Celebrate Recovery. For those of us who already have a CR up and running, this will be a great opportunity to take ours to the next level.
You will have the option to attend the first ever Advanced Leadership Track that will run simultaneously with the traditional seminar. This track is open to those who have attended either the 3-day Summit in August or a One-Day seminar and are looking to enhance and improve the 7 Keys. If you are interested, don't wait to register as seating is limited.
Both tracks will provide opportunities to learn, experience and share, through John and his team's presentation, the important role each of the seven keys play in starting your recovery ministry and keeping it growing...and growing.

The Seminar will also allow us to experience excellent contemporary worship and great fellowship with one another. It will help us in our Leadership Training and TEAM development. Here our leaders can catch or increase their vision of this ministry which in turn increases their passion. This passion, combined with Senior Pastor Support is very powerful.

Speaking of Senior Pastor Support, which is crucial to a successful CR, this is a great opportunity to invite your pastors and elders, along with your potential or existing leaders to come with you to catch and carry the vision back to your church. We encourage your developed leaders to attend the ALT track while your rising leaders attend the traditional track.

By networking (spending time with others who have experienced and have up and running effective Celebrates) you can determine how and what new open share groups you will add to your Celebrate in 2007. And, should you agree to our call for help (as you'll read below in question #3) you also have an opportunity for significant outreach - right now!

2) Are you coming? Have you registered?

If you haven't thought about coming, now is the time to decide. Go to: http://www.purposedriven.com/en-US/Events/CelebrateRecoveryRegionalEvents/Overview.htm for registration information. Visit the site before December 29th for early bird discounts.

Why wait until the 3-day Summit in August? Why not make both events a regular part of your schedule and of your leader's schedules?

We continually work our steps because there are constantly new things for us to see and learn. We should in the same manner continue learning and growing in our positions in this phenomenal ministry. This glorifies God and provides healthier recovery ministries for those He sends us. Please pray that in all aspects of the Seminar God's will would be done.

Don't wait... go to the registration site now!!

3) Can you help us carry the message to others?

We know that Celebrate Recovery changes lives. Each of us has had a personal experience as a result of working these steps and practicing these principles in all our affairs. We need help carrying the message. We know that all churches and many organizations can benefit from this program.

We can obviously contact those Celebrates that are listed on the CR West Regional Website. We cannot possibly know or reach all the churches in The West Region by ourselves though. Because God's Word tells us, "Many hands will make a lighter load", we are asking you to contact churches in your area. This doesn't have to be a huge project if we all take a small piece. As the saying goes, the best way to eat an elephant is a bite at a time. Will you take just one bite? Will you bless another church or organization by introducing them to the powerful tool that we have in our hands?

Here is a rather simple strategy:

Who? A great place to start would be those churches you know of who have Celebrates going but are not yet listed, for one reason or another, on the CR West Regional Website. (Since we are here to help one another - why not use that time to let them know they can complete an on-line application to get their Celebrate listed nationally. They just need to go to our Regional Website at http://www.celebraterecovery-we.com/.) In case you haven't gone there yet, or lately, you need to check it out. It is being improved almost weekly with more tools in the works.

What? For CR's going but not on the regional website - Inform them of the exposure the website will provide for their CR as well as the other networking benefits it provides. For churches who are considering or are good candidates to start a CR, just tell them what CR has done for you and then send them to www.celebraterecovery.com for more information on the program.

Where? Churches in your surrounding area.

When? NOW!

Why? So more people can experience the wholeness and restoration that we have as a result of this program, one changed life at a time.

How? Email or call churches in your area.

We would like to thank you for your commitment to Jesus Christ and to the Celebrate Recovery ministry. We know that "a cord of many strands is not easily broken". It's a blessing to us to be intertwined, with you, as part of the body of Christ.

Yours in Christ,
Here to Serve!

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